Harajuku, Tokyo
Akihabara - electronics and anime centre
Sushi
View from Sky Tree, the world's tallest tower
Friday, October 5, 2012
This is Disney Sea (Photo Bomb)
PHOTO BOMB!!!! WOOOO!!!!
Disney Sea was amazing. But of course, story of my life, I swear, 2 steps into the park and I`d lost my buddies. After about a minute of searching for them, which included standing in the same spot and turning around, I hear Rebecca`s voice "ALREADY, Alys?" *sigh* yes, already.
So say hello to my new Disney Sea partners.
Only realised after I looked at the picture again, that I`d taken a pic of NZ.
I THINK we were allowed cameras on this ride....
Should have taken a pic of the Prince sign to go with this one.
Day
Evening
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Disney sea wasn't as fun as I thought but still really awesome
Yesterday we went to Disney sea together, I was really really looking forward to it, but that weather wasn't that great so I was a bit worried. Me and Toral went to Tower of Terror first, we can hear people scream from far away, but when we actually get to go on the ride, it wasn't terrifying at all, that was a bit of dispointment. We mainly hanging out at the journey to the center of the earth mountain area, because it was really rainy during the day. I went on a few of other rides on my own, but we mainly covered everything at Disney sea by 4:00 pm. It rained most of the day, and all our shoes are completely soaking wet!! We just set in the restaurant and talk for about 3 hours. At 8:00 there was a night show, it went on for about 20 mins, I taped the whole show, I think that was the best part of the day.
Sensoji
So after a long tiring day at Disney Sea yesterday, we went to Sensoji Temple to look around. Sensoji was absolutely amazing, I think it's one of the best temples I've been to so far. Cherry joined us as we took 3trains to get there. At the entrance of Sensoji there was lots of markets selling things like fans, keychains and chopsticks and so on. Sensoji was red and black and the architecture was amazing.For lunch we ate monjyayaki and had shaved ice. The day was so hot that we needed cooling down. Cherry even decided to buy a shaved ice machine but thankfully didn't go ahead with the purchase.
It's my second to last day with my host family today and am really going to miss them. I don't know what I would have done with out their careful planning and their help. Japan so far has been awesome but just as hot. I can't wait for more to come.
Toral
It's my second to last day with my host family today and am really going to miss them. I don't know what I would have done with out their careful planning and their help. Japan so far has been awesome but just as hot. I can't wait for more to come.
Toral
Disney Sea - Wednesday 3 October
I know it rained - but hey it was Disney Sea so we were going to get wet sometime anyway!
* Storm Rider (one if the 'wetting' experiences),
* Tower of Terror (was a great view of the park from the top - before the drop!),
* Indiana Jones Adventure:
* Temple of the Crystal Skull,
* Raging Spirits, and
* Journey to the Centre of the Earth
while others tried to see every live show on offer.
Whatever the focus was, a great day was had by all. The 12 hours at the park raced by (though some did take some time out for a snooze!). Soon it was time to head home, tired, bedraggled but still buzzing.
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| and it's sayonara from Mickey |
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| We are going to have SO much fun!! |
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One of the many parades on offer.
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Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Nemo`s visit to Tamadai Meguro (My Homestay Koki`s high School)
On Thursday and Saturday, I experienced what it was like to sit inside a japanese school for 2 full days. It was very difficult as all the classes i attended were all in japanese apart from English. English was very funny as the English teacher Mr Phill was an amusing teacher from England who often made funny jokes in the class that made everyone laugh. On the first day i went, i had to walk around the school with two teachers and introduce myself to many different classes around the school and introduce myself to each class in japanese and english. It was very fun as the students made me feel welcomed by smiling, waving and clapping every time i walked into a different class. Then i had to answer questions that certain classes asked me, gladly in english. As i walked around the school at lunch times, many people introduced themselves to me and said hello. Some classes, i went with some teachers out of school and visited things like the museum and buddah temples. During school, i also met all the teachers and i had to introduce myself to the whole staff in both english and japanese. The teachers were very welcoming as they each took turns to look after me during the classes i didnt attend. When I left the school on the first day, i met alot of new people and made friends with them. I played soccer at lunch with koki and all his many friends who made me feel welcomed. It was amazing to see many people with anime styled hair.
On the second day of school i studied in Japanese, maths and geography. In Japanese i recieved a present from the teacher which was a famous japanese book translated into english. In geography, i had to get up in front of the class and talk about New Zealand. Then I had to ask the class questions about Japan, then i had to answer questions they asked me about New Zealand. The questions they asked included "What is the population", and "What is the climate like"and one boy asked "Which girls do you like out of New Zealand and Japanese girls." The schools in Japan are really big, this school being 5 stories. I was interviewed by many teachers and talked to them about New Zealand, it was very interesting. The staff often took me to places out of school during subjects i didnt attend. I also went to the ramen shop with koki and his friends and had ramen for lunch. I have had a good experience in japanese school, and have liked the fact that everyone is kind and caring towards others. An example of kindness is when someone in the class presented me with a souvenior which was a picture that was drawn for me. Some of the people i have met have been with me to places after school, for example the festival i went to with some of kokis friends, and the arcade i went to with other of kokis friends. They took me around and told me taught me much about Japan.
(Cannot post any photos as it shows school uniform which is not allowed be shown online)
On the second day of school i studied in Japanese, maths and geography. In Japanese i recieved a present from the teacher which was a famous japanese book translated into english. In geography, i had to get up in front of the class and talk about New Zealand. Then I had to ask the class questions about Japan, then i had to answer questions they asked me about New Zealand. The questions they asked included "What is the population", and "What is the climate like"and one boy asked "Which girls do you like out of New Zealand and Japanese girls." The schools in Japan are really big, this school being 5 stories. I was interviewed by many teachers and talked to them about New Zealand, it was very interesting. The staff often took me to places out of school during subjects i didnt attend. I also went to the ramen shop with koki and his friends and had ramen for lunch. I have had a good experience in japanese school, and have liked the fact that everyone is kind and caring towards others. An example of kindness is when someone in the class presented me with a souvenior which was a picture that was drawn for me. Some of the people i have met have been with me to places after school, for example the festival i went to with some of kokis friends, and the arcade i went to with other of kokis friends. They took me around and told me taught me much about Japan.
(Cannot post any photos as it shows school uniform which is not allowed be shown online)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Photo highlights - Kamakura (Monday 1 October)
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| Mt Fuji - We climbed a lot of stairs to see this! |
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| In front of Daibutsu - the Giant Buddha |
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| Wedding at Tsurugaoka- Hachimangu Shrine |
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| No not 2 brides in one day, just a change in dress!! |
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| Jono explaining to the group what we are going to see |
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| Toral & Pam showing Temple entrance etiquette |
VIDEO: Day 8 in review with Rebecca and Pam
After a near record breaking October high of 31 degrees, Pam and Rebecca talk about their day at Kamakura.
Monday at Kamakura
Hey guys. So today we went to Kamakura to check out the huge outdoor Buddha and a few other shrines around the Kamakura area. The bus ride was about 1 hour long, but passed by really fast when you are talking with friends. The weather today was really hot and humid still, and with the typhoon passing over through the night, it didn't rain with the sun out all day. arriving at about 9am, we toured around many different shrines and temples, aided by our English speaking Japanese tour guide. After the first toursite, i had really regretted wearing jeans today as we had to travel up and down many stairs under the hot, midday sun. The statues and architecture if the buildings at the tour sites were really amazing, as some of the buildings were built without even the use of nails, just wood. Just before our last toursite, we had lunch at a japansese restaurant together, where we had chicken rice, soba and some kind of miso soup. Lunch was good, and suprisingly filled me up quite well. The last place we went to was where the big outdoor Daibutsu Buddha. You could even pay 20yen to go inside the statue. After the tours finished at about 3pm, we had about an hour to go around the local shops and buy whatever we wanted. returning to the bus at 4pm. It was a long, tiring, sweaty day, but all in all it was good exercise and i had a lot of fun.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Pam in Japan-land (:
Hi everyone, Pamela here ! Sorry the update is a little late, I just got in as we were stuck trying to get home in the typhoon :o But not to worry, all is well although the wind and rain is very strong and kind of scary... hopefully everything is okay around Japan (:
So, I'm sure that everyone can agree that Japan is AMAZING, there's no word in Japanese or English to explain how absolutely wonderful this place is! Just everyone is so nice and friendly and respectful, like there's hardly any bins anywhere yet the streets are spotless, and on the escalators the people who are standing always stand on the left to allow those who need to walk with an unblocked path, which makes it so much easier during rush hour!
Anyways, on with the update. So the past two days have been spent with our host families doing schedules that they so carefully panned out (: Yesterday (Saturday 29/9) was an amazing cultural experience. My family and I woke up extra early and left at 7am, having a konbini brought breakfast as we headed to Odawara Castle. It was so beautiful and peaceful and the bright sun provided perfect weather for a nice long walk around the ancient castle. Me and my host sister also dressed up as Japanese princesses but it got way too hot so we had to return back to our normal selves. Next, we headed to the Mt Fuji safari park which was so much fun! We got to drive around in our car through the enclosures of bears, lions, cheetahs and tigers and observe them as if in the wild! We then headed to Mt Fuji, which usually has snow on top but unfortunately yesterday it didn't. However, the view from 2,400m was WONDERFUL! I felt as if i was on top of the world, all that could be seen was a sea of clouds and various colours ... so beautiful! To finish off a long day we went to an onsen (public bath) which was ... interesting. It was my first time being naked in front of strangers and it was very weird, but after a while it was fine and really relaxing.
Today (Sunday 30/9) was a 11am start which was much needed! We went to Odaiba by the train, and enjoyed the view from the top of the Fuji TV tower. The view from the big silver ball was gorgeous. You could see the sea, Tokyo Tower, Sky Tree, Rainbow Bridge and the rest of Tokyo city. Lunch was Odaiba's specialist ramen which was super delicious! That was followed by a little shopping. Next, we went to Round One which is a sports/ entertainment/ game centre, located at the top of one of the massive malls. There we enjoyed playing variety of sports and games such as badminton, batting cages, darts, rodeo, rolling skating and mini golf! I wish New Zealand had something like that ): We then headed by subway to the Oedo-Onsen, another public bath -.- However this one was huge and so wonderful! There was a meeting place in the middle where everyone walked around in Yukata (japanese traditional dress) where there was food and entertainment and the bathing house was huge! This time i felt way more comfortable and even almost fell asleep in one of the baths. On the way home, I found a group of foreigners with NZ t shirts and had a little bit of chat!
And that basically sums up my weekend with my Japanese family, that, and the billions of photos we took! Some of the other highlights for me that I'd like to add would be he the baseball game. I almost lost my voice with the cheering that was going on. Did you know that in Japan, each baseball player has their own chant! And there are trumpets and clappers and just wow! The fans take it so seriously, it's so cool to see and experience! Also, another thing would be that I got the chance to do a karate training with the Kyoukushin Karate World Champion Norichika Tsukamoto!! He was super super lovely even though he could kill anone who messed with him (:
Japan. I'm never going to forget this experience, and have decided that when I grow up I'm going to come live here! I'm looking forward for what is still to come, the billion of photos still to take and the many memories still to collect. Hope all is well back home in New Zealand and everyone is good!
It's been Pamela, now off to bed with the REALLY scary wind! Until my next update, bye bye and goodnight !! :D
So, I'm sure that everyone can agree that Japan is AMAZING, there's no word in Japanese or English to explain how absolutely wonderful this place is! Just everyone is so nice and friendly and respectful, like there's hardly any bins anywhere yet the streets are spotless, and on the escalators the people who are standing always stand on the left to allow those who need to walk with an unblocked path, which makes it so much easier during rush hour!
Anyways, on with the update. So the past two days have been spent with our host families doing schedules that they so carefully panned out (: Yesterday (Saturday 29/9) was an amazing cultural experience. My family and I woke up extra early and left at 7am, having a konbini brought breakfast as we headed to Odawara Castle. It was so beautiful and peaceful and the bright sun provided perfect weather for a nice long walk around the ancient castle. Me and my host sister also dressed up as Japanese princesses but it got way too hot so we had to return back to our normal selves. Next, we headed to the Mt Fuji safari park which was so much fun! We got to drive around in our car through the enclosures of bears, lions, cheetahs and tigers and observe them as if in the wild! We then headed to Mt Fuji, which usually has snow on top but unfortunately yesterday it didn't. However, the view from 2,400m was WONDERFUL! I felt as if i was on top of the world, all that could be seen was a sea of clouds and various colours ... so beautiful! To finish off a long day we went to an onsen (public bath) which was ... interesting. It was my first time being naked in front of strangers and it was very weird, but after a while it was fine and really relaxing.
Today (Sunday 30/9) was a 11am start which was much needed! We went to Odaiba by the train, and enjoyed the view from the top of the Fuji TV tower. The view from the big silver ball was gorgeous. You could see the sea, Tokyo Tower, Sky Tree, Rainbow Bridge and the rest of Tokyo city. Lunch was Odaiba's specialist ramen which was super delicious! That was followed by a little shopping. Next, we went to Round One which is a sports/ entertainment/ game centre, located at the top of one of the massive malls. There we enjoyed playing variety of sports and games such as badminton, batting cages, darts, rodeo, rolling skating and mini golf! I wish New Zealand had something like that ): We then headed by subway to the Oedo-Onsen, another public bath -.- However this one was huge and so wonderful! There was a meeting place in the middle where everyone walked around in Yukata (japanese traditional dress) where there was food and entertainment and the bathing house was huge! This time i felt way more comfortable and even almost fell asleep in one of the baths. On the way home, I found a group of foreigners with NZ t shirts and had a little bit of chat!
And that basically sums up my weekend with my Japanese family, that, and the billions of photos we took! Some of the other highlights for me that I'd like to add would be he the baseball game. I almost lost my voice with the cheering that was going on. Did you know that in Japan, each baseball player has their own chant! And there are trumpets and clappers and just wow! The fans take it so seriously, it's so cool to see and experience! Also, another thing would be that I got the chance to do a karate training with the Kyoukushin Karate World Champion Norichika Tsukamoto!! He was super super lovely even though he could kill anone who messed with him (:
Japan. I'm never going to forget this experience, and have decided that when I grow up I'm going to come live here! I'm looking forward for what is still to come, the billion of photos still to take and the many memories still to collect. Hope all is well back home in New Zealand and everyone is good!
It's been Pamela, now off to bed with the REALLY scary wind! Until my next update, bye bye and goodnight !! :D
Mallory's Sunday
Today I went with my host family to Odawara Castle. We got to dress up in kimono and warrior costumes and take photos outside the castle. There was a museum inside the castle so I saw old outfits that the warriors used to wear. After that, we had tempura prawn, seaweed and kamaboko for lunch. We had a look around the shops for awhile, and then drove back to Shinagawa. For dinner, we had okonomiyaki, which is a japanese pancake. At the okonomiyaki restaurant, there is a bbq on the table and they gave us the ingredients in a bowl. We mixed it together and then put it on the bbq and topped it with sauces and fish flakes. This was really delicious and is my new favourite food here!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Photo highlights - Friday 28 September (1)
These were taken at Ono Gakuen - our second school visit while in Japan:
* Japanese tea ceremony
* having lunch with the girls from Ono Gakuen
* participating in traditional activities led by the girls
* teaching the girls how to make poi
* Japanese tea ceremony
* having lunch with the girls from Ono Gakuen
* participating in traditional activities led by the girls
* teaching the girls how to make poi
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| Elaine hardly had time to eat her own lunch |
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| Nemo, with a flick of the wrist, showing how it's done |
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| Mallory, Rebecca and Pamela making origami pandas |
Photo highlights - Friday 28 September (2)
continued...
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| Toral manages create a face - even while blindfolded! |
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| Avril in action playing hagoita |
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| Rebecca mastering the dance moves |
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| With the ladies who ran the Tea Ceremony for us |
Shinagawa Festival, Sunday 30 September
A few of us were lucky enough to be in Tokyo on Sunday for the annual Shinagawa Festival.
Joining the Japanese stall holders were two Kiwis (Jono & Asher in disguise) helping their host mother and her English class to sell biscuits!
The Shinagawa Mayor stopped in the middle of the parade to say konnichi wa to the Auckland visitors in the middle of the parade.
Some if us then went on to have a go at fire walking! For others it was already too hot a day to even contemplate 'walking on fire'!
Joining the Japanese stall holders were two Kiwis (Jono & Asher in disguise) helping their host mother and her English class to sell biscuits!
The Shinagawa Mayor stopped in the middle of the parade to say konnichi wa to the Auckland visitors in the middle of the parade.
Some if us then went on to have a go at fire walking! For others it was already too hot a day to even contemplate 'walking on fire'!
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| Asher & Jono showing their potential in sales! |
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| A few of the parade participants in their traditional dress |
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| Preparing the burning coals for fire walking |
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday September 27th
yesterday, is spent the day with my host family.my sister, mother, brother and cousin and i went to tokyo disneyland. it was an exciting, fun-filled day of constant rides, only stopping once to have lunch at a fancy cafe called the eastside cafe. we had our meals served in courses, i had a salad, then bread, then a delicious pasta with pine nuts (my favourite). ｍy favourite ride was space mountain, so we went on it twice. i also liked splash mountain despite having water chucked on my face. one thing i noticed about Tokyo Disneyland was the effort put into designs and the attention to detail. rides such as the pirates of the Caribbean ride had very detailed back rounds in which the characters moved in a very human like way, at one point i thought it was an actor! while waiting in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impatient as waiting in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impatient as me) i in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impaintent as me) i ate caramel popcorn, from a container my host mum brought me which hangs around your neck and can be folded down to make it smaller. my host family were very accommodating and let me choose all the rides we went on, even if they didn't host family were very acomadating and let me choose all the rides we went on, even if they didnt likｅ ｉｔ！it was amusing to see my host brother and cousin on the merry go round, the seat belts too small to fit any of us. overall, i had an awesome experience yesterday, leaving me so tired i slept on the way home!
yesterday, is spent the day with my host family.my sister, mother, brother and cousin and i went to tokyo disneyland. it was an exciting, fun-filled day of constant rides, only stopping once to have lunch at a fancy cafe called the eastside cafe. we had our meals served in courses, i had a salad, then bread, then a delicious pasta with pine nuts (my favourite). ｍy favourite ride was space mountain, so we went on it twice. i also liked splash mountain despite having water chucked on my face. one thing i noticed about Tokyo Disneyland was the effort put into designs and the attention to detail. rides such as the pirates of the Caribbean ride had very detailed back rounds in which the characters moved in a very human like way, at one point i thought it was an actor! while waiting in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impatient as waiting in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impatient as me) i in line for rides(which can take a long time, especially for someone as impaintent as me) i ate caramel popcorn, from a container my host mum brought me which hangs around your neck and can be folded down to make it smaller. my host family were very accommodating and let me choose all the rides we went on, even if they didn't host family were very acomadating and let me choose all the rides we went on, even if they didnt likｅ ｉｔ！it was amusing to see my host brother and cousin on the merry go round, the seat belts too small to fit any of us. overall, i had an awesome experience yesterday, leaving me so tired i slept on the way home!
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