[July 10, 2008 10 PM]

Where should I start? I wasn't really looking forward to the trip. I wasn't expecting much either, probably because my summer after senior year had a rather shaky start. There are certain things I want to remember and others that I want to forget. Let's just say that writing this entry oh-so-many-days-later doesn't help.



Japan Day 0



The plane took off at around 1 PM, or I think it was a bit after that. Check-in went smoothly. We boarded the bus that was supposed to transport us to the 757 on time. Then we waited for what seemed like an eternity, not quite knowing why we weren't already in our somewhat comfortable chairs, getting ready for take-off. Around an hour later, a man with a brief case comes dashing into the bus. Then we were off.

I wonder how important that man was. Was he flying in first class? Why did a busload of people have to wait so long for a man who didn't even make it to the terminal before the scheduled take-off time?

The flight was roughly 10 hours long. I was sitting in the middle aisle, so I couldn't look out through the window. I flipped through airline magazines (I took photos of Puffy when I saw the girls in a magazine), fiddled around with the controller and the "interactive menu" on the mini screen, listened to some JPOP (w-inds and Crystal Kay, among others) and KPOP (Girl's Generation and SHINHWA), and I managed to watch a few decent Japanese movies. Way to go All Nippon Airlines! I had something to do or watch the entire trip. As far as the food went, I loved the noodles, the meats in the cold dish, and, of course, the Haagen-Dazs ice cream (which seems to be extremely popular in Asia). Unfortunately, the main dish wasn't too spectacular.

I watched An Affair to Remember with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant. I think my dad mentioned the movie a few times before, or, if not, it was probably mentioned on Turner Classic Movies. Movie classics tend to be rather open-ended, which drives me absolutely crazy sometimes.

I also watched Season of Snow (Giniro no Season) subtitled. It was strange, but pleasant. To be honest, I only watched it because I noticed Eita was in it. He played Mine in the Nodame Cantabile live action drama.

And lastly, I watched Flowers in the Shadows (Kage Hinata ni Saku), which was, by far, the most bizarre movie I had seen in quite some time. The synopsis read: In the week before a violent typhoon hits Tokyo, a mix of pathetic characters, including a gambler, a failing idol and a soulless businessman, struggle helplessly through the turns of their sad lives. But as their fates begin to intertwine, they may find a miracle waiting and the end of the storm. I recognized the name Aoi Miyazaki in the in-flight movie magazine and I knew that I had seen her face, but I didn't realize that she played Hachi in the first NANA movie. I also noticed Atsushi Ito, who played Tsuyoshi in Densha Otoko. You can't possibly miss his face. As for the rest of the cast, Junichi Okada is from V6 and Takashi Tsukamoto was in Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (which, sadly, I have yet to finish) and the Taiyou no Uta movie.

When I wasn't using the screen to watch a movie or listen to ANA's music rotation, I was staring at clouds or the ocean (I love onboard video cameras!)

When we arrived at the airport, it was after 4 PM the next day (I left on the 23rd) in Japan and midnight back at home. The sun was our partner in flight!

I expected to walk into a blazing inferno, which is what walking out of the plane at the Beijing Airport at 4 AM felt like 3 years ago, but the weather was nice. Everything seemed so hi-tech and fancy, including the moving walkways. The security guard got mad at me for taking pictures at the baggage claims. I guess that made me a security threat. Eep.

We met our tour guide, and we were transported to the Narita Airport Hilton. The room was comfortable and probably one of the most spacious that we were in throughout the entire trip, and we could control the lighting for the entire room while we were lying on the bed. Talk about high-tech convenience! I loved how every hotel I stayed at in Asia provided toothbrushes and other bathroom items that you don't find in hotels in the States. And of course, the first thing I noticed was the D. Gray-man showing on TV Tokyo (and some commercial about an UVERWORLD release/concert). However, broadband access cost $16 a night, and I didn't intend to pay for Internet.

Then came time for dinner. I saw my first Japanese vending machine at the hotel! Ironically, it was a cigarette vending machine, but it was still cool! I saw kimono-clad waitresses, the setting sun, and a few planes flying by as I was eating. The meal itself was decent. Seriously, I need to go to Japan and try some non-tour meals, because tour meals never taste quite as good as "real food." A lot of tourists complain about how expensive the food is, but it's their fault that they get food at tourist traps. The miso soup tasted kind of strange, and there wasn't much to the prawn tempura. If I remember correctly, the salmon was smoked (or maybe it was raw). Probably the most memorable part of the day involved ordering a tiny glass of coke, which wasn't included with the meal. We later found out that it (probably half a can's worth) cost around $7. Wow.



Japan Day 1



Breakfast was all-you-can-eat, and it was a lot better than last night's dinner. I loved having miso soup for breakfast. I tried drinking coffee, but it was much too bitter for me. I've come to the conclusion, however, that I love red tea (which might explain why I love milk tea boba so much, but more on that to come later). When I looked out of the window, I saw a gorgeous wedding chapel. It feels like I've seen it in some Japanese movie or drama. Well, it was pretty, so I decided to take a photograph of it.

Sadly, my tour was in Chinese, and my tourguide introduced most of the landmarks we went to by their Chinese names. For the first half of the tour, I really didn't know where I was at. Okay, so she provided all of us with an English pamphlet (handmade) that had trip details, but it was rather difficult to put things into perspective. Our first stop was at some sightseeing area on the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (Umihotaru), which was essnetially a toll bridge. We could see Tokyo Bay, but it was cloudy, so the view wasn't spectacular. On our way, we passed by some typical Japanese houses. They're so small, yet so utterly expensive! I find it funny that toll booths seem to be found everywhere expect in Southern California.

At the sightseeing area, I saw my first Japanese arcade (or whatever it's called). I wish I could have won a plushie from one of the machines, but I didn't try. I also saw a lot of those capsule toy dispensing machines, but I didn't feel liks spending $2 to win some unknown "prize."

I saw more vending machines there too. This time, there were cigarette and soft drink vending machines! I, unfortunately, didn't see any machines that were too out-of-the-ordinary. They exist, and one day, I'm going to find them! But I did manage to see ones that allowed you to pay by swiping your phone (credit wins!) and ones outside of restaurants where you could purchase fast foods (you get a ticket and wait for the food, I suppose).

Inside the tourist trap store, I saw a lot of cute Hello Kitty and Doraemon accessories and stationary supplies. Hello Kitty is EVERYWHERE and everything is freakishly ADORABLE (including the Hello Kitty statue). And of course, I had to take a picture of the first Starbucks Coffee that I saw.

On our way to Kamakura (which reminds me of Bleach, but I'm not sure if that should make any sense or not), we passed by several gas stations (well, of course!), but I only managed to take a picture of one. Gas prices have increased everywhere. There were even shortages in Shanghai, but I'll get to that later. We first visited the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine. At every shrine, they have an area for cleansing oneself (if that's what it should be addressed as), which is pretty interesting. Shrines also have those characteristic red gates (there must be a term for this that I can't remember) that you see in practically every anime relating to feudal Japan or Japanese history. (Inuyasha, anyone?) Japanese students also frequent shrines to buy goodluck charms or to sightsee, among other things. The first students I saw weren't wearing all-too-interesting uniforms, but they were cute. I also saw a lot of those good fortune and wish-making papers and boards hung in various areas and mikos (priestesses, no?). It seemed like there was always some area by a shrine that housed gigantic sake (or some type of alcoholic beverage) containers, but I wasn't exactly sure why.

I think one of the points that startled me about Japan was that the area, as a whole, was very green. Tokyo was supposed to be this epitome of technology and human innovation, and I expected to see concrete or glass everywhere, but the Japanese are so eco-friendly. Their bathrooms don't waste water and they're really good at finding alternative power sources and conserving electricity. Even in Tokyo, there were gigantic patches of sacred land, and there are so many beautiful and antique trees. I also admired the arched bridges that I saw so many of both in Japan and China. At Kamakura, my brother bought a fake sword that he forgot to take out of his backpack before going through the security checkpoint at the airport. The airport official let us keep the sword, but as an extra checked item (with no additional fee). Japanese people are so nice and polite. I felt guilty every time a waiter or some other person bowed when we passed through.

We later walked through Wakamiya-Oji Street and ate lunch at this quaint little restaurant along the way. The street itself was very cute, with so many tiny shops to both sides. There was this one shop that sold minerals and other collectibles. My brother bought this frog money pouch, which reminded me of Naruto (thanks to Evan), and I bought the July issue of Ribon, which had the final Shinshi Doumei chapter and a free set of scented pens for $5. On every cover or box that came with some item I purchased, there were two prices. One would be the price of the item. The other would be the final price, which included a certain percentage in service charges. Lunch was rather simple. Again, I had tempura. There was only one shrimp! The noodles were good, and the miso soup tasted better. I laughed at the so-called Western style restroom, because it was TINY. Your typical 200-lb American man was not going to fit through the door, nevertheless be able to sit or stand in that room.

When I was waiting for people to get on the bus, a gigantic black ant crawled onto my leg. I also met this 13-year-old, who was going into the 8th grade. There were quite a few people on our tour bus who were entering college too, but I didn't really get to know them. That girl, whose name I can't seem to recall, liked manga, so she was extremely interested in my purchase. Haha, so I sat with her until we arrived at this one area that housed this GIGANTIC Great Buddha statue (built in 1252). It was hollow, so people could walk inside of it, I think, but I didn't try. I also saw gigantic slippers that were made to fit the Buddha's feet.

The next stop was Odawara Castle. You know, I think I'm in love with Japanese architecture, even though, according to Wiki, the current castle is a replica of the old one. I get this feeling that I've either seen it in some anime or while doing research on Japanese castles and cherry blossom viewing areas. One of these days, I'm going to go to Japan during spring and stare at the sakura. I want to see what a hanami festival is like. Actually, I also really want to go to Comiket and partake in one of Japan's spectacular summer festivals, complete with fireworks, while wearing some really expensive yukata.

I enjoyed browsing through the exhibits in the castle's museum, looking at the swords, the models, the armor, and seemingly everything else related to Japanese history. I wish we could have spent more time there, but it seems like most of Japan's tourist attractions close pretty early (4:30 PM). Shopping centers close at 8 PM. Standing on the viewing deck outside of the castle was also inspiring and incredible. Along the path to the castle, I saw some gorgeous hydrangea. I had to search for the name of the flowers because I couldn't remember it, but, luckily, I remembered that their colors were affected by the acidity of the soil. Hurrah! Otherwise, it would have driven me crazy. There was also a cage full of monkeys.

We stayed at the New Akao Hotel, at the Atami Resort. On our way there, I passed by a pachinko parlor. I wanted to play! From our room, we had a splendid view of the ocean, but unfortunately, it was rainy and cloudy. We couldn't see the sunrise the next morning, and the city wasn't all too visible. When we arrived at the hotel, we were treated to this delightful peach drink and some traditional Japanese dance. I was sitting too far away from the performance to really pay much attention to it. Our room had tatami mats, and we slept on really comfortable futons! The futons were stored in the closet, and I guess the room service people set them up while we were at dinner.

I used to think that yukata were only summer festival attire, but I found out that there were both indoor and outdoor yukata. When we stayed at the hotel, our tourguide told us yukata were bathrobes. We wore them to the onsen and to eat dinner, which was a bit confusing, but things became clearer to me when I bought my yukata (although I was ripped off, sort of).

I didn't get a chance to try some of the tea in the room, although I heard it was good. I need to make a note to try different kinds of tea the next time I'm in Asia.

We watched an old episode of Naruto, and I took pictures of this really nifty Pepsi bottle design, which was essentially a hybrid of your typical aluminum can and plastic water bottle. I wish I brought it with me, but customs would throw a fit with liquid containers, no? I wonder what they would say if the bottle didn't contain any liquids.

Yes, I went to an onsen. It was an outdoor onsen with another great view of the ocean. It didn't feel any different from being in a jacuzzi, although the water was supposed to sting your eyes (salts). Okay, so I've seen onsen in practically every anime I've watched, including Furuba, but Japanese culture is so different from modern Western culture. I heard that a lot of the men on our tour were up for going to the onsen, but most of the women weren't, since, well, bathing suits weren't allowed.

In other words, bathing in an onsen should be no different than parading down a street with onlookers of your sex with no clothing on. I guess it's not that bad, if you forget about the initial embarrassment, but it's even better when no one's there.

The soap they use contains some type of horse oil, which I found to be really unique and exceptionally slimy.

As far as the dinner party went, it was really fun listening to 3 big guys and 2 children karaoke. Sitting by low tables with our feet crossed (I know! I wasn't supposed to cross them.) was really uncomfortable. A cockroach appeared out of nowhere. I was the first person to see it, and I pointed it out to one of the three big guys sitting behind me. It crawled under his seat and then crawled under my dad's seat. The scene was quite hysterical. Eventually, that big guy killed it by smashing it with a GIGANTIC PHONEBOOK-LIKE karaoke book. Oh the hilarity! I wish I could read Japanese. I saw some Judy & Mary and SMAP songs and I saw Bump of Chicken (weirdest name ever). The food looked interesting, but it didn't taste too particularly special. The room was a furnace, what with all of those mini hotpots (or whatever they're called). There was so much food too! I liked the sashimi, but I was too afraid to try that snail or some time of shellfish. I love noodles in general, but I didn't feel like eating crab and chicken and other fish (because I can't stand fish bones).

After dinner, I went to watch a demonstration-type event, where the audience could participate in making mochi. I didn't try it, but it seemed really fun? Random drumming, funny sounds, hammering the flour, and free mochi afterwards seemed enticing, but I was more interested in using the single public computer with Internet access. I waited for what seemed like an eternity before the person who was using the desktop was finished. Internet lagged, and the Japanese-style keyboard was rather difficult to manage.



Japan Day 2



The breakfast buffet area looked like some magnificent ballroom or some indoor arena. My mom tried natto, but it looked and smelled bad, so I didn't try it myself. There was a manmade waterfall outside, and we could see the ocean while we ate, which was pretty cool. It was always either rainy or cloudy. Uncooked tofu in sauce tasted good, but the jello was another story!

We spent most of our day at Hakone. The climax was supposed to be a view of Mt. Fuji, but it was covered by clouds. I didn't even know in which direction I should have been looking. I ended up buying Mt. Fuji postcards as a cheap replacement for the actual view. First off, we visited a souvenir shop that sold those supposedly interesting Japanese trick boxes. The one I bought at a later store wasn't all that interesting. I paid $27 for it too! But it was handmade, so that adds some value to it. Again, it seemed like every corner of the store contained some trace of Hello Kitty cuteness, and cell phone accessories, food (kurotamago), and students in sailor fukus were everywhere. Yes! Finally, I get to see typical school uniforms! Yatta! So Owakudani is an active volcanic area. We rode across Lake Ashinoko in a somewhat old-fashioned ship. The highlight of our time at Hakone was probably the time spent on the Hakone Ropeway. The ride was long, and we were able to see houses, trees, and the lake as we kept on moving higher up the mountain. The view would have been an infinite times better if only it had stopped raining. The mechanism was, in itself, interesting. It was so new! And the ride was relatively bump-free. The sweet potatoes at the shopping area tasted really good too, even though they cost $3 each. My parents bought a bag containing half a dozen kurotamagos for $6. (The eggs are boiled in hotspring waters, and they end up looking black), and I took a picture of yet another Hello Kitty statue, this time dress up inside a kurotamago suit.

I have to mention now that the Japanese are really meticulous in wrapping their products. Their bags are adorable, and they use tape to seal everything. They even give you cute gift bags that fit all of the items you buy. This is in contrast to Chinese department store bags. Rather than paper bags, they give you those fancy cardboard/heavy-duty paper bags (I can't remember what they're called!) I bought a Hello Kitty cell phone charm, while my brother wasted $5 on an arcade game.

We ate at some hotel by the lake. The European-style buffet was delicious. I ate so much! Whenever you watch Top Chef or read about some fancy French restaurant, you notice the elegance in the design of the plate. There also isn't too much food on a single plate. The restaurant was just like one of those restaurants! The smoked salmon, vegetable pasta, and the marinated chicken with noodles tasted incredible. Yes, I decided to take a picture of almost all of my meals. the Green Pea Pudding (or something of the likes) looked good, but I didn't actually try it. I quite enjoyed the olive oil noodles (or whatever they're called), and the desserts were unforgettable. The pudding (reminiscent of My Boss My Hero) and some kind of cold coffee cream were the best.

You know, wedding chapels really are popular in Japan. I liked seeing ladies out with their parasols and kimonos and monks in their monk-ish attire (what are they called?) on the streets. Why can't people here in America be more traditional?

After Hakone, our bus stopped at a rest stop, which had a coffee-making vending machine. I was too tired to go out and see it, but that was one of the kinds of vending machines I expected to see in Japan.

Tokyo was special. Every man on the streets was either wearing some kind of school uniform or a business suit. Briefcases were everywhere. Every woman carried an umbrella and wore high heels (I don't understand why Asian cultures value light skin tones so much, whereas Americans pride themselves in the perfect tan). In China, drivers don't care about pedestrians. It's quite the opposite in Japan. Walkways in every direction are MASSIVE, and watching people walk is jaw-dropping. (Kind of funny, no?)

I said Japanese people are really polite and friendly. When I was in Shinjuku and looking for the main Kinokuniya store, a lady came up to me. She spoke to me in Japanese, so the only word I picked up was "sagashite." Too much Full Moon wo Sagashite and searching for the full moon for me, I guess. When she realized I didn't speak Japanese, she started speaking typical Japanese broken English and guided me in the right direction. The funny thing is, though, that the people tend to be nicer in more rural areas. In Tokyo, everyone's in a hurry to catch the subway or the train or get to work or this and that. Sometimes, people do brush you aside, although that's nothing compared to what it's like in China. If people know English or Chinese, they are willing to help you. If they don't, they walk past you as if they didn't hear you. That happened to my dad.

Japanese people are supposedly never late to work. They arrive early and leave late. They don't normally save money in the banks, and they go drinking at nights after they get their paychecks, supposedly. You have to be 18 to play pachinko legally, but they don't check foreign ID (I wanted to, but I didn't, and I was lucky I didn't.) Don't go shopping in Ginza, unless you're filthy rich, and take advantage of small ramen shops. Maid cafes are really nice, and go to Harajuku on Sundays to stare at random cosplayers. Go to Akihabara if you want to see girls in maid costumes (which I think are adorable).

So we stayed at Keio Plaza in Shinjuku for the duration of our stay in Japan. Pachinko parlors, 7-11's, & Lawsons Convenience Stores were everywhere. Okay, maybe there weren't so many 7-11's. On our way to the hotel, we passed by the Square Enix store. I wanted to go! I didn't realize it was located in Shinjuku. I tried to take a photograph of it, but it was too blurry. Luckily for me, Keio is across the street from the government building that's in every anime with a modern-day Tokyo setting (that and Tokyo Tower).

At around 6 (we arrived at 4:30 PM), my dad and I walked around the area. There are so many crazy electronics and game stores, little stationary shops, convencience stores, restaurants, and everything else in that area. There was this one coffee house whose logo seemed like a cheap imitation of the Starbucks logo. I stopped by Sekaido (that's what it's called, right?) and bought 3 alpha gel pencils for $5 each. They were ridiculously expensive, but oh so squishy. There were a lot of bicycles, and the policemen had cool 3-wheeled motorcycles.

The beggars in Japan are nowhere like the beggars in China. They mind their own business and stay in parks, almost as if they live in a community. Lawsons are supposed to have the really cheap tickets to JE concerts, right? I didn't see any machines. I love how all of the salesmen come out with their speakers and start going on and on about various hourly sales. The day I went out with my friends, there was some huge line at a video game store. I wonder what that was about.

The Japanese have an interesting system where you walk in different parts of a walkway depending on what direction you're going and whether or not you're trying to get somewhere fast. I never quite got that sorted out. Speaking of which, I was extremely confused when I got on my first Japanese tourbus. I was wondering why there was no door where there should've been a door, but it didn't occur to me that the Japanese drove on the other side of the rode and that the driver's seat was on the right.

It seems like any decent sized shop is several stories high. Japanese Apple products and other electronics are far more expensive than they are here, but the stores are so cool, nevertheless. The department stores are HUGE! Cosmetics are expensive, as are scarves (I finally saw a Hermes store. I've been wanting to see one since I saw Densha Otoko.) Bento boxes and umbrellas, on the other hand, are actually reasonably priced. Fans and desserts, on the other hand, are not. Umbrellas are way too common. I loved being in that massive crowd of people. I find it funny that the department stores close at 8, but the streets are just starting to get extremely crowded around then. :o There are underground passageways and entries to train stations and subway stations everywhere. There are a lot of tour busses too.

My dad told me that one building with the really funky architecture, is actually a medical school. Next time, I want to see Tokyo University. Shinjuku and every other part of Tokyo look amazing at night. It's like New York City, but 100 times brighter and more colorful. There are so many non-parallel intersections, and brand names (like Epson) in neon lights. It took me forever to find Kinokuniya. McDonalds' happy meals contained Pokemon toys. I wanted one, but I didn't get to go. I heard that the meal portions are a fraction of the portions of the regular McDonalds meals in the States. Karaoke bars are several stories high, and cell phone stores (Docomo) have the most amazing inventory. I WANT ONE OF THOSE PHONES (more so than I want an iPhone). Blame it on the crystal clear TV displays, two cameras (one for video calls), and a bunch of other droolable features.

Let me digress for a moment. I remember my friend telling me that he saw fewer pretty guys than he expected when he went to Japan last year. I beg to differ. Everywhere I went, I saw really pretty guys. >o< It made me fangirl happy. I love their hairstyles! Maybe one day, if I'm lucky, I'll bump into someone from JE on a subway. That would be incredible, but still plausible. I like the occasional highlights and the wavy (somewhat girly) hair. I think Japanese and Korean guys are a lot prettier than Chinese guys. BUT.

All pretty guys are good looking, but not all good-looking guys are pretty. There are a lot of good-looking guys in China too. And I think the same can be said for girls.

So I saw a figure skater on one of those gigantic screens in Shinjuku. That wasn't Mao Asada, now was it? I seriously walked until my feet were burning, but it was worse when I went out with Brian and Kyong.

I love the feeling I get when I walk into Asian department stores. They're so organized. Each floor is dedicated to a specific type of product, and it's like every brand has its own little corner. There was one mall in Shanghai that was several stories high, but western style. That was also quite the sight.

On my way to Kinokuniya, I saw a huge Orange Range ad. The Kinokuniya store occupied 2 buildings! In the first building I went to, I saw KAT-TUN, TVXQ, NEWS, and Takki & Tsubasa CDs (including their latest single). I saw Duet, Myojo, Potato, Wink Up, and all of those idol magazines that cost a fortune here. I saw DVDs and other miscellaneous items. An entire floor was devoted to manga at the second building. Sadly, there were few figures or other non-manga related merchandise, but I was happy to pick up the newly released Shinshi Doumei artbook and the most recent volume of DNAngel (Thank you to Yukiru Sugisaki for continuing the series!). I also bought an adorable Pinky St. figure for my cousin in Suzhou. Yep. Epitome of shop 'til you drop, but I didn't actually buy much in Tokyo. I don't know why my mom said we used money like crazy. We just had to spend $500 some dollars on 2 hotel rooms (they wouldn't let 4 people use a single room) for one night. We could have found somewhere cheaper, where the swimming pool was actually accessible, although Keio was nice. My friends stayed in the 2nd room that last night.

And now comes the story of the extremely expensive fruit. I wanted to see a square watermelon, but I couldn't find any. Prices were ridiculous in Ginza, but even in Shinjuku, I saw watermelons that cost $20 (or maybe they were $20 for a kg... which seems comparable to the $250+ watermelons I saw in Ginza). Those fruits were such delicacies that you couldn't even touch them. It's almost as if they were on golden plates. Small ramen shops and rotating or standing sushi bars are what I have to try next time. Coach, Fendi, Louis Vitton, and other name brands are really popular in Japan, and I find Evangelion in practically every Pachinko parlor I see. I also noticed Winter Sonata machines in the parlors (yes, THAT Korean drama.)

I have a few Sega Prize figures. I was hoping to find more at Akihabara, but is it true that those are actually prizes you have to win at Club Segas? I saw so many of those arcade stores around the city!



Japan Day 3



Breakfast at one of Keio's many buffets (we chose an Asian- and Western-styled one) was deliciously Western, for me anyways. For the longest time, I wondered why red tea tasted like milk tea boba (I hadn't actually tried red tea without tapioca pearls before!), but now I'm completely addicted. It tastes so much better than black tea and coffee, but it's still more coffee-like that oolong or green tea. :o Miso soup, some of the best-tasting french fries, ham, and salmon, plus some canned fruits, were the perfect ingredients to a perfect breakfast.

I loved watching a crowd of businessmen and women building up at a crosswalk and then watching them take off. I saw some interesting buildings in Tokyo.

Our first stop of the morning was the Meiji Shrine. I saw another set of sake barrels and another wooden gate (that wasn't painted red this time). There was so much green hidden by the gray of the city. Again, I saw those wish/good fortune plaques. On the wooden supports for the shrine, there were a lot of marks. It turns out they were made by coins that people had thrown during New Years (or something like that). Why do the Japanese celebrate Western New Years? After we walked outside of the shrine, we heard the drums, but we didn't go back inside. It was around then that I got my first mosquito bite. I was standing by mosquito-infested water. I didn't understand why you could take pictures of the shrine from the sides but not from the center.

On our way to the Imperial Palace/Edo Castle, we passed by Harajuku (and an advertisement with Audrey Hepburn). There were again so many brand name stores. Across the street from the palace, there was a statue of some guy in an armor suit (looking after and defending the palace, or something along those lines). We didn't actually visit the Tokyo Tower (I plan to next time), but we got a glimpse of it while at the castle. I can just imagine Kamui and Fuuma battling there right now. I loved the appearance of the castle and even the bridge. I wonder what it's like inside. It was funny staring at the cleaning crew. There was a boat and people on the rocks.

On a side note, Japan is so clean and quiet! You don't see bubblegum on the ground, and you pick up even the smallest piece of scratch paper from the ground. There are hardly any sirens and restaurants have relaxing atmospheres. Japan is one extreme. China is on the other side. The US is somewhere in the middle. Aside from having those remarkable toilets that have warm seats and other interesting features, it also has machines that dispense bags for umbrellas.

On our way to Asakusa, we passed by Akihabara, a school with a huge tennis court, and an I ♥ Tokyo taxi cab. I definitely saw some stereotypical otaku in stores, with their extensively used and characteristic backpacks, but I'll get into more detail about Akiba later. I didn't visit a single Duty Free shop in all of Akiba. But I did see a few mades and a truck carrying several soft drink vending machines.

At Asakusa, we parked by a local school. We visited the Sensoji Temple. It reminded me of China. There was this one place where people breathed smoke from burning incense (for longevity or good health or something similar). That smell makes me feel dizzy. Past the huge main gate (with another pair of Buddha shoes) was a shopping alley that seemed quite a length longer than MIT's Infinite Corridor. I bought my yukata there. I should have waited to buy it at Uni-Qlo (which had the version that Evan got). The Uni-Qlo one came with a matching Yukata and Obi + a mini pouch for about $50. Mine cost $60. They weren't "matching," but I think red goes well with pink and it adds more contrast. And I bought a pouch for almost $20. Bleh. It's cute, and even though I bought an obi with a fake bow, it saves me the hassle of figuring out how to actually put one on. I want to wear it to Nisei Week, but I also regret not getting another one. I was so confused by that point. Other people bought indoor yukatas to wear at that store, so I asked if there were yukatas for festivals. I thought that the $40 yukatas were indoor ones. It was rather confusing. Oh well. I bought a paper parasol to go with my yukata. I was hoping to find one of those single hair chopsticks, but I ended up buying something similar in China. That alleyway was fun. There were swords, fans, kimonos, and other cute Japanese products everywhere. There was one store with random idol uchiwas and photos. There was a Totoro store! My brother bought a Totoro plushie. There were also bakeries and other food stands. I saw this sweet packaging machine in one. Wah, it was so cool! For lunch, we had sashimi and iced coffee (with sweet syrup). That was delicious. Silly me. I went back to the store where I had bought my yukata, so the salesperson could help me put it on. I ended up wearing it both for the duration of my time at Asakusa and at the Panasonic Center. It's ridiculously hard to walk in a yukata, even without those crazy wooden shoes. The salesperson also helped me figure out that the blue cat was Doraemon. I just couldn't remember his name, so he drew me a picture of Doraemon after I described him, and I nodded.

While perusing through the shops at Asakusa, I noticed Horikita Maki in a camera advertisement. That was exciting.

To get to the Panasonic Center, we crossed Rainbow Bridge. They both are interesting sights, and the view from the bridge is amazing. I also passed some Tokyo arena/stadium/possible concert venue on the way to the Panasonic Center.

Climbing the stairs to the center was quite the challenge. I had to walk sideways. I don't think the obi was tied well enough, because it was getting loose.

Panasonic is an official Olympic sponsor. At Comic-Con last year, Square Enix had the scavenger hunt game, where we had to get a card stamped at various booths throughout the exhibit hall. Panasonic had a card that we had to get stamped at various corners of the center. I got the most basic prize, which was a pad of paper with the Beijing 2008 Olympic logo. I also picked up an advertisement for Tokyo Disneyland, and had my picture taken with Mario.

I liked the Panasonic Center more than the Sony Building, which I had heard so much about from watching the Tokyo special on the Travel Channel several years ago. I thought there would be a game room at the top of the Sony Building, but there wasn't. Panasonic had an entire corner devoted to Nintendo. All of the latest cell phones, digital cameras, video cameras, laptops (which weren't that great), washing machines, and this and that were all on display. It was so exciting to be surrounded by so much technology. (Did I mention that the elevators and escalators in Japan are unusually quiet?) They had a demonstration room for the best sound system I have ever listened to and interactive touch screens and the likes. The second floor was devoted entirely to eco-friendly technology (I was a little late in realizing I wasn't allowed to take photos). I loved all the sensors in the bathrooms, that were actually helpful, unlike the ones in China.

At Ginza, I made a stop to the Sony Building (wind-powered?), and I collected a lot of brochures (which is bad for the back when it comes to carry-on luggage and weight limits on check-ins). The Sony building had free Internet access at the top (instead of video games), a small store, LCD monitors, mp3 players, phones, and pretty much items similar to those found at the Panasonic Center.

Ginza is probably the most fashionable area I've ever been to. I saw a Toshiba sign and several name-brand stores. Mikimoto pearls looked so good, but so expensive! I didn't see any T-shirt in a can vending machines at Uni-Qlo, but there was one yukata that I really liked. Again, I really don't understand why department stores close so early.

I visited the Apple store (I'd say the laptops are about $500 more expensive there than here) and several stationary stores. Ginza had gigantic crosswalks, many subway station entrances, a gigantic clock tower, random monks, and fashionable display cases.

(DSLRs are really popular everywhere)

I passed by this flower shop with expensive bouquets. They also sold preserved flowers. I wanted one. They were so beautiful, but so expensive! Even the simplest bud cost $15.

I saw the Sapporo building. I wonder what Sapporo, Kirin, Suntory, and Asahi beer taste like. While in Ginza, I looked through a media store. IT HAD ALL ABOUT TVXQ 2! Except it was the Japanese version, which would have cost $100. It also had many other TVXQ singles (even the airport had TVXQ, JE, and even Nodame Drama CDs) and JE CDs. I was pretty close to buying Takki & Tsubasa's new single, but I didn't, and now I regret it.

For dinner, we had shabu-shabu. I love beef and fishballs and noodles. I didn't like the fact that the sauce had a bit of peanut butter. I don't like peanut butter mixed in with anything remotely salty. I loved the enoki mushrooms too (Every time we have hot pot at home, I always love enoki mushrooms). The desert was an ice pop (which was a great way to end a great meal). There was also this rice pudding that my parents boiled. Hmm...

Okay, so the food on this tour was better than the average tour food.

After dinner, while the other tourists were walking around, we got our backpacks from the bus, gave our tourguide (who was really nice and handed us one of those Japanese money envelopes that look so much nicer than most Chinese red envelopes) her tip, and were off for the Ginza subway station. I took a photo of the store with the ridiculously expensive mangos, watermelons, and cantaloupes, but I was too afraid to take a picture of the actual products. $360 for watermelons? and $80 for 2 mangos? Or something like that.

I passed by a lamp post with a picture of Audrey Hepburn. She must be really popular in Japan.

Ironically, I expected Tokyo to be some huge city, but it didn't feel like it. Subway and train transportation helped, but it didn't seem like I would be getting lost any time soon. It's a pity that subways and trains aren't popular here. The number of people walking seem to outnumber the cars on the streets. The subways are so convenient, and they're not always that full. Yes, people read manga phonebooks on subways. They come every 2 minutes or so, which is incredible. My dad said that accidents occur because the people behind the wheels are trying to make up for lost time.

We were lost at the subway station. A Japanese man came to help us out, but he pressed the wrong fare value. He spent his own money on us, and when my parents insisted on paying him back, he only asked for 100 Yen. The fare was usually 130, 160, or 190 yen, if I remember correctly. I think we needed the 160 yen tickets, but he got the 130 yen tickets. Anyways, he was really nice.

After we got our tickets, we didn't know how to use the machines. Luckily, we found someone who spoke Chinese, and she helped us learn how to use the tickets. Funny, funny.

I wish we could keep the ticket stubs. Too bad we had to feed them into the machines.

At the hotel, I was able to catch a Music Station special. Takki & Tsubasa and KAT-TUN were guests (I think), and they did a countdown of best performances and top singles (I think), which included TVXQ, Judy & Mary, NEWS, KAT-TUN, etc. I saw Tamaki Hiroshi!



Japan Day 4



So I managed to get in contact with Brian. Brian and Kyong were supposed to get to the hotel by 9, so I had to rush through breakfast. I had essentially the same thing I had the day before, but at a different buffet room. Brian and Kyong were late, and arrived at 10. After dropping off their luggage in our extra room, we were off! Yes, the day I had been waiting for since months ago! We stopped by Sekaido, where I saw those sushi erasers for the first time. They looked practically edible! I wondered what the line in front of the game store was for.

Instead of taking the subway, we took the train. The JR Station entrance was a lot closer to the hotel than the subway entrance, and the fares were basically the same. I didn't even notice the difference until I realized we were above ground.

Our first stop was Harajuku. Yes. My one goal was to get into the Johnny's Entertainment Shop. Isn't that one of the dreams of any JE fangirl? I noticed JE and Pokemon advertisements at the Harajuku station, which I took pictures of. So cute! I saw a few girls with gothic lolita clothing, but I wanted to see how much the outfits cost. I didn't find any stores, unfortunately. When we got out of the train station, we were practically a few feet away from the queue for the JE shop (I saw the square, the Playhouse, the huge line, and the JE employees, just as the blog entry I had been reading about how to find the store had mentioned). The store itself was located on a rather empty street. It had 2 floors (one was a basement floor). I expected the things in the first and second floors to be different, but they were virtually the same. There wasn't much room to move, and there were lines everywhere. I bought Takki & Tsubasa, NEWS, and KAT-TUN uchiwas, and I bought shop photos of Shoon plus the previously mentioned groups. I saw a few glowsticks, photo books and concert uchiwas, but I didn't get any of those. That was pretty much it, as far as merchandise went. I didn't see any Toma photos, sadly, and there were hardly any Shoon photos, but I was hurried through the Juniors section. Everywhere I went, I seemed to see Hey! Say! Jump! It was a bit annoying. I miss Ya-Ya-yah! I waited in line for probably in excess of an hour just to get to the cashier. The uchiwas were $5 each, and the photos were $1.50 each (rounded, of course). In all, I bought about $35 worth of uchiwas and 14 shop photos. It wasn't really worth it, but it was an exciting adventure. I spoke with a few Japanese students (I wonder how old they were, and I think one cut me in line), or I tried to speak to them. It was hard, because I knew no Japanese and they knew very little English (I thought they learned English?). They told me who their favorite JE guys were (someone from NEWS, but I can't remember who). I asked them to help me look for Toma picture, but they didn't find any either. I also had trouble communicating with the cashier. Oh boy. *sigh* I got Brian and Kyong to come with me, but Kyong dashed out of the building rather quickly (all of those pictures of pretty guys and long lines of fangirls could be the reason?) and Brian said he lost some of his dignity (or something like that) when he helped me look for a photo. LOL. I'm so thankful that they waited for me, and Brian did a little translating for me (thankfully, at least he took that Japanese class). Kyong found some empty street and did a little dance. I wonder if there's a store like that for female idols. Although what the JE shop did to them I think Akiba did to me (expected but unexpected). I had to guess where I was supposed to put the name of the group down, since I couldn't read anything, and I went around the room looking for photos on the walls and their respective photo numbers. It was complicated! The concert uchiwas were bigger than the ones I got, but they were made out of regular paper, and I didn't feel like bringing home a fan with some gigantic pretty boy's face plastered onto it (it's better to buy group ones). So at the front desk, the cashiers were scrambling to find out photos (they're quite efficient). Some lady probably in her 40s or 50s bought $100+ worth of shop photos, which I find disturbing, since these "idols" are in their teens and twenties (for the most part, not including older groups).

Getting into the store was another adventure. We got to Harajuku at around 10:30, but there was already a queue (a fairly long one too), and the JE employees gave us a ticket that said to come back at 12 PM. Wow. We weren't expecting to spend more than 45 minutes in Harajuku. Anyways, so we went around the area. It has some cute stores. I wish I could have spent more time there. The Uni-Qlo in Harajuku had those t-shirt canister machines. I noticed an EXILE ad at a street corner... and who on earth would be... uhh... strange enough to open a chain of stores called Condomania? ... We went to a Snoopy Town store, which had everything cute. It sold air guitars and funky bobble-headed creatures. Remember those Hex Bugs? Were they given to teams at Nationals or at regionals last year? I saw a bunch of those, but they were too expensive. And there were disturbing "humping dog" USB thumb drives. Wow. But that's all part of what makes Japan so crazy. On another floor, they had an entire section devoted to anime. I saw Bleach posters and figures, Naruto goodies, Gundam models, and I think it was a Char cosplay outfit (or maybe it was Amuro but I can't remember what it looked like). Cosplay outfits cost around $200. I think I saw some guy wandering around Akiba in an Amuro suit. Wow. There were so many PLUSHIES.

We went to some world characters store, because Brian thought it was some kind of cosplay store. It turns out that most of the contents were from US comics, and there were some more disturbing images (a bit morbid?)

We came back to the queue at a little after 11:30 AM, and the line had already grown. We went to line-up, but the JE employee told us to come back at 12 PM exactly. What?! In a matter of 4 minutes, THAT many people had already lined up? Only a few people can enter the shop at the time, to keep from overcrowding. Each ticket was good for 2 people, and every person in line (with the exception of one employee, Brian, Kyong, and a girl's father) was a girl. Wow. Talk about intimidating! We were lucky in that we were one of the first people in the 12 PM line. Within maybe 2 minutes, our line had also grown exponentially. In the meantime, Brian, who seems to be the King of Getting Ripped Off, bought a very light ice cream. Light, fluffy, and barely any substance.

So after spending an eternity in the JE shop, we got on the train and went to Akiba, which was conveniently situated at the furthest stop from Harajuku. And then came the ads catered specifically to tourists and the otaku and one crazy FedEx ad. (Who knew there were fare adjustment machines?) Maid cafe advertisements, chibi illustrations, and everything else surrounded us as we walked out of the station. Electronics stores and anime "shopping markets" were at least 5 stories high. Maids and other workers were passing out Akiba pamphlets and flyers practically everywhere, but in greater numbers at the station's exit. They were even passing out free anime guide books to tourists. I even saw some poster about AKB48.

I expected to see otaku in cosplay, maids, gigantic electronics and anime/game stores. I expected to see nerds with their dirty backpacks, glasses, and everything else. And that's exactly what I got, but more?

Otaku are supposed to be social outcasts (or at least they were). They're people who can't get girlfriends and end up dreaming about girls in anime. I knew there would be a lot of hentai, ecchi, loli, and anything else unacceptable to modern society, but I was in for a surprise, of sorts. Okay, so I knew there would be nude figures and lifesize figures from fanboy dating sim games and this and that... And I knew the guys there would be strange (although it's stranger that Brian and Kyong saw several guys being dumped on the streets of was it Shibuya or Harajuku?)...

But all of the main stores (Kotobukiya, Animate, Gamers, etc.) carried pretty much all shounen, seinen, ecchi, hentai, or lol merchandise. What happened to the shoujo, the yaoi doujinshi, and other cute series? Ack! It really wasn't a place for fangirls, as I found more fangirl related merchandise in 2 hours at AX than in all my 6 hours or so of wandering around Akiba.

I saw either really expensive figures, the occasional Geass (which is really popular right now) figure or accessory, a few CLAMP related pencil boards, a lot of Shakugan no Shana merchandise, expensive Square Enix (Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts) figures and jewelry, expensive Death Note nendoroid figures (L was twice Raito's price), gashapon (that were pretty expensive), other "prize"-type collectibles that were also expensive... and essentially, what seemed like an endless supply of pr0n. Everything was either too expensive, too cheap, or too disturbing.

I ended up buying a CLAMP in 3D Wonderland mini figure, another one that looked like it came from a dating sim type game (but it was cute), the Raito nendoroid, and some Pinky St. based figure (which was cheap at $6).

There were also aisles of Gundam models and adorable SEED Club figures that I really wanted but cost $20 each (which is ridiculous for chibi figurines, IMO).

When we arrived at Akiba, we went in search of a maid cafe to have lunch. After getting used to the environment, I expected the maid cafe to be rather uncomfortable, but we went to a maid cafe called Cure Maid Cafe (lol). It was actually a really nice place to eat. The maids were adorable (especially the one with those old-fashioned glasses). It was unfortunate that I couldn't take photos, so I took the thing that you place under drinks (whatever it's called). The olive oil noodles (what are they called?) with those clams (or some time of shellfish) tasted delicious, and it only cost $12. I also got an iced cocoa.

The CLAMP figure cost around $5. The other one cost around $7. Raito cost $30.

While on our adventure in Akiba, we somehow wound up in one of those Akiba idol greeting floors. LOL. It was packed with people (who are all otaku?), and there were a lot of lights and a stage (I can't remember if the idol was on it or not, but I didn't stay long enough to notice any other details).

I think we explored Akiba until my feet felt like they were bleeding.

We started at the top floors of each building we went to and went downward. There was this one cosplay shop that also sold nude female dolls that people could dress up. Eep.

Each floor had some specialty. One floor was devoted to DVDs. Another to Gundam models. Another to gashapon. Another to manga. And then a few more to merchandise and accessories. The experience was definitely unique. If merchandise (anything from figures to cosplay outfits) weren't on display, there were photos of them and their respective purchasing tickets. Even the elevators were covered with those photos and other posters.

There was this one loud pachinko parlor with gigantic Eva figures, a stand-up advertisement with Horikita Maki, and a gigantic Code Geass poster. :o There was also this one no photos permitted sign that was written with some really poor Engrish, but I didn't get a picture of the actual words. And I got a few free fans. And a small store that sold different gauge wires and another that sold binoculars and telescopes.

The closest I got to taking a picture of the maid cafe was taking a picture of the sign outside of the maid cafe *sigh*.

Brian introduced me to a series of chain "anime markets" called Aso Bit City. Each location in Akiba had different kinds of merchandise. Pretty much all of the stores I went to (Gamers, Animate - building covered with a lot of posters of females with disproportionate bodies?, Kotobukiya - had some nice Ghibli merchandise too, in addition to their unequaled number of figures) either had stores in Los Angeles that closed or had booths at AX or Comic Con (so I recognized their names).

Otaku are either freakishly obssessed with mecha series or they fondle inanimate objects. At least that's my impression. x_x

Ironically, there was a gigantic display featuring Super Junior's Don't Don in Akiba. That was the strangest place to advertise a Korean idol group's song. I also saw a flower memorial for (I think?) the victims of that killing spree that occured last month.

Yep, so Brian picked up a few fanboyish items (nothing quite of the likes that I have been describing), and Kyong bought some accessories, and then we were off to Shibuya.

[July 11, 2008 6:30 AM]

[July 11, 2008 11:30 PM]

I didn't have much time to do any shopping in Shibuya. My parents expected us to be back at the hotel by 10, although we were a bit late.

I love how all of the subway stations have exits into gigantic department stores. It's absolutely brilliant. While trying to find our way to the streets, we saw a crowd of Japanese people, and this stand selling these adorable pigs that you could throw on a hard surface (they would go... splat?). I bought 3 for $3 each. They were made in China, so I had this feeling I might be getting ripped off. It turns out that I saw the same toy at Nanjing Road, and it cost 3 Yuan. Wow! I bought 1 in Japan, whereas I could have gotten about 6.5 pigs in China (differences in exchange rates). The only difference was that the Japanese version came with a little information sticker.

Shibuya seemed like Ginza and Shinjuku upon first glance, but the department stores in Shibuya seemed to be stacked even higher. The day before, Brian and Kyong went to a Shibuya 109 building, only to discover that every single floor was dedicated to merchandise for women. It turns out that there was another Shibuya 109, but dedicated to merchandise for men. Oops! I wanted to see what the women's store looked like, but by the time we went to look, it was already closed.

When we were walking around, we passed by a Leah Dizon promotional bus. I'm not familiar with her, but Kyong said she had an autograph session the day they arrived at Japan (he's a huge fan).

For dinner, we had curry. Japanese curry tastes so much better than the curry I've seen in Chinese and Indian dishes. The food was so cheap too! I think it cost around $8. Really, good Japanese food is pretty cheap. Don't listen to the people who only know Japan through a tour company's point of view. You're bound to be ripped off. They take you to destinations where they receive a certain percentage of income, so everything you buy is at potentially greatly inflated prices. (at least that's true in China)

Afterwards, we went karaoking for an hour. The place was somewhat rundown, but it was the closest one to the restaurant. There were a lot of other fancy karaoke bars in town, though. The room was pretty small, and the TV was still a CRT set, but the system was so cool and up-to-date. I found SMAP's Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana on it, although I didn't know the lyrics well enough to sing it. Everything was controlled with a wireless controller and stylus. I tried to sing Don't Cry for Me Argentina, but that version was ridiculously fast. Kyong sang an Epik High song, and I got him to sing the Korean version of Younha's Houki Boushi (Comet?). He sings a lot better than Brian (who sang a bunch of Asian Kung-Fu Generation songs). The room was cheap too!

People smoke too much in Asia. The stench was pretty strong in the curry house. The one thing I noticed is that... the smell of a single cigarette in Asia seems to be less powerful than one in the US. But they really need to stop smoking. At least in Japan, you can request non-smoking dining areas at several restaurants.

As for pachinko, I decided I would watch Brian play. Each ball cost 4 yen, and the return value of a ball was some percent less than that. Brian inserted a 1000 yen bill into the machin ($10), and somehow wound up with only one ball. So he launched it, and it was gone. King of getting ripped off. We should have watched that other guy play more carefully. I want to try next time, even if the place is really noisy. Pachinko is like an alternative to gambling, where you win these silver balls by playing a hybrid slot machine/pinball game, and you can exchange the balls for prizes or money (somewhat not legitimately). Yes, I taped that Travel Channel special.

There were several advertisements for the L movie too.

On our way back to the Shibuya station, we encountered two guys with "free hug" signs. I remember people doing that at Anime Expo, and I heard it's becoming more popular in Asia. Kyong gave one of the guys a hug, but when he beckoned me to give him a hug... uhh... I shook my head. They looked like they were 40-year-old men with nothing better to do with their lives. Eep.

We also passed by this outdoor food stand/set-up that reminded me of all of the Korean and Japanese dramas I've watched. I wonder if it was a ramen stand.



Japan Day 5



Our flight was early in the afternoon (I can't remember what time), so we had a little time in the morning to look around Shinjuku. It was raining, but Brian and Kyong left early to see if they could find any cosplayers at Harajuku.

We went to the large department stores and looked around.

I mentioned the umbrella plastic covering dispensing machines, right? They're really convenient, but only if you have one of those long umbrellas.

The food at the market looked really tasty (especially all of the precooked sashimi, sushi, onigiris, bento boxes, etc.) I bought an onigiri, and my dad bought some kind of fried shrimp dish. The Japanese really do value how their food appears. My dad said that I must've been extremely hungry to be eating plain rice with a piece of seaweed and some other filling (it wasn't pickled plum).

Truffles and other dessert (as I mentioned) were really expensive, and the seafood looked so good!

As for actual fruit prices, at the supermarket, a single cantaloupe and 5 peaches cost $60-70, and I guess an entire watermelon did only cost $30, but two mangos cost $180? Someone help me explain my photographs. Ah.

The meat looked so shiny. They seemed almost unreal! They were also really expensive.

At the top of one department store, there was a bookstore and a stationary store. I like browsing through those stores in particular. Everything's cute! I saw Duet and Potato. I wanted to buy the July issues, but I knew I couldn't buy any more magazines that meant added weight. There was also this store that sold music scores to popular artists! If only I had more time!

For lunch, we went to this Chinese restaurant. I had some really spicy noodles, and we ate with paper bibs. Eating there was very messy, and oil splashed everywhere, but it was good and cheap, and the waiters there spoke Chinese.

Then we went back to the hotel and got ready to take the bus to the airport. My parents made reservations, but they forgot to purchase tickets from the vending machines (which were $30 a piece).

The security at the airport was pretty tight. They checked passports while we were still on the bus. There were so many phases before we could get onto the plane. Luckily, we could add that fake sword as an extra checked-in luggage with no extra charge. They were really nice about it. I forgot to take my laptop out of my bag, or rather, I knew that I was supposed to, but things got a bit hectic and confusing.

I also forgot to mention that my parents put our passports in the carry-on backpack that was being screened at LAX, so we had to hold the line up, while my dad got the passports back out. Troublesome.

And we waited for forever before the issue about the sword was cleared up.

I wonder what red light districts are like. I wish I got to see guys being dumped, even if it's a sad sight. Haha.

So in other news, I need to make a list of must do/see things for the next time I go to Japan, whenever that will be. Must go to Kyoto and Osaka, and go ookini. xD I need to see more of Kanto.

Part 2 in the next entry!