Day 9, Ginza walk, Godzilla, more Starbucks, and Karaoke!

Our Professor sent us to Ginza today for a school assignment. I started off by stopping at Starbucks and picking up a loyalty card (Update: they don’t actually have loyalty cards in Japan yet, but at least I can track the stores I went to and keep it as a souvenir).

Next we went to a cute sweets shop called Fujiya. There were so many things to choose from, so it was hard to decide. My daughter would’ve really liked it here. I gather that it is really popular in Japan as they had a huge sign on the skyscraper building and it was just a small shop on the bottom.

I still needed to find more store types for my assignment, so I decided to keep exploring. Google is fantastic, but it is still limited when you are trying to search within Google Maps for Japan locations in English. Sometimes you have to Google the store name (ex. Starbucks) or store type (ex. supermarket) and get the address and then use google maps. Also, it just doesn’t always work or can be somewhat frustrating, so I go with the old stroll ‘til you find method.

I end up strolling along and find some pretty cool things. Like this little tunnel filled with vintage posters.

I can also tell that I’m coming up on the upscale district as I pass by a Tiffany’s.

I also keep seeing flag signs for a museum with an Impressionism exhibit. I eventually make it to the Mitsubishi Museum of Art and decide to see if its in my Grutto pass (museum coupon book). It is not, but I’m such a sucker for Impressionist art that I go ahead. It was a small exhibit, but definitely worth it. And I was able to stroll at my own pace.

Upon exiting, I realized I wasn’t sure how far I had walked, so took a train back one to get back into the more concentrated area and maybe find a supermarket for the assignment. Instead I came across Godzilla and another Starbucks marked by a really cool display of Les Miserables.

By now, I’m very tired of walking and realize that I have to make it back to the hostel for Sumo wrestling tonight. I get back and get ready for Sumo and the second meet up with my Japanese buddies from Chuo University. Sumo wrestling gets cancelled, so I head off to meet my friends.

They end up taking me to a yummy Korean Restaurant and then we go to karaoke!

This one is the cheapest so far! It was only like $30 hr for all of us and that included unlimited drinks (soda/juice/coffee). It was a lot of fun. They sang ‘Let It Go’ in Japanese which was cool to hear and then we all sang it together in English. This ended my day. I was so exhausted that I just went straight to bed when I got to the hostel.

Day 21, Breakfast with a view

Today we woke up earlier than usual for a free breakfast buffet. The real treat was the sky high view! There was lots of great food and coffee here, but the view was amazing. I wouldn’t mind staying here and eating here every morning.

Today is my last day with my sister -n-law Teresa. We can’t decide what to do, so we just head out to Akihabara.  I wish I would’ve spent more time out here sooner. They have lots of cool things I could take home, but my funds are pretty much gone by now.  Its actually just fun to walk around and see all of the anime and video arcades. We open the door to a Pachinko place and immediately shut it, as it is deafening loud! Seriously, I wonder if they wear ear protection. Then we come across a vintage arcade place that is super cool!

We have dinner at a place where you order from a machine and hand your ticket to the cook. Then you go pick it up. It was really yummy, but the first place that seemed a bit on the unclean side. I suppose that’s because they didn’t have waiters and not everyone cleaned up after themselves.

After I say goodbye to Teresa, I head back to the hostel to try and get some homework finished and packing done. However, peer pressure calls me onward to one last round of KARAOKE!!! And yes, I comply!

Day 21, Coming home

I was really worried about the plane ride home, knowing that we’d have a 12 hour layover, after the 10 hour flight. As soon as I walked down the plane aisle and realized that I’d been assigned a middle seat, panic set in. I couldn’t control the anxiety tears. My classmates thought I was crying for leaving Japan. I quickly told them of my panic and claustrophobia for middle seats. The lovely Gaby switched gladly with me.  Thank you, Gaby! Now I know this for future and will request ahead of time an aisle seat. When we arrived at LAX, I tried my best to sleep in the airport chairs since the floor was covered in crumbs....ick. I got a little rest but not much. I decided to go get a spicy chicken sandwich and fries. It was soooo good and made me realize how much I love it here in America! That being said, I would love to move to Japan to work and live. I really would. That is for another time though.

Thanks for reading! 

Day 19, Slight embarrassment

Today we took our finals. Right after the final, I use a bathroom that I haven’t used yet in the school. I was having trouble finding the flusher, so I panicked and pressed a button. Not just any button though….a red button. Serioulsy, Andrea? Its red, how could you press it? As soon as I did, I knew that it was not the flush button. I find the actual flusher and its just hidden by the seat lid…it’s a perfectly normal flush handle. Meanwhile, there’s a really loud beeeeeeeping on this floor. There is NO ONE up here, but my classmates, so I just wait. I wait and wonder what their policy is when that button is pressed. I mean, is an ambulance automatically called?  A lady rushes through the elevator (14^th floor, mind you). I try to catch her to let her know its me that pressed it. I finally get my point across to her in the bathroom and “Gomenasai” (Sorry) profusely. She tells me “Daijoubu, Daijoubu” (Its ok, It’s ok) . I was so embarrassed, but she was so nice and acted like this has happened before.

Next, a few of us finally ride the Tokyo Dome roller coaster. I haven’t ridden one in years, so I’m super excited. I had wanted to go to the Mt. Fuji Amusement Park, which has some of the best roller coasters, but its about 3 hours away, so time and money didn’t allow this time (this time ;-) ). It was totally worth it and gave me a great adrenaline rush to go back to the hostel and get started on some homework. errrr.

Later that night there is a farewell party for us at the university. Everyone gives a few words on their experiences in Japan and how much we’ll miss it here. Then I go out for one last time with my new friends that I met at Chuo University. 

Day 18, Souvenir Shopping

Today I really needed to find some souvenirs for my family. I headed out to the Asakusa outside market mall. Its really big and has tons of traditional items in it, but by now I’m running low on funds and really need a deal.

I come across some vending machines with new canned coffee brands and buy two because I’m so excited to try more!

I also find the old vintage amusement park, Hanayashiki. It has a haunted house and some charming old style rides. I’d love to take my family here for fun.

Next I discover my new favorite treat, taiyaki. Its like a warm waffle with gooey sweets inside. I get the chocolate one and it is sooooo delicious!

Day 17, Moomin Café with my new friends

I’m pretty exhausted today from all of the travelling this week. I secretly want to skip class, but I don’t. After eating lunch at the best university cafeteria ever, I meet up with my friends. They have decided to take me to the café that caused me to have a double take last week when walking by it. At Moomin café, you sit and eat with giant stuffed Moomin characters. I have never heard of this until Japan. It is quite popular here. Its very tasty and I just love my lovely latte dusted with a Moomin character.

Later that night, I meet up with them again and we all go to Skytree. We are all too broke to actually go to the top, so we just enjoy the really cool mall inside it and eat some yummy ramen!

Day 16, Hiroshima, then back to Tokyo

My strategy for waking up at 3:30am to avoid everyone in the communal bathrooms totally worked! However, this also means that I only got about 3 hours of sleep. Can’t win them all. I’ll take privacy any day.

Today, some of us left early to go to Hiroshima. We visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Museum. It is a very deep, somber, and fairly silent few hours. I chose not to take pictures today. It is one thing to learn about this in school, but quite another to be at the memorial and see some of the items for yourself. I will say that the biggest thing that got to me was anything to do with the children, especially the clothing. I really could not look at it all. This is all I will say about it for now.

We go to an outdoor market mall to find something to eat. I search for some okonomiyaki, but Google Maps keeps taking me in crazy circles and that darn arrow will just not point in the right direction. I settle for some curry, which is delicious, but I did have my heart set on the famous okonomiyaki.

After this, it’s a long sleepy ride back to Tokyo. I take advantage and head to snoozeville and welcome the thought of returning to my other dorm room "home".

Day 15, Kyoto >>>>Bullet Train!

Today we rode in a bullet train to Kyoto. You really couldn’t tell that we were going 180+ mph. It was a very smooth ride. Some nice bragging rights.

We make a stop at the Imperial Palace and stroll in and out of the buildings and along the grounds. My favorite were the nightingale floors that chirped as you walked on them. They actually built this into the floors as a security system. Google it. Its pretty cool.

I also go to the traditional tea house here and have to sit on the floor. I have some wonderful matcha tea and enjoy my surroundings.

After arriving at our new hostel, some of us take a glorious 2 mile hike to check out some of Kyoto’s landscapes. The hike was totally worth seeing the bright orange Buddhist Temple and all of the beautiful scenery. The architecture and flowers were truly breathtaking.

We will be staying one night in Kyoto at the new hostel. I’m not really crazy about this hostel for a couple of reasons. The first one is evident by the stinky feet smell. This one requires you to take your shoes off at the door, which is fine, except that most of the people staying here have been “backpacking” all day. This actually means sweating all day, which equals lots of stinky feet odor released into the air.

Another reason is that this one does not have private bathrooms in the room and it does not have a ladies floor. This means that, even though the shower and toilets are lockable, all of the bathroom areas are communal between male and female. This immediately gives me great anxiety. I do not wish to brush my teeth next to a man in a towel. This did not happen, but it certainly could. To avoid all of this, I plan to wake up at 3:30am and avoid everyone in great hopes that no one else thinks of the same thing.

Today was a total of 9 miles of walking. Today I geared up with my walking shoes, but I still have some major blisters going on. Yay!

Day 14, Cinnamon Life Cereal, YUM!

A taste of home

Eating a bowl of Cinnamon Life cereal right now and it is so amazing. I have had lots of good food here and I still have more things that I want to try, but I saw that cereal and knew I had to have it. Sooooo good. Today I’m focusing on my homework, so we are staying in most of the day.

I am very impressed with the focus on recycling here. There are absolutely no trash cans on the streets and it is the law to recycle. Teresa has been telling me about the weekday scheduled recycling days. She has to be up at a certain time to put the specified category out for the day (bottles, etc.)

We venture out to the mall. More matcha lattes and patries!

I feel a little light headed today, so my body is telling me to start drinking more water in this crazy humid weather. I have probably walked at least 3 miles every day and it is very hot here!

Day 13, Karaoke!

Today is just a chill day. I wake up and work on some homework.

Later we go check out the Festival this weekend. There are lots of food and some games for the kids. I try squid (I think) on a stick and it is really tasty but chewy.

Next we run on down to a Karaoke spot and stay for 3 hours! It was so much fun. I know Teresa doesn’t care for karaoke much, so I was glad she obliged me. She did get her rap on though!

Day 12, Odaiba Island

Today we take a water taxi to Odaiba Island. I was a little worried about what a water taxi really was….under water? I guess that would be a submarine.  I just figured there wouldn’t be much space or that it would sink or something. Once we got inside, however, I was relieved. It is very spacious and they even serve coffee! After a while they opened up the roof deck. This was the best part. The smell of the sea air, the nice breeze, and the wonderful view.

Once we got there, we went to a science museum and Panasonic. Obdaiba Island seems like it has a lot of cool things to see, so I’d like to come back here again someday.

I leave to meet up with Teresa for the weekend and I forget where the subway station is located. Google maps leads me to a bus station (hey, the bus and subway kinda look the same, so it was user error this time!). I end up asking several people for help because I have never ridden a bus here. The schedule and Google are very confusing, so I ended riding about four different buses before I figured out where to finally get off to ride the subway. I definitely got lost in Tokyo this time.  I have to admit, at first, I was a bit overwhelmed and could feel the nerves kicking in. I just used that handy mantra and decided to make it an adventure instead. I knew eventually I’d make it to my destination. It was all feeling great and then I got off at a stop and the building behind me was playing the theme song from “The Neverending Story”.  It made me crack up laughing, so then I really knew I was gonna be good. The rest was just fun times.

Day 11, Company visit to Prometric

Today we visited a company called Prometric. They proctor testing all over the world. I’m not sure how much I can share, but it was very interesting to visit a Japanese business and hear their perspective on things. They also had an informal discussion with us about Japanese culture. They were all really nice. Surprise!

After the visit, I went back to the hostel to get out of the dress clothes and then I went to an amazing sushi go round restaurant. This one was a bit more expensive then the first one I tried, but I think I liked the sushi better.

Day 10, Clover Café and Rest!

Today I decided to skip out on Sumo. I wanted to go, but there was a mix up with the scheduling and they put it on the optional list for today instead. I decided to get some much needed rest.

After class, we head to the Panasonic living building, but soon learn that it is closed on Wednesdays. I go straight back to the hostel, which really means a quick detour to the Clover Café (they were open this time!). This place was on my checklist and it tasted soooo good! Oishii! And Kawaii!

After this I walk a little bit and discover this interesting café. I decide not to go in since I’d just had a Clover Latte and I’m also not really feeling this place.

Now its straight to the hostel for a long nap. Gotta keep that grumpy monster at bay!

Popular products in the US that are also sold in Japan

Popular products in the US that are also sold in Japan

Comparing the package, price, promotion, and distribution/intensity

1)      Starbucks, Espresso Roast (Ground)

Product

The logo remains unchanged and the branding of the package is very similar to the US product except for the big “E”.

Price

Japan price: 665 Yen ≈ $5.58

US price: $7.48

*Pulled from Walmart.com

Promotion

Besides the Japanese writing, I do not observe anything different promotionally.

Distribution/Intensity

As far as, buying Starbucks in a store, I would say there is just as much availability of product within the store, but I would have to do more research to see how many types of stores it is in. I have found it in Don Quijote and 711.

Also, they have origami drip coffee, which I have never seen sold in the US. I, of course, bought some. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let y’all know how it is.

2)      Axe Body Wash

They sell their shampoo and body wash in bags. The directions on the back show it pouring into another bottle. They also sell the bottles, but they look different.

Japan price: 570 Yen ≈ $4.78

US price: $3.97

*Pulled from Walmart.com

Unique Things That Affect The Consumer Process In Japan

Unique things that I have noticed the short period that I have been in Japan. These things are a big part of shopping in Tokyo.

o   Customer service - always above and beyond, its like nothing you see in the US.

o   Promotion of products through anime, cartoon characters, quirky ads - I would say 80% of ads that I've seen have these traits. I wish it was like that in the US. Its so fun!

o   Plastic food displays - This is the coolest thing to see what you're food will look like before you even go in the restaurant. Its a great way to figure out where to dine while you're walking down the street deciding where to go.

o   Holidays/festivals – There seem to be festivals every weekend. During these times, the streets are filled with vendors selling food and games. There are also items to buy that are specific to that festival.

o   Walk/bike everywhere – Because everyone walks and/or bikes alot, there is a heavy demand for convenient drinks and food, specialty foot care and shoes. As a result there are many vending machines and convenient stores to provide these items.

o   Humidity – Because everyone walks everywhere and it is so humid, there are many products to accommodate this such as small cloths/towels, fans, vending machines with water, and even menthol wet ones.

Different Retail Store Types in Tokyo

Department Store:

Mitsukoshi

Discount Store:

Daiso

Convenience Store

Daily

Supermarket

Life

Specialty

Fujiya Sweets

Category Killer

BIC Camera

Budget for a family in Japan

Budget for a family in Japan

This is an approximate monthly budget for a family of 2 living in the Yokosuka area.

Rent for 1800 sqft (approx.), 3 bd, 2 toilet, 1 shower room – 260,000 yen

Utilities (water, gas, electric) – 24,000 yen

Transit – 8,000 yen

Food – 70,000 yen

Entertainment – 30,000 yen

Health Insurance - Deducted from paycheck

Loyalty Cards in Japan

It’s a little difficult as a foreigner to discover loyalty cards in Japan, but this was a school assignment, so I gave it my best shot. Of my family and new friends in Japan, I didn’t find anyone that used any.

Lawson convenience store

I did, however, easily discover that Lawson has one called Ponta. Just by the visuals of the signage and brochures, I could tell that its a loyalty card. Then a visit to the translated website confirms it. I love how they use cartoon ads and a character to represent it.

One cool thing about this card is that you can earn points not just at Lawson, but at their partner stores like banks, hotels, gas stations, etc. You can also share your points with other people. Then you use your points to get certain items from Lawson.

Starbucks

I have a Starbucks rewards card in the US, so I thought it would be cool to get one in Japan. Before, I came to Japan, I contacted Starbucks to see if I could use my own. They said that Japan has a separate program and that the US card wouldn’t work in Japan.

On one of my initial outings to Starbucks, I obtained a card and put yen on it. With the help of my sister n law, I registered it online. After all of that, I discovered that they don’t yet have a rewards program in Japan. I suppose I can just keep it as a souvenir for now.

Cobranding in Japan

One example I found while getting lost in Japan:

Eneos Dr Drive (Gas/ReCharge Station and Repair/Maintenance)
Cobranding with Bridgestone.

Manufacturer label vs Private label

·         Manufacturer label vs Private label

While I normally go for hot coffee drinks, these looked so tasty and we don’t have anything like this in the US, so I thought I’d try them. I won’t go into all the brands I tried. This posting will just compare Starbucks, Doutor, and Family Mart.

Price

Starbucks and Doutor – 200 Yen

Family Mart – 125 Yen

Packaging

They are all pretty much the same, but the off brand of Family Mart is a little bit harder to punch the straw through the top lid.

Taste

They are all very similar, but the Family Mart brand is not as strong and bold as Starbucks and Doutor.

Overall

Try out all your options and decide which you prefer.  All the combinis have their own version and there is also a few more main brand names. I will definitely miss all of these options!

Lost in Translation: Japanese Marketing that would fail in the US

Calpis – This is absolutely my favorite new soda in Japan. It reminds me of a white Sobe, but carbonated and a little bit sweeter. You can also buy it non carbonated. 

However, no matter how tasty, every time you ask for this, as an English speaker, you can't help but snicker to yourself. The pronunciation for this product would not work at all in the US.  

If you are still not getting it, let me spell it out for you….it sounds like “cow piss”. And the ad below, makes it even more hilarious: "Fill the world with _____". 

So no matter how you try to say it, that’s what you get. The name would have to be changed if they wanted to sell it mainstream in the US. And oh how i wish they would! It is sooooo good!

An American's Japanese Life XXII "Sayōnara Japan"

May 31, 2015

Today was the day that we all feared. The one day that we wouldn't mind to skip. Probably the hardest day that I had to face since I've been here. The day of departure. No one was ready for the long day that we were about to embark on. We gathered of things and did a final check of all our bags to make sure nothing was left behind because we knew that once we left, there was no going back. We met up on the "square" (in front of the Hostel) to turn in our keys and other things we burrowed over the trip. By 10:30 to 11 am, we were gone on our journey back stateside.

We walked to the metro line that we used to get to school. Of course, we were not going to school this time. We sat in the metro line getting our last glimpse of what we have gotten so used to seeing. Lucky for us now, we have our JR Passes so we did not have to take the long train to the Airport. We were able to get on a train that was solely designed to travel to the Airport. Even through it was much faster than the other train, it took us about forty-five minutes to get there.

As we were checking in our baggage, I got a message for my friends saying that they were sorry that they could not meet us one last time, but wished us a safe flight. I started to get into mine feelings a little bit, but I continued forward on my trip back to America. We made it to the gate after experiences minor problems. Airline Security is never a walk in the park. There at the gate, we enjoyed our last bowl of udon soup and what I call "Real Ramen". Hoping that it would be enough to last me on these twelve hour flight I was going to go on.

The twelve hour flight is worst going then it was coming. I did what I did last time, but this time it just felt better. I slept the first five hours to be woken up to the smell of our in-flight meal. I choose that, since I was still in Japanese airspace, that I would eat the Japanese box lunch. Once again, I was bombarded with the fishy smell. The one thing I will not miss. As the flight continued, I watched more movies and ate more food and before I knew it, we were pulling into LAX in California. If there was one thing I was proud about, it was about having phone service again.

Now we were on the next leg on our trip. Trying to figure out how to survive in LAX for over twelve hours without going insane would be a challenge. I slept, I worked, I made calls, but still after all that was done I still had like seven hours to endure. So I sucked it up, went over to a corner, and cried. The time finally came when we were able to get on the plane for the final stretch home. The only thing between me and Tennessee was a four hour plane ride. Now this flight, even though it was shorter, was worse than the flight from Tokyo. Probably due to the lack of entertainment and knowing that once we touchdown, we're home. Whatever it was, I could not fall asleep for more than five minutes. But at the end, I made it back to Nashville. After grabbing our bags and saying our final farewell to friends, I walked out the Airport into a congested parking lot with noise all over the place. I lifted my head and thought to myself, "Welcome Home".

An American's Japanese Life XXI "Farewell to the ones we'll won't forget"

May 30, 2015

       I woke this morning with a sad feeling in my gut. It is my last day in Japan. My life in this land in coming to its end and truly I do not want it to. I have grown accustom to the location and people that helped me as I traversed through these once alienated lands. The peaceful scenery of a tranquil city bounced around in my head. I sat at the foot of my bed reflecting over all that I have been through throughout the course of this trip. I was not alone to. My other roommates were doing the same and judging by the looks on their faces, they were not ready to leave either. We could not reflect for long because we had our buddies waiting for us outside of our hostel. Our TnCis group was going to have breakfast with some of the Chuo University students. Start the last day strong. Time is our most valuable resource.

 Breakfast this morning was amazing this morning. In my opinion, it was the best breakfast of the whole trip. It was right down the break from our Hostel on the fourteenth story of the Asakusa Tower. So not only did we get Breakfast but we also got a view. This breakfast was like a mixture between American culture and Japanese culture. They had the regular (to us American) eggs and sausages, but they also had the miso soups and sliced fish. This is just a small portion of what they had. As I sat at my table and ate, I could not resist to urge to look out the window. The view was nothing less of breathtaking. The city stretching out into the mountain side with Mt. Fuji in the background. I finally got to see where it was that I was staying at.

On the last day, everyone had last minutes of thing that they were not able to do throughout the trip. I was one of them. I planned on going to the Tokyo Dome area and riding the Thunder Dolphin. So after breakfast, everyone scattered apart. The people who I was going to go with just so happened to leave earlier than expected leaving my behind. But hey, it was okay. Don't let one thing slow your progress especially today of all days. I used this time to thinking and reminisce on the trip so far and then I remembered that there was Jamaica Festival Today. A few friends and I decided to go check it out. It funny because while were there, we met up with some other from the group.

The festival was so live. It was like little Jamaica in Tokyo. There was music, food, and a lot of dancing. Also there was a lot of people that spoke English there, it was the closest thing to home since I've been here. We found the Jamaican embassy and they gave us wristbands. The time for us to get our final supper in Japan.

After eating, we headed back to the hostel. On the way there, we say other classmates with their buddies. Instead to ending the night after eating, we decided to do a mass outing to Karaoke. It was probably the best way to end our trip. Singing and dancing with people who were once total strangers but are now best friends. It was heartbreaking to leave. Seeing their faces for the last time as we all hugged and said our goodbyes. The hardest thing was when our paths split and we walked away. It was our final farewell

Travel Travel Travel

Today marks 40 hours worth of traveling. We leave from our hostel at 11 a.m. Sunday morning, and we arrive in Los Angeles at 11 a.m. Sunday morning. This will literally be living the same day twice. Lost of time was spent asleep, almost the entire flight from Japan-California. Then the wait time for our layover in LAX was ungodly. 12 hours is an absurd amount of time to sit around and wait. Thankfully we made it home safe!

Saturday Free Day/ Last Day

It is with a heavy heart that I must write this post. My trip has come to an end, and this day solidifies that. I have made an amazing journey, encountered incredible people, and build memories that will last a life time. Words will never explain just how thankful I truly am for this experience.

To end this amazing trip we got treated to a first class view of Tokyo. We had breakfast at the Asakusa View Hotel. From this hotel you could eat as much food as you wanted, and see out onto beautiful Tokyo.

We also finally got to visit and ride the thunder dolpin. This was an amazing rollercoaster, and I got to ride along with friends.

Ending the night was quite hectic, I felt my first earthquake. This same earthquake shut down the transit lines, and got my buddies stuck in Asakusa. We ended up staying up until 5am to entertain them!

Last Day at CHUO & The Buddy Party

Today makes two days before we leave. As this trip winds down, I really start to miss my home. This has been exciting, and very amazing, but there is nothing like home. We had our final exam today, which turns out I passed with a 100%. The entirety of this three week program has taught me more than most semester long classes.

Having the buddy party was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. Saying goodbye to all of the wonderful faces and friends was very challenging. We ended up spending the night walking Tokyo and just talking for hours. This day was an incredible experience.

Final Day in Tokyo and the Long Journey Back

This day was both filled with joy and sorrow. We are all very happy to leave, yet we would stay if we could. I will say that the journey to the airport was actually more of a pain in the ass than it should have been for my. I had to carry a very large duffel bag over my shoulder and throughout the subway system. Needless to say I was sweating like a pig all the way there. Besides the discomfort, we rode the Narita Express to the airport which was a nice change of pace. It was a very relaxing and smooth ride all the way to our destination.
Once there, Dr. J helped us all get our bags checks and our boarding passes for we could move through security. WE all got through safely and everything was in order. The only thing left now was for us to get aboard our 777 and make our way to LAX. As soon as I boarded the plane, I took 4 melatonin pills and fell asleep for the majority of the flight. We got to LAX and realized we have a 12 hour layover here. This was going to be rough, rougher than even our flight over the pacific. We all did things to kill time, so texting, using the internet, playing games, eating and sleeping. We did whatever it took. eventually the time passed and we had to get on board the flight to BNA. This really sealed it. We all slowly and quietly boarded and took our seats. The majority of us fell asleep, others just couldn't seem to make themselves. 

I awoke again, which meant I was home. We headed to the baggage claim carousel, everyone sad at the fact that our journey came to an end. After we all grabbed our bags, everyone said their goodbyes. 

I didn't see this as a permanent goodbye, just like when I said goodbye to my Japanese friends. I am sure I will see these people again in my lifetime. All that needs to be done is that you make the effort to see them .

Skyline Breakfast, The Regae Fest, and Fugu

We awoke in time for 7 am because Dr. V had a special surprise for all the students and faculty. It was a fantastic breakfast buffet on the 24th floor of the Asakusa View hotel. Extravagant isn't even the right word to describe the view from the top. An almost 360 degree view of Tokyo gleaming in the morning paired with the aroma of fine creations of the chefs made it perfect. We all sat with separate groups but still felt as one. All the students went up to the buffet and filled their plates, some more adventurous than others, and I followed. The one thing I'd have to say I enjoyed the most was finding a table in the corner and enjoying a hot cup of coffee while looking out into the skyline and engaging in conversation with a couple others.

After making our way down and back to the hostel, we relaxed for a little while before we decided to head to a Reggae festival in Harajuku by Yoyogi Park. The reggae festival seemed appealing to me since I'm Trinidadian, I thought I'd be able to find others like myself. 

Unfortunately, I didn't run into anyone there, but we all had a good time. It smelled so good and the music they had blasting made me reminisce about home. 

Dinner time came, and I thought it was time to really take it to the edge. So back in Asakusa I took Sada and Suguru to a place I wanted to try ever since I arrived in Tokyo. They had Fugu on display outside the store. I'll be honest, I was very nervous as to if this would end up being my last meal or not. So, I just went for it. It was fantastic. Most tender meat I have had, very similar to eel. We had both the raw and grilled version. I recommend it to anyone who makes it to Tokyo. 

Final Day of Class and TNCIS Going Away Party

Final day of Class and TNCIS Party

Today is our last day of classes here in Japan so its just fitting that we have a final. The final that Dr. V gave us wasn't very difficult. It was a mostly subjective based exam. There was a lot of writing but that balanced out the difficulty.
The main event for the day was a planned event by the Chuo staff and students. It was essentially a going away party for all of us and one last chance for us to see everyone. At around 5:30 pm we all gathered on the first floor of building 3 in some sort of meeting room and we had a great time. One by one all students, both American and Japanese, stated their best memory they've had since our arrival. You could tell that emotions were rising when everyone realized that their time was running short here in Japan. So it was our time to make it worth while.

An American's Japanese Life XX

May 29, 2015

      I can slowly be surely feel my time in Japan coming to an end. Knowing all that I have done up to this point was an experience worth all the while. But sadly, my time is running out. With my departure date coming up but the need to do homework riding my mind, I was left with an inner conflict. After much mental debate, I came to the conclusion that since I have one more free day in Japan, I'll use that day to go out and get my fill. Plus we had a farewell party back at the university.
      A friend and I decided to use our time wisely and take advantage of the University's great WiFi. Good thing we did to, because as soon as we got started the rain come. I glad that I decided t work today in exchange for play because nothing beats that feeling of finishing an assignment and not having to worry about it. After completing our assignments, we went back to the Hostel to get some rest. Unfortunate for us, we were not paying attention to the time. We had just enough time to walk in, lay our stuff down, get any last minutes things, and had back out to the University.
      I really enjoyed the time we got to shared not just with our own, but with everyone else buddies. We bonded over stories about the past month and food. All the study aboard got to share their favorite thing about Japan. It's funny because even through we are all in the same group, we all had different experiences in Japan. We ended the party with an American custom. What better way to end a night than to dance. We exchanged gifts and plans for what tomorrow will bring.

Day 8, Taiko drums at Tama Campus

Breakfast at a new coffee shop chain, Doutor. I have a Matcha Latte and a tasty treat to go with it.

Today we visited the main Chuo University campus, Tama. We met other students here and tried our best to put together some origami. We decided to be ambitious and try to make a semi-hard one. It didn’t turn out so well, so I opted to make a little samurai hat. It looked ok.

Next they invited us to listen to a group of students play Taiko drums. I must say they are very talented. They were all very passionate and engaged in the songs. It isn’t just drumming, its about their leg and arm movement and their melodic, rhythmic chanting. It was really cool to watch. And then….they let us play…hahaha. It was very fun, but also laughable. Clearly, they practice A LOT! I wish I could’ve gotten some pictures of them, but I wanted to pay attention and wasn't sure if it would be rude or not.

After a long day, a few of us decided to hit the supermarket for some sushi before bed. I thought it was interesting to see the fried food out in the open and then a packaged pair of fried eggs.