#70 - Tokyo and Cherry blossoms - April 2013

The themed drinks from the scary restaurant.
Like a mad scientist's equipment.

In the first weekend of April, I visited Tokyo. I stayed at the apartment of someone from my initial training group, and I was very thankful to her! We met up with some other teachers from the same training group who lived and worked around the Tokyo area, and we spent the day touring Ueno park, Akihabara, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku. In the evening we went to a themed restaurant called the Lock Up. This was actually terrifying! The theme was basically to scare you, so the staff were dressed in masks and costumes. Every so often, all the lights would turn off in the building and UV lights would come on. The staff would then sneak around in full monster costumes and try to scare you to death! Luckily, this only happened once while we were there. We quickly ate and left! But it was definitely an interesting and fun experience!

 Around April it is cherry blossom season. So, on the next weekend I was able to have my first cherry blossom viewing party. This is known as 花見（はなみ ）hanami in Japanese. We went to a park in Sendai and laid down our blue tarp on the ground. Basically what happens in a hanami party is that you sit outside – preferably under or near a cherry tree – and eat and drink alcohol and have fun with a group. If I remember correctly, I think we arrived around midday, and we left the park around midnight. Some of the group got excruciatingly drunk, like the majority of people during cherry blossom viewing. Unfortunately, the peak for the blossoms were earlier in the week, so this was towards the end before they started to fall off more. Nevertheless, it was still a great party and very beautiful.

#69 - Long Overdue

久しぶり。Or, in other words, long time no see.

I haven't updated this blog in a long time. I have several reasons for this. Firstly, after working hard, I didn't have a lot of time or interest in writing entries. This eventually led me to putting this to the back of my mind to eventually be forgotten. Secondly, and maybe the most importantly, I lost my password, then the email address I created this blog with, so I couldn't log in! And every time I tried, it got me frustrated so I had to give up.

For these reasons and more, I apologise to those who kept reminding me that I hadn't updated and that wanted to know about what I was up to.

However: good news! I now have my log in details (obviously), so I can once again post entries! Hooray! From my 14 months in Japan, I have accumulated a lot of photographs and stories, and visited many places. So, I thought that, as penance, I would slowly tell you all about what I was doing in Japan during the past year and a bit. So, keep your eyes peeled!

Before I go, I want to say something about my situation now. I no longer live in Japan. I have returned to the UK and I am back living at my parents house, looking for my next job (or even next adventure!). The reason is that I decided it was time for me to move on from Japan. Of course, I have no idea if, or when, I will have a chance to go back in the future. But for the time being it is the UK and Europe for me. One thing I can say about my experience is that I feel I have matured a lot more, both personally and professionally. My experience has been positive! But of course, I shan't forget there were negatives, too. But looking back, I feel that the positives have prevailed, so I would happily like to share some of them with you via this blog.

As for the new updates, I plan on posting one new entry each week. My last entry was at the end of March 2013. Coincidently, it is almost one year after (albeit approximately 1 month later), so I guess in a sense I will literally be reliving my time abroad following the seasons!

So, if you are interested in:

• Japanese culture
• travelling
• what I myself was doing

then come back soon and read about it!

#68 - March overview

I apologise to everyone who has asked me to update. I have been really busy with work recently, but seeing as it is my day off, I will update!

I have done a few things in my spare time. Here is what I've been up to:

I visited a town called Iwanuma to see the Takekoma Shrine Festival. There was a parade through the city with a float and everyone in costumes which started at the shrine with a performance. It was very interesting to watch. The town was very quiet but I had a lot of fun! Randomly, there was a store which had a hidden second floor and they were having a magic show? It was very odd but interesting!

Performance at beginning with spear tossing

Tengu

In front of the shrine entrance

I also visited Yamagata City with my manager. Her favourite singer was having a concert so I offered to go with her. We took a bus ride across the mountains to get there. Yamagata City is the capitol of Yamagata Prefecture but it was a small city. It was a little bit colder than Sendai, I think, but was calm. We visited the castle ruins and some old famous buildings which was great! I haven't had time to take them off of my camera yet but I will upload a few at a later time.

I was also told about a Japanese class in a nearby which I am going to check out. It's on Mondays but is having a break at the moment so I will go in a couple of weeks. I want to start studying again, maybe focusing on conversation for now. Exciting!

It was Easter this weekend, but I had no Easter eggs. It's just not done in Japan. Probably because there are hardly any Christians. Upsetting!

#67 - 2 Weeks In

It has been about two weeks since I have been in Sendai. Today I took the opportunity to look around the area where I live and also down-town Sendai. The weather was warm today (compared to before) so I got quite warm while walking!

River. Stadium and mountains in the background

People enjoying the river

View of the stadium from inside the park

 I went past the Izumichuo subway station, which is what I take to go to work. Then I walked towards the direction of the next station, Yaotome（八乙女）. I passed the Yurtec Stadium Sendai, which is a big football stadium. The Nanakita River （七北田川）also runs by this area. I saw some fishermen and a family enjoying the warmth and the water.

My first entry into the park proper

Looking towards Izumichuo 

Next to this is a medium sized park. The weather was really warm and there was no wind so it was a very nice atmosphere. There were not many people in the park either, so I took my time walking around and looking at the trees. It is almost spring so there is more green around. Also, because there were hardly any clouds in the sky, you could see far in the distance. The mountains were very clear in the distance, and you could see the snow on them. I am not sure what the mountains are called, though.

Far away mountains

After exploring the entire park, I headed back towards the subway station and rode into downtown Sendai. I got off at Hirosedori 広瀬通り station and had a look at the shopping arcades in Ichibancho. I bought a kind of satchel bag from a department store. It was a little expensive, but I liked it and I needed it to take my things to work (my other folder fell apart!). I also went into a book store and bought a Japanese book and looked around the Daiso (100yen store) there, too. I headed towards Kokubuncho, which is more or less the drinking area of Sendai. There are lots of karaoke bars, small bars and food places.

The Yaki-something Set

I was looking for something nice to eat but everything seemed to be closed. It is hard to look for places, because often there are multiple shops or restaurants on each floor of the small buildings, and of course you cannot see anything from the outside so I don't want to walk into somewhere and have to turn back out again! Eventually, I stopped at a Chinese restaurant chain and had quite a nice meal (even though I didn't have a clue what I ordered. Turned out to be rice, dumplings, chicken and salad).


At home again, I turned to chores. Monday is the day when I clean my apartment, do clothes washing and other things, as well as getting ready for work the next day. I did fall asleep for a while, too. Maybe worn out from all the walking!

#66 - Sendai

On Monday 18th February, I boarded the bullet train and moved to Sendai.

My apartment is approximately 8 tatami mats in size. You enter into the kitchen on the right hand side with the shower room and the toilet on the left. Straight ahead you enter the living area. Thankfully there is a chest of drawers and two small bookshelves, as well as the futon, small carpet and a TV. A sliding glass door leads out onto the balcony, and from there I can see towards the subway station and big shopping stores.

Outside of my apartment is a Lawson store about 50 metres away. There is a small 100 yen shop a short 1 minute walk away. The area is quite far from work so I have to take the subway to get there, but it is very convenient and I can easily cover my basic needs.

The weather in Sendai is cold! It has snowed every day. It wasn't heavy, but very light, almost like rain. Yesterday and today though the snow has been heavier. Sendai's temperature hovers around freezing point, so there is snow dust but it then melts slightly and turns to ice, then snows again. Either way, it can be cold outside!

I have got an iPhone 5 on contract which is great because I can look at maps as well as keep in touch with people relatively cheaply (apart from the monthly bills!). My old Japanese bank account was still open, and I have approximately 80 000 yen inside so that was a nice bonus and means I do not have to open another account. I do not have any internet for my apartment but I can use tethering from my iPhone to create a mini hotspot which means I can connect to the internet with any device as long as I use the password! It is limited but I do not use much bandwidth usually, so overall I am happy with this!

I have finished the first week of work, which was a little difficult, but I enjoy being there and my colleagues are very friendly and are always happy so I feel very welcome. I have had my two consecutive days off a week which is great because it means that, later in the year, I would be able to visit my new friends in Tokyo area or further away without having to necessarily rush back in the same day.

I would have liked to have uploaded some photos, but I have misplaced my connection lead for my camera the my laptop. I hope I can find it soon!

#65 - A Walk around Omiya

I am currently staying in an area called Omiya in the greater Tokyo area, about 25km north of central Tokyo. It is an active commercial centre in the area and has good infrastructure. Because today was a free day, I went to head to the shrine and park and walked around a bit.

Hikawa Shrine (氷川神社) is a Japanese shinto shrine. The district of Omiya literally means "great shrine". This name was the result of Emporer Meiji who raised Hikawa above all other shrines in the Kanto region. There is a long avenue with three large torii gates. The shrine was actually much bigger than I thought it would be, which was a nice surprise! There were also a lot of people about in the day and long lines to receive fortunes and to pray. Here are a few pictures:

Temple entrance

In the middle of the grounds

Main shrine

As we walked past the shrine we came into the park area and a little bit further we found the Omiya Park Zoo! It is a small area with quite a few enclosures of different animals, like monkeys and birds. As it was part of the park there was no entrance fee so we just had a look around. There was a small section of benches with lots of people and kids around. The kids were given guinea pigs to hold and pet which was quite cute to watch.

Omiya Park Zoo

Diamond Doves

Japanese Monkeys

We wandered back into the main town area to look for something to eat and came across a smallish eatery. I had a chicken, egg and rice dish, with a side of miso soup. It was so delicious! And cheap! We also had a quick look at some shops and stores before heading back, buying food from the supermarket and coming home.

Yummy!

Overall it was a very fun day! Even though I will not be in the area for too much longer, I got to explore and find my way around some more and see some interesting things!

#64 - British Food

This morning it was snowing, but it wasn't as much as was anticipated. I helped to clear some of the snow and slush away from the path and road and by the neighbours, which was hard work, actually!

This afternoon I went with a group to Hub which is a British-style pub. You can order food, too, which is pretty interesting. I had some fish and chips bites. I was really hungry at the time but the portion was very small! Nonetheless, it was very tasty!

Tomorrow I will have a long day. I have been reading some books and files I brought with me, specifically about lesson planning and speaking activities for ESL.

It is really cold outside and also in the room! The heaters we have are okay but they do not do a fantastic job of heating the floor or the  futons. I now have another blanket to sleep in, so hopefully it will be a lot warmer - but the room will still be cold in the morning because we shouldn't leave the heater on overnight!

Goodnight, readers!