Rugby Match

On Sunday I went to one of Japan's most popular rugby games in the National Olympic Stadium (国立競技場). This was also the last game in the Olympic stadium before they shut it down for renovations for the upcoming Olympics. I couldn't believe it reached max capacity (57,363) for a college game (Waseda University vs. Meiji University). However, I have to admit that this wasn't the best experience I've had in Japan so far...it was really hot with the sun shining in our face, it was so crowded that people were sitting in the aisles and stairs of the stadium, and I had no idea the rules of the game and couldn't follow what was going on. It was also strangely quiet...Japanese people only cheered when they scored but didn't chant during the Japan or even chat with the people next to them. It was so silent you could hear the players on the field shouting to each other. But Waseda won!!

Regardless, what was really cool is that my friends and I were personally invited by three of the Waseda rugby players. They were sitting next to us at a restaurant one night in Takadanobaba and we started chatting. They reserved us special VIP tickets that allowed us to cut the line to get into the stadium. As one of the only western looking people at the match, I'm sure people were very confused as to how I got the special tickets :)

I went with Dahee, Allison, and Katy - and we also got free towels and face stickers with our tickets.

Thanksgiving at McDonalds

Sorry for not posting in a while...I've been busy studying for midterms!

This was the first year that I wasn't home for Thanksgiving. Although I missed my family, our ranch, and my mom's marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes, I had a great time with one of my Japanese-American friends, Martha. After getting our nails done the Japanese way (gel nails with crazy and fun designs), we went for shopping and dinner in the fashion forward Harajuku district. Unfortunately, turkey and dressing isn't on restaurant menus during the fall season, or any season, so we opted for the famous American restaurant, McDonalds.

I have to say I was impressed with the chic and clean atmosphere that the Harajuku McDonalds boasted. The interior was of modern design with mood lighting and it was nice to see all the super skinny Japanese people sitting in the appropriate sized booths, tables, and high-tops. The McDonald's employees were well-dressed and used formal Japanese language with their customers, which is a definite change compared to the American stores.

I ate a non-greasy fried chicken burger with fries and a medium Sprite (the medium is the same size as the small in America). The food was great! Also, when we were done with our food, a waitress came up and threw our food away for us.

Great service, food, and atmosphere, I didn't even feel like I was sitting in McDonalds! I would happily go back to try a real burger and see how that compares.

*From what I understand not all McDonalds' are as nice as the one in Harajuku.

Waseda Sports: Pep Rally, Sports Festival, and Baseball Game

Every year, Waseda hosts the largest sports festival in Japan. It is such a big deal, that classes are cancelled on the three days prior to give students time to prepare. The campus was filled with student-run food vendors such as bubble tea, yakitori, waffles, soba noodles, meat buns, chocolate coated bananas, and much much more. It was so crowded, you had to link arms with your friend, jump into the flow of traffic, and hope your wouldn't be pushed apart.

Yakitori booth

The classrooms were filled with different activities hosted by different clubs. I went to the manga (Japanese comic) club and had a caricature drawn of me and I went to the lolita club (fashion) and watched girls getting dressed up in lolita fashion and makeup.

Girl who drew my caricature. They all dressed as their favorite manga (comic) character.

Cosplay club (they dress as anime characters). They dressed as the most popular anime right now called Attack on Titan. It's actually a really well done anime and I watched it in 3 days!

Which they did a pretty good job!

There were also five different stages (at least) set around campus were clubs such as the ballet club, hip hop club, musical club, cheerleading club, juggling club, and other dance and performance based clubs could perform for the crowds.

Check out my video below for short clips of a few of the performances I saw!    

The weekend of the sports festival was also when Waseda played its biggest rival in baseball, Keio University. A couple of days before the game, there was an hour long pep rally/cheer off were the Waseda and Keio cheerleaders alternated cheering for their own team and talking badly about the other. It was very different from a pep rally in America. Check out my video below to see what it was like.

Finally, the Waseda University vs. Keio University baseball game. This is where you can clearly see Japan's militaristic qualities. Although there was no sense of nationalism at the stadium (no national anthem sung or ceremony of raising the Japanese flag), pride for ones school and respect for the other's was evident. During the opening ceremony which lasted about 20 mins, fans were not allowed to use the restroom, eat, or drink anything. They were to remain quiet and cheer when it was appropriate. For the Waseda song, during the whole 3 minutes you have to raise your fist in the air in a similar fashion to the nazi's and bring it down to your chest repeatedly. It becomes very tiring and my friend Martha, a Japanese-American who goes to Cornell University, refused to participate because it seemed too militaristic and she found it to be frightening.

Cheerleaders held up lyrics for all the different cheers and chants.

The game was also very respectful between opposing teams and between players and fans. The teams would always be dead silent when the other team would sing their school's anthem. Also, at the end of the game, the baseball players all took off their hats and bowed to the fans, thanking them for coming and supporting. In return the Japanese were screaming "thank you" to the team and individual players for doing their best.

In the end, Waseda beat Keio 9-2! This put Waseda University as 3rd in their league.

Check out my video! It is a compilation of the pep rally, sports festival, and baseball game! Watch it on youtube for the best quality!

     

First Hula Performance

Last weekend, I participated in my first hula performance at a local Japanese festival. Remember that my host mom is a hula instructor and she has insisted that I attend all hula practices and perform with her students. I'm sure I looked a little strange standing among all 9 year and 11 year old Japanese girls... It was fun to see the shock on peoples face's when they caught a glimpse of me backstage though.

  

I borrowed the white hula dress from my host mom but the second outfit my host mom made for me!

During the performance, one of the hula dancer's younger brothers, a five year old who has a crush on me, kept shouting がんばってローレン (Good Luck/You can do it, Lauren)!

I am really enjoying hula dancing and although I wouldn't qualify it as exercise, it is very relaxing and stress relieving!

Tomato Ramen

This has been my favorite meal in Japan thus far--maybe because it brought a sense of nostalgia and offered flavors similar to my Italian roots. Called Tomato Ramen, it is a twist on the Japanese traditional bowl of noodles and soup.

The Menu:

The Meal: 

Before stirred. 

After stirred. 

Just like a big bowl of spaghetti! I actually finished the whole bowl. Next I need to satisfy my hamburger craving!

Shibuya

The great thing about Tokyo is that there are many things to see and do instead of your homework (don't worry mom and dad, I will eventually find time for it).

I spent an evening after school shopping around Shibuya and grabbing dinner. I arrived at our meeting spot, Hachiko (the famous dog statue), a little too early and decided to take a touristy video of the most crowded crosswalk in the world.

Shibuya is famous for its shopping! It has an enormous department store called 109 that sports 10 floors of fashion for Japanese girls in their 20s. The best part is you won't find any American brands here, they are all uniquely Japanese.

Above is a crazy style in Japan rarely seen called gyaru.  

We ate dinner at an all you can eat (for 90mins) shabu shabu restaurant:

Shabu shabu is when you throw a bunch of vegetables and meat into a boiling pot of water and eat once its cooked. They also have two dipping sauces: one sweet and one slightly sour. 

After exhausting (*cough* shopping) ourselves out, we split up to go home and prepare for school the next day. 

  

But once I got home I didn't study, I played restaurant with Sumireko. My excuse was that it's better Japanese practice to use it and experiment with it than reading my textbooks! :) 

   

Grocery Shopping in Tokyo

Ever wondered what it would be like to buy groceries for a family of four and not have a car conveniently parked outside to take them home? The fact is, people in Tokyo usually have a long way to walk from the grocery store back to their apartment. This is Japan's solution.

The other day I went grocery shopping with my friend Da Hee, a Korean Australian. She lives in her own apartment not far from Waseda but has to cook her own food every day. When you buy over $50 worth of groceries, you can pack them into boxes with your name and address and they will be shipped to your home by the next morning. Don't worry about refrigerated items! You just label frozen, refrigerated, or neither to make sure your food stays fresh. How awesome is that! 

Maid Cafe: Maidreamin

Although it hasn't been officially decided, I want to write my senior year Japanese thesis on Maid Cafes in Japan.

For those of you who don't know what they are: Maid Cafes started in Akihabara, the electronic district of Tokyo also know for its anime, manga (Japanese comics), and video games. It originally catered towards male otaku (people obsessed with anime, manga, and video games) but has now widened its clientele. Waitresses dress as french maids and welcome you into the restaurant by saying "welcome home, master" or "welcome home, mistress". The original concept was to make customers feel like they were at home (a very luxurious home with your own personal staff). They have combined this concept with the popular kawaii (super cute) trend. Everything is cute including the maids outfits, voices, restaurant decor, and food. You aren't allowed to take pictures with the maids but can pay for a Polaroid with them which they put stickers on and decorate for you. Some Maid Cafes offer games you can play against the maids to try and win a prize.  During your time at the cafe, different maids will walk around and talk to you for a bit and some cafes even have performances.

Allison, the other exchange student from my home university, and I went to Akihabara to try and find Halloween costumes. We weren't planning on going to a Maid Cafe because they are typically expensive but when we ran into a maid advertising on the street we figured it would be a good time to try it out (I've actually been to a Maid Cafe before the last time I was in Japan). The maid was from the number one Maid Cafe in Japan called Maidreamin. She kindly escorted us to the restaurant which was about a 5 minutes walk from where she was advertising. Each cafe has a different theme and decor. The one we went to was called Heaven's Gate and we sat in the star section of the restaurant which had pillars with stars on top of them and star ceiling lights.

For lunch I ordered a Maid Cafe staple: Omelet Rice.  

Allison ordered fried pork.

When the maids bring you food their is a little chant you do with them to "put love into your food". At this place you make a heart with your hands and say moe, moe, kyun~~ which doesn't translate well into English. 

All the maids that came up to talk to Allison and I were both shocked and relieved when they found out we could speak some Japanese. We talked to them about Japanese fashion, about a new Maid Cafe opening in Los Angeles, and other various random things. Another great way to practice my Japanese. They were also fascinated with my grey eye color and were asking what color eyes my parents had. Their interpretation was mom (blue) + dad (brown) = mixed to grey.

Allison and I stayed long enough to watch two different performances. The lights in the restaurant go dark and the stage is lit up were one maid sings and dances. The other maids run around the cafe clapping, dancing, and selling glow sticks.  

Photo by: http://otakumode.com/sp/visit_japan/akihabara/a013d

During our two and a half hour stay at the maid cafe, Allison and I tried to decipher the clientele. There were groups of high school girls, couples on dates, foreigners experiencing the culture, a few groups of young japanese men (otaku) playing their video games while eating, and a large amount of older Japanese men eating by themselves. These men you could tell were regulars. They knew all the maids names, bought a bunch of glow sticks, bought many pictures with the maids, sang along to all the songs, and stayed for hours. Perhaps these maids are the modern day geisha? Men are paying beautiful women to talk with them and entertain them. 

One particular maid that we made friends with was named Chika. She was super peppy and was constantly running around the restaurant pretending she was a ninja, dancing to the music, or doing other weird things. She was absolutely hilarious and we loved talking with her.

Chika's profile picture on the website. http://maidreamin.com/en

After everything was over and we walked around Akihabara for a couple of hours, we ran into Chika on the streets who screamed our names and very excitedly ran up to us. We had a short conversation before we mentioned that we were on our way home. I know that's what she is paid to do but it made Allison and I feel so good about ourselves. Everyone at the maid cafe was so nice and we had a blast. Both of us definitely want to go back!  

 

Yokohama: Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Japan?? Yes they celebrate it too! Apart from the German beer, sausages and sauerkraut, they had a giant gazebo with a traditional band from Germany playing. Some Japanese were even dressed in dirndl!

While singing, drinking, and eating our sausages, we made many Japanese friends. It was a great chance to practice my Japanese! Also, the guy sitting next to me was wearing a Texas shirt!

Clinking glasses got a little rough. Oops. 

Yokohama: Chinatown

Saturday, after my morning Japanese class, I went with a group of friends to Yokohama to check out the famous Chinatown. One of them was from Hong Kong so she showed us around and explained everything.

The Chinatown in Yokohama is the largest one in the world.

Entrance to Chinatown.  

We ate the famous panda meat buns...

Of course I couldn't leave without a picture of Hello Kitty dressed as a Panda!!

Ikebana: Shogo Kariyazaki

Last Saturday, I received free tickets from Waseda to go see an Ikebana exhibit by the famous Shogo Kariyazaki. Once we got to Meguro, I was blown away the number of Japanese women and men dressed in yukata (summer kimono) for the occasion. If not in traditional dress, women wore nice dresses and heels.

Picture of Shogo Kariyazaki
Photo by: http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/5th+International+Rome+Film+Festival+Opening+3OGbUIBCnOql.jpg

The exhibit was fantastic and definitely exceeded my expectations! But, we weren't allowed to take any pictures. The location, Meguro Gajoen, was a six story traditional Japanese building with tatami mats and beautiful carvings on the walls, ceilings, and pillars. Unfortunately all the information given on the building was in Japanese so I couldn't quite understand everything; however, I know that it is celebrating its 85th anniversary and they frequently conduct tours in English on the history of the building. Perhaps I'll go back for one!

Photo by: http://businesseventstokyo.org/unique/meguro-gajoen/

The ikebana itself was insane! It was art made from flowers and and other elements of nature, unlike anything I had ever seen before. There were tree stumps filled with colored twigs, beautiful branches, and rare flower species. The displays were huge and some took up the entire room. Yucca plants, painted roses, and exquisite dead tree branches were displayed among the seven exhibit rooms. This trip was a pleasant surprise and now I view ikebana in a whole different light!

A picture of my ticket stub. 

Checking Out a Book at the Library: Waseda University

My university at home has a total of 2,800 students while Waseda University has 44,756 undergraduates alone. So it's interesting for me to get the feel of a large school. Now thankfully my classes aren't big at all (they range from 6 people in my Japanese class to 50 people in my Japanese Art class) but when you go to the schools main library (1 of their 27 libraries), you realize how big the school really is. 

This is actually the Okuma Auditorium.

For my History in Modern Japan class I needed to check out my textbook from the library. I thought it would be like walking into the Furman library where everyone is socializing and it's not difficult to find a book. Not at Waseda. First you have to show your ID and swipe into the library and it is dead silent! There are around seven floors (that could be an over exaggeration), including two basements, and once I figured out that my book was in the basement, I was shocked by the library policies. I had to put all my belongings into a locker and receive a special badge to wear saying that I was allowed to be on that particular floor. The basement was huge and would make an excellent set for a horror film. Finally, with some assistance, I found my book but wow it was a process.  

I was also shocked that although it was the first day of class there were already students passed out in the library chairs and at their tables. They looked like they had been studying for hours. It'll be interesting to see how a Japanese university compares academically to an American university.   

Hightech Sinks

Can we have these in America please? This sink is all automatic.

But you don't just have your basic water and soap...when you wave your hands towards the closest part of the sink to you, the dryer turns on in the bowl! Another space saver and eco-friendly idea. 

Tsukishima, Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple, and Hamarikyu

The two international clubs, Niji no Kai and WIC, planned four different tours around Tokyo for the new international students. They were all at the same time, so you could only go to one of the four: 

1. Tokyo Tower & Tsukishima course
2. Ueno course
3. Sky tree & Asakusa course
4. Akihabara course

My friends and I picked the first tour because it seemed the hardest to do on our own. Our first stop, Tsukishima, is an area in Tokyo famous for its monjayaki. Monjayaki is a dish consisting of pan-fried batter and various other ingredients like meats and vegetables. You cook it yourself on the table (though the waiters often assist you) and you use a small spatula to eat it straight off the grill. It's very yummy but often leaves me hungry after eating it. We also ate okonomiyaki which is similar but differs in that it is less runny and is similar to the consistency of a pancake. 

(awaiting pictures from friends)

Monjayaki

Okomomiyaki

After the food, we headed to a different part of Tokyo where the famous Tokyo Tower is located (not to get confused with the Tokyo Skytree). I shouldn't have been surprised at the massive lines for the Tokyo Tower tickets and the separate line for the elevators but I wasn't expecting it to the extent it was. The 6 boys in our group braved the ~600 stairs to the top but the three girls in our group, including me, opted for the elevator.

 

As a Tokyo resident, I'm glad I saw it and experienced it; however, for someone traveling to Japan with limited time, I'd suggest you skip Tokyo Tower. I might be biased since I live next to the SkyTree but choosing between the two I'd go to the SkyTree and just view the Tokyo Tower from Roppongi Hills. 

Our next stop was Zojoji Temple which we quickly strolled though.

Our last stop was the Hamarikyu gardens. After a long day of walking, we all collapsed on the first space of grass we'd seen since coming to Tokyo.

Finally, my friend Katy (Chinese-Canadian) and I were so desperate for food and a seat that we sat on the steps in the subway by the trashcans and vending machines. 

We felt homeless. 

*sorry I don't know why half of the blog is highlighted. Can't figure out how to fix it.

Perks of Being a White Girl in Japan

Since I'm in an enormous metropolitan city, I didn't expect to get all the attention I have been receiving. I have to say it is fabulous. I feel like a movie star! When I carried the mikoshi at the summer festival, people crowded around me to take photos with me. People also blatantly stare at me on the subways or in the department stores. Many of my Asian friends ask if I find it creepy but I honestly love the attention. So far, in the two and a half weeks that I have been here, these two situations have happened to me:

1.) I rushed to the train to grab a seat for my 30 minute commute to Waseda University. As I tried to get comfortable, an old woman hobbled onto the train. I knew I needed to offer her my seat. I quickly stood up and said, "どうぞ、どうぞ" but she refused to sit down. Feeling guilty, I kindly thanked her and sat back down. The old woman immediately began telling me that Americans were always extremely nice (which shocked me to hear this). She then offered me a whole bag of warm food. Although I kept telling her that I couldn't accept it, after 20 minutes of refusal in my broken Japanese, I finally gave in. When I got to my station, I thanked her multiple times and ran off to tell me friends. I opened up the warm bag and peeled back the thin sheet of wood wrapping to find 6 giant bun-like sweets filled with bean paste. We collectively decided to eat it together and it if was poisoned then o'well.

They were really yummy but all five of us couldn't eat all six of the sweets! I was therefore nominated to take the last sweet to the cutest boy in the room. When I went up to him and said, "どうぞ、どうぞ", he couldn't refuse and he kindly ate the whole thing. 

2.) While walking around Waseda University in search of my friends, a young woman came up to me and asked if I was a foreign exchange student. When I said yes, she asked if I wanted to be on a TV show called お願いランキング (Onegai Ranking). Well, turns out that I had my first day of Japanese class during the time that they were filming so I couldn't go. 

When I told my Japanese friends about it they freaked out. Turns out its a really popular show and they were doing a segment on which kind of stationary foreigners liked. I am SO UPSET that I didn't say yes. It could have been my big break as a TV star! But it has only been two and a half weeks so hopefully I will have more opportunities :)

     

College Boys Dancing Heavy Rotation by AKB48

At the International Students Welcome Party! We enjoyed many performances but this was the best!

What's better to break the ice than having college boys dress in girls' high school uniforms and dance to Heavy Rotation by AKB48??

Shopping in Harajuku

Yesterday I met up with Allison, the other Furman exchange student, and we decided to explore Harajuku together. This is the area of Tokyo known for their crazy styles and bizarre fashions. It is also the inspiration for Gwen Stefani's fashion lines and perfumes. The start of my day was a little rough as I got distracted on the subway line by a cute little kid that wanted to practice Japanese with me. I lost track of the stations and ended up riding the subway for an extra 5 stops! Oops. But that was only a 30 minute delay...

We started off by quickly walking through Meji Shrine, one of my favorite shrines that I have been to in Japan. Though it was my third time to visit it, I was still amazed by the massive tori gates that lead up to the main area.

A young girl running around the shrine.                    

My first visit in 2009.

We then strolled through Takeshita-dori, the street famous for the hottest trends in Tokyo along with multiple crepe restaurants.

While walking around Harajuku, I actually ran into another girl in our program that was wondering around on her own. It's amazing that in such as big city, I ran into one of the five people I knew. She joined us for the rest of the day. 

We spent an hour in Kiddy Land, a giant multistory shop devoted to cute things for kids. One whole floor was for Hello Kitty. Heaven. It was with great restraint that I did not buy the giant Hello Kitty that  was roughly the size of me. Mom and Dad, that's what I want for my birthday. 

That's basically what it looked like.

Lastly, we spent over an hour in a candy shop, fascinated at how they were able to get a small print of Hello Kitty into hard candy. 

They started with giant blocks of candy.

Layered it. 

Stretched it out. 

And cut them into tiny pieces. 

  Unfortunately they messed up a bit, because one of Hello Kitty's ears was too big, and therefore couldn't sell the candy. But they gave it out as free samples instead!