2 Weeks In!

Hi everyone! I’m sorry that it’s been so long since I posted! I have been pretty busy the past two weeks here in Tokyo, but I already feel like I have gotten used to living here. The bright side about me not posting in a while is that I have a lot to share with you all! I have only been here a short time but I have already made some incredible friends and irreplaceable memories. In two weeks I have been all over Tokyo; from the city’s fashion capital of Harujuku to the familiar yet unique Tokyo Disney Land. Tokyo is truly an amazing city. Every day is an adventure here and I feel as though I have grown so much as a person through living here already. I truly hope you all find my travels and stories worth your time. Thank you for reading!

Hanami

花見 (Hanami) directly translates to “flower viewing” in English. Every spring the cherry blossoms in Japan bloom throughout the country. This has always been a symbol of the end of winter and is widely celebrated by the citizens of the country. The majority of the country’s population will find time to sit in a park with their friends, families or coworkers and enjoy the beautiful Sakura trees in full bloom. Last week I witnessed the peak of the flower viewing season and it was truly a spectacle. Hanami in Tokyo is truly unique for a number of reasons. The first reason is that you would not expect to see such beautiful nature in the hugeness of Tokyo. At the same time juxtaposing this nature with the thousands of people there to enjoy it truly shows a mix of the metropolitan and natural realms of Japan. Below there are some pictures of Sakura in full bloom and people enjoying Hanami. The park where these pictures were taken is Yoyogi Park near Shibuya Japan (one of the largest parks in the city). I have yet to experience a Hanami myself but I hope I can do one soon!!

Shrines 

Shrines are an incredibly important aspect of Japanese culture. From small local shrines to famous national treasures people around the country visit shrines to pray to various deities or attend culturally important events such as coming of age ceremonies and traditional Japanese weddings. So far I have visited three shrines in Japan: Hanazono Jinja, which I wrote about previously, Meiji Jingu and Kaminari-mon (two of the most famous shrines in all of Tokyo). Each of the shrines is unique in their own way and people visit them to pray for different aspects of their life. After three trips to Japanese shrines I finally feel comfortable with the proper procedures of paying your respects in the traditional manor. The proper way to pay your respects at a Japanese shrine are to approach the praying area after having washed your hands outside of the temple, carefully drop your small offering (usually less than 100 yen from what I have seen), bow once, clap twice, pray, and bow once more. The shrines I have visited have all been beautiful pieces of history and architecture. Below you can see some new pictures of the shrines I have seen. Next I really want to experience a traditional Japanese festival held at a shrine!!

Tokyo At Night

So far I have shown you the natural beauty that Tokyo has to offer such as Yoyogi Park and blooming Sakura trees. However, there is a completely different type of beauty the city has to offer that only comes out at night. Tokyo is truly a city that never sleeps. The lights never go out in this metropolitan giant. This makes the view of the city at night something that can only be described as breath taking. Whether I am simply walking around the city or sightseeing during the evening, I always seem to be awestruck by the lights of this city. As someone who has never really lived in a large city before this is truly a special part of my study abroad experience for me. Below you will see some pictures of the city at night from the street as well as from Tokyo Sky Tree (the record holder for the tallest tower in the world). In the future I will post more picture of the cities night view and beautiful lights!  

Friends in Japan

This past week was very special for me because some friends of mine from Osaka Japan came to visit me. These friends were exchange students at USC for a time and during their stay I took the time to befriend them and help them enjoy their time in America. An amazing thing about USC the international exposure you have available to you. Should you chose to do so you can make friends from around the world! As an international business major I find this to be invaluable. I strongly recommend any student, regardless of their major, to make international friends. You never know where you will end up and they could very well be the only people you know in some countries. Nanako (the one with the piece signs), Kento and Satsuki (the other boy and girl) took time out of their break to visit me in Tokyo, and thanks to them I was able to enjoy a number of things that would have been challenging to do on my own. Nanako was in town visiting her twin sister and took a day to hang out with me. Together we toured Yoyogi Park and she taught me how to properly pay my respects at Meiji Jingu. She also introduced me to a delicious Japanese dish called shabu shabu (which is essentially a more affordable version of the melting pot). We had a great time catching up and sharing our opinions on different aspects of Japanese and American culture. After Nanako went home Satsuki and Kento came to visit me. Thanks to them I was able to enjoy Tokyo Disney Land, Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo Sky Tree, and Kaminarimon shrine. The days they were visiting me were filled with fun and cultural immersion that I’m not sure I could have accomplished on my own. I am very thankful that I took the time to get to know them in America.

Food

One of the best aspects about Japan, in my opinion, is the food! I have been here for a little over 2 weeks and I have yet to eat a single meal that I did not find delicious. From REAL ramen to conveyer-belt suishi I have fallen in love with Japanese food. I have never been much a vegetable fan and even those are delicious here. I don’t have much else to say about the food other than I have become pretty competent with a pair of chopsticks during my time here. ^-^

The past two weeks in Japan have been so much fun. I am truly loving Japan for reasons I never even expected I would. Regardless of its big city feel, the nation’s culture leaks into every aspect of my daily life. I have always been taught to people and places through the lens of its own culture instead of placing my own culture’s standards on them. This is the first time I have truly been able to practice doing so. Every day is a rewarding experience and every minute I learn something new. I’m sorry this post is so wordy but it’s just so hard to decide what to tell you all about! I have already started thinking of ideas for next time and I think you all will enjoy them! To everyone at home I miss you all very much and I wish you could be here enjoying this with me. This adventure has only just begun and I will do my best to share it with you all!

(Here are some pictures and a video from club recruitment at my university! The Japanese really go all out trying to recruit new members!!!)