Day 1

My first Sunday in Tokyo without work meant that I could have a lie-in like all normal people do, and also I could do a few of the touristy things that I never get the chance to do.

I met Dad and Barbara at their hotel, near Shinjuku station, at about 1pm. It was nice to see them, and strange to think that it had been 8 months since the last time I saw them. Their flight was fine, if long, but they didn’t seem too tired.

We headed out and to the next building – the Metropolitan Government Building – the first stop on my tour of South-West Tokyo. I thought it was a great place to start as they could try and comprehend the colossus that is Tokyo. We could just about see Fuji, although the weather was supposed to be clearer the next day.




After a short walk to Shinjuku station, which serves over 1 million people a day – it feels like each exit is bigger and more complicated than one main train station in London – we went to Harajuku to eat some crepes and see the ‘fashionable’ Harajuku girls. Gwen Stefani would be proud. It was also something that I hadn’t done, and there were plenty to see.



Most of them were willing to have photos taken, and they appeared to enjoy the attention they received. And we even saw a Harajuku 'guy':

In a complete culture shift, behind Harajuku is Meiji Shrine, and within three steps you change from seeing uber-modern clothes to old fashioned yukata/kimono. (This is the park that can be seen in the pictures above.)

There were lots of weddings going on around us, and I found it a little bizarre to have tourists walking and taking photographs around the ceremonies, but I guess it’s a public place after all.



This was a sweet message that – I’m guessing/hoping – a child wrote on one of the wish placards you can buy:



Following this, we headed towards Shibuya, passing all of the street performers – Dad has many photographs but he brought two cameras and I only took the pictures off one of them, so I’ll have to put them up later on. I did, however, manage to get hold of this group of Japanese “Elvis’s” rocking the park up. Very bizarre.

At Shibuya, we sat in the Starbucks and watched the hectic and hypnotising crossroads in all its glory.

And all this in only half a day; I feel tired again just writing about it!

I'm Back

Well, the holiday has been and gone, and I'm absolutely shattered. It was a fun, but tough week - running around, translating, catching trains, finding food etc.

However, I had a lot of fun, went to some places I love and saw some new places as well, the weather was great, and Fuji was incredible.

I will write it all up, and show the hundreds of pictures we took throughout the week.

But for now, I sleep.

NOVA Students Say The Stupidest Things #27

Phil: How was your holiday in America?
Student: It was exciting. I hijacked.
Phil: Really?!
Student: Yeah.
Phil: Hijacked? That's pretty exciting, and illegal.
Student: Oh! Hitch-hiked!

NOVA Students Say The Stupidest Things #26

Describing objects:

Student: It's pink, long and looks like an octopus's testicle.

After a momentary pause, I laughed so hard, that it took the rest of the lesson explaining that she meant 'tentacle' and trying to politely describe a testicle. I have no idea what she was actually describing.

The Storm Before The Calm

Dad and Barbara arrive here tomorrow, so this is my last day of work for a week. I'm looking forward to the holiday and seeing things I've already seen as well as going to some new places.

However, it's thunder and lightning right now, so I hope this is the rain exhausting itself for the week.

Fingers crossed.

Image Of The Week #16

(a billboard advert - taken in Harajuku, September 2006)

So close!

Trick Or Treat

Halloween rocked. It was absolutely knackering and, by the end, I fell asleep exhausted but satisfied.

In the morning, I prepared the special VOICE (1½ hour presentation/discussion) and set off for work. I was told that I wasn’t allowed to decorate or wear a costume as “NOVA is a professional company”. Every other shop in Tokyo had Halloween decorations, but apparently not us. That wasn’t going to stop me. I had my cowboy hat and, many decorations later, the place was complete.


This is my Tuesday kids group. They all ran up shouting “trick or treat”. I’d brought plenty of candy* so wasn’t a problem. How cool are their costumes.

My special VOICE was fun, although only three women were there. Not a big deal since two of them are my favourite students so it was hilarious dressing them up, talking about Halloween, and playing games. I was so tempted to play apple bobbing but didn’t seem so wise with upper-class housewives. Maybe. We played a fun divination game, which I’d found on Wikipedia. You have to pick a hat and whatever is underneath is your fortune for the coming year:

candy = good luck, money = wealth, a bean = poverty, water = travel, soil = bad luck



After NOVA, I went to my Japanese lesson and dressed up as a cowboy; albeit more Indiana Jones than Brokeback. I walked in and about 30 or so Japanese women looked at me as if I was crazy. A few seconds later and, it seemed at the same time, the reason hit them. I shared out more candy, costumes, and played the divination game.



We also made terra-terra-bouzu – Japanese tissue-paper decorations for good weather. This is my teacher Aikawa-San singing the song. She’s amazingly fun and patient with us, and always has something creative and interesting to do and learn each week.



In the evening, I met everyone from work at the Izakaya (Japanese style pub). The turn-out was great and more costumes, divination**, and Halloween craziness ensued.


This random Japanese guy was wasted:

I just made the last train Keiko’s, and she was tired too, so the horror movie never happened.

A great, great day. One of those days where nothing feels like a chore, and you just have fun with everything you do. It’s got me thinking – a few more of those around the place wouldn’t hurt. So, my next mission; organising a pub quiz.

*I’m very against using American vocab in my lessons but ‘candy’ seems to have stuck. I’m not sure why. ‘Soccer’ is also digging its way into my stream of consciousness.
**I picked travelling – I guess I will be next year – whether it’s good or bad is yet to be determined…

Image Of The Week #15

A Halloween special this week:
Following in Harry's 'Nazi' footsteps, I think this costume (Bill Maher - American comedian) wins this year's "most sensitive" award!

Happy Halloween!

I don't know whether it's because no-one else seems bothered about it here, or whether I'm just a big kid, but I'm so excited about Halloween. It's going to be a really busy day - I'm doing a two hour special VOICE on the subject - with games, food, divination etc. Afterwards, I have my Japanese lesson, and the teachers are all anticipating a costume, so I'm going as a cowboy. In the evening, I've organised a Halloween party for everyone at work. Around midnight, Keiko and I are going to watch a horror movie. She doesn't know that yet. Photos will follow shortly.

These are from yesterday. My favourite group of kids were at the small school I helped at, but yesterday was my last day there, so I'm kind of upset. We had a party. They had so much fun dressing up as monsters, pirates, vampires, mummys etc. Aren't they cute.

Happy Birthday Natasha!

Some origami made by me when the typhoon hit and I was stuck inside.
The red thing in the box is supposed to be a rabbit and, yes, I know, the panda looks evil.

Insert Your Name Here

Every country, it seems has a neo-action epic. Where worlds merge, and people realise possibilities beyond restriction. America has 'The Matrix', Russia 'Night Watch'. As for Japan?

'Death Note' is a fantastic idea, originally based on a manga novel but now being made into a trilogy. The first was released half a year ago, but shown on television tonight to hype up the release of 'Death Note: The Last Name' next month.

A school-boy, Light, finds a Death Note* dropped by one of the Sky-Gods. Whosever name is written in the book will die. Light realises the good he can do with this, and sets about killing all the evil people in the world. Known by the public as 'Killer'**, the power and infamy begin to control him. A genius, only known as 'L' so as to deter Killer from using his name within the book, sets about tracking him down. The rest of the movies become more complicated, with more 'death notes' and complicated relationships (Killer and L work together-ish).

It's a very interesting watch, not that I understood most of it, but in terms of exploring the human psyche and responsibility.

As (sadly) usual, expect the Hollywood butchering, I mean remake, within the next year.

*In Japan, 'note or note-o' is a Japanized word for notebook, which helps makes more sense in this context.
**Actually, pronounced 'kira'.

Image Of The Week #14

I walk past this 'shrub' every day.
It makes me laugh.

NOVA Students Say The Stupidest Things #25

Same topic, different student:

Phil: I met the Queen of England.
Student: What's Freddie Mercury like?
__
"Mildred, he's at it again"

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Monkeys

Feeling like I had been to most of the places of interest in and around Tokyo, I turned to the students for advice. One place came up that I’d never heard of before, although it’s supposedly a very popular getaway for Tokyo-ites. Mt Takao, at a tiny height of about 600m is known as ‘the Hampton’s of Tokyo’. So last weekend I went.

It was a little too early for the autumnal red leaves, but at a distance of 40 minutes from Shibuya and a measly train fare of £1.50 (crazy, hey!) each way, it’s very accessible.

A cable-car took us a short distance up Takao-San as it’s too steep to walk in parts.

Being a weekday, it was quiet although there were quite a few school groups. Every big trip I’ve been on, primary and secondary school kids are on nature trails – they seem to have a very broad education here. I suppose I did go to Hengistbury Head and Fishbourne.





These stairs religiously number 108 – an important Buddhist symbol. It’s believed that if you trip while climbing them, you’ll have bad luck. If you’re a Buddhist.


Again, it was that little bit too cloudy at the top to see Fuji.



Some red leaves were starting to show.


On the way down, for some unknown reason Keiko and I talked about tongue twisters. I taught her ‘Peter Piper’ but ‘Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry’ is a no-go for the Japanese as they have a problem separating “r’s” and “l’s” in the first place. Keiko taught me a Japanese tongue twister:

nama mugi nama gome nama tamago*



This tree has an interesting history. Supposedly, when people travelled to the shrine on top of the mountain, the roots were growing increasingly in the way of the carriages. The townspeople decided to cut it down, but that night, the trees roots bent round, miraculously, out of harm’s way.



Near the bottom, we went to a monkey park. This year saw the birth of four monkeys and they were extremely excitable; swinging, climbing and jumping on everything, including each other.





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And the day was completed by this Hello Kitty popcorn machine.

*raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg – which is a bit of a tongue-twister in itself!