Day 18

 

We didn’t make it to Disney Sea but we did make it to food and Shibuya! I got more pancakes and at night we ate sushi and did karaoke. Saturday was alright 

Day 17

 

I love a boat! We went to Odaiba Island for our group excursion. The Tokyo Trick Art Museum brought back nostalgia from state fairs. Hollister still didn’t have anything that i could fit :(

Day 14 & 16

 

teamLab Borderless was amazing and unexpected. Shoutout to Epson! I forgot to add Tuesday but we also went to the Sunshine City Mall and I like Hawaiian food so that’s what we ended up eating while we were there. Back to Thursday night. I bought $30 luggage because i ended up buying too many big things.

Day 15

 The Fake Food workshop was fun. Even though we didn’t make the burgers it’s interesting how it only takes wax and water to make something. We ate halal ramen again and even ended up interviewing the owner. We were one of his first customers apparently.

Day 14

 

We went to Yokohama for our excursion. The air cabin to the noodle museum was great since we didn’t have to walk. The cup noodle museum was interesting because i didn’t realize how big the brand was, Shin Black noodles being my favorite too. We visited the mall and I still didn’t buy anything. After that we went to Nissan Headquarters. I went to Shibuya and Harajuku. I went to Tower Records and got my grandma three vinyl records.

Day 13

 

We went to Kitchentown which was cool. I didn’t want anything. I found a restaurant in Akihabara that served pancakes. Mine were caramel banana but they still weren’t sweet enough 

Day 12

 

We ended up going to the Asakusa Festival but before that we went to Ameyoko Street. I don’t know why i was craving Korean food more but the festival was partly fun. We did get to see some of the people carrying the shrines

Day 19 -- Ashlee Bailey

Today was our last full day in Tokyo. All in all, this was a VERY enjoyable trip and I have learned a lot, met a lot of new people, and gained a great experience. My roommate and I had intended to go to Disney Sea today because we have heard so much about it and our classmates planned to go but we got out too late. We couldn't find our way there via train and by time we were close it was cold and would only have 4 hours. All of the lines at Disney Sea were over an hour so we would not be getting our moneys worth. With this being said, we decided to just go eat instead. We went to a Hawaiian restaurant that was pretty good! After this we came back to the hostel and my other two roommates were on their way out for sushi.
We went to karaoke and we missed the last train out of Shibuya so we had to Uber. Once we got back we decided to go to more karaoke and somehow that lasted for the rest of the night. When we came out of karaoke it was 5 am and the sun had risen. Safe to say we enjoyed our last night to the fullest! 

Day 19

 It is the day before we leave Japan so I decided to do something exciting. I reserved my ticket to go to a capybara cafe! This is extremely exciting for me since my favorite animals are cows and capybaras. Apple maps said I would have to transfer from the metro to the Tobu skytree line but I had no idea what that was. After some research, I was convinced that I couldn’t get a ticket so I decided to walk 30 min from Asakusa to the cafe. When I got to Asakusa, I found the ticket office for the Tobu line and decided to go through that route since the walk would only be 7 minutes from that station. I was a bit late since the train station was confusing but when I arrived it was all worth it. I was still in Tokyo but the city that the cafe was in was so much better than the busy cities. The city is called Higashimukojima and it was so quiet and small. There weren’t as many people walking around and you could tell from the train station that it was a quaint town. At cafe capyba, they give you a locker to put away your belongings and then you are allowed into the area with the capybaras. There are two capybaras named Kohaku and Pisuke. You have to buy a drink in this cafe but buying the capybaras food is optional. Of course I bought some snacks for them and I was allowed to feed them directly. I got some pictures and played with the capybaras for a while then left after 30 minutes. On the way back from Higashimukojima, I missed my train stop and got off at the wrong place. Luckily I realized that the line is just the Z line on the metro and went back to the correct stop and found my way back. My roommates and I went to get sushi for dinner and went to karaoke after we all finished our work for the semester. 

Day 18

Today was the last group excursion of the trip. We rode the train to Asakusa, where we stood in line to get on a boat. The boat is called a water taxi and was pretty big. On the water taxi, they sold drinks and later throughout the ride allowed us to go on top of the boat to take in the view. It was extremely windy but thankfully the weather was nice. I took some pictures and went back down to the main floor to enjoy the rest of the ride. When we docked, the class walked to our first destination which was the trick art museum.

When we got there we were allowed 30 minutes to grab some food and get back. My roommates and I got karaage and fries and headed back to the meet up spot. In the trick museum we saw pieces of art that reminded me of a museum like this at home. There were rooms that made you big or small and interacted with the wall art. 

The trick museum was short but sweet. Afterwards I did some shopping and found cute stickers and new KitKat flavors to bring home for friends and family to try. When we regrouped we walked through a different mall where the Unicorn Gundam stands. It was gigantic but I wish we were able to see the one that moved before it was taken down. We took a group photo and then we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. I went to the Mugiwara store where I picked up a one piece art book and stickers. At the register I saw a mug that I wanted but it was only a prize for kuji. I played about 4 or 5 times and gave up since I spent too much money on the raffle. In another store, I found some cute jewelry and a souvenir for my grandma, then we left to go back to the hostel. 

I ordered some dominos, which tastes similar to American dominos but something is slightly off. I finished some elements of my final paper then ended the night. 

Day 17

 My favorite hobby is crochet and knitting, so I decided to check out a craft store in Japan before the excursion for today. I looked at so much new yarn and found yarn brands that are new to me. The yarn here is pretty cheap because of the conversion rate. The store I went to also had cheaper prices and deals for members. I bought some knitting needles, heart shaped stitch markers, and snoopy craft scissors for the plane ride back to Atlanta. The sign up fee for becoming a member was only 550 yen and I would get the membership deals for the yarn and supplies that I bought. When I returned from the store we made our way to TeamLabs Borderless. Borderless is a museum that uses art to symbolize that the world is borderless. We took many pictures and the rooms were interesting yet beautiful. When it was time to leave, it was hard to find our way out. Around the area there were many cafes and restaurants so I decided to stop by one that sold my favorite cake. I got the strawberry shortcake and decided to try the mango cheesecake parfait too. Later my roommate and I left the hostel to find extra luggage to carry back home. We went to Ameyoko to find suitcases since that’s where it’s cheapest. When we made it over there everything was closing but we found one more shop just in time. My luggage was about $30 for a medium hard case luggage with a lock. For dinner we found a 24/7 gyudon restaurant. I wish I had known about it sooner, I would’ve been a much more frequent customer. 

Day 18 -- Ashlee Bailey

Today was our last excursion in Tokyo, the trip is coming to an end and it's sad. But today we rode a Water Taxi to an island called Oidaba. The view on the water taxi was amazing of course. After we got off we went to the Trick Art Museum. Japan has a lot of art museums I have noticed. We then went and took one last group picture by the Unicorn Gundum Statue. 

Day 17 -- Ashlee Bailey

 Today we went to TeamLab. TeamLab is essentially a museum filled with interactive digital art that engages all your senses. You could touch, see, and hear various exhibits, making it a full experience. This reflects Japan's use of technology and creativity.  The museum was big, and we often found ourselves getting lost, but that added to the excitement to the experience. "artwork without borders" 

Day 16 -- Ashlee Bailey

On Day 16 we went back to Kappabashi aka Kitchen Town and we attended a fake food workshop. Restaurants here in Japan will have food made of of was outside of the restaurant so that you can see what they are serving. I find this very helpful since we are in a different country you can see what different things look like. This museum was very interesting seeing how they make all these different items and we were able to make our own items as well! We made Shrimp Tempura, Vegetable Tempura and also a head of lettuce. After this, we were back to our favorite Ramen place and ate there. When we first got here and began going he had just opened so we were the only customers but when we went this day it was packed!

Day 16

 Day 16 was exciting! I went back to Kappabashi to visit the fake food workshop. The store is adorned with tons of fake food available for purchase. Some of the items were even functional. The workshop started with a 9 minute tutorial video that explained to us process of making each piece of food. Until I watched the video, I didn't know that the replicas we'd be making were made out of wax. The video started with the shrimp tempura, continued to the vegetable tempura, and ended with a head of lettuce. At this point I've gotten excited cause the process looks fun. We went upstairs to the workshop area and were given aprons to put on. The was a table of shrimp, pumpkin, lotus root, pepper, mushroom, and sweet potato. We were instructed to grab a piece of shrimp and one vegetable. The wax was poured and manipulated into different shapes and density to create the texture on tempura and lettuce. We had our wax figures packaged and were told to keep them in our carryon bags and room temperature since they are fragile and sensitive to heat. When we got back to the hostel, we put down our bags and went to grab some food at the first ramen shop we visited in Japan. We ended up interviewing the owner and his wife and had a great time. After we headed to don quixote for last minute souvenirs. I hate the tax free bags since they take up so much space and he cashier gave me free toilet paper as a gift for my large purchase which confused me. 

Day 15

 For day 15 we went to Sunshine City Mall. We were able to see a view from the top of the building which is called Tenbou Park. The park included some minimalistic furniture and some sports to take pictures of the view. I noticed that Japan has lots of collaborations with anime and famous characters. In Tenbou Park there was a collaboration with Detective Conan for the new movie that came out. The Sunshine City mall was fun. I went to the Mugiwara and Sanrio store and bought some goodies for myself and others. The mall had tons of restaurants to choose from. I ended up going to a Hawaiian restaurant that specialized in sandwiches. The sandwich was super good but Japan tends to be skimpy with bacon on burgers and sandwiches. I explored Ikebukuro for a bit before returning to the hostel. After getting some rest I wandered around Ueno and bought myself boba and went to a movie theater! The theater was an interesting experience since it was smaller than I'm used to. There was also no ticket person, you just scan your ticket to get inside. I decided to find my way to the theater before grabbing some snacks but there weren't many ways to go so I was worried for nothing. When ordering food there was an English manu available. I was shocked to see that the popcorn and drink combo was only 810 yen. I got the soy sauce and butter flavor of popcorn. It tasted pretty good, only a slight flavor of soy was present. I saw the Haikyuu movie and there were a good amount of people in the theater, so it must be a popular show here. 

Day 14

My class went to Yokohama today. Once again we traveled using the suica card, thankfully it wasn't as crowded this time. Our first stop was the Sakuragicho air cabin. This was my first time on one of these and it was okay. I enjoyed going over the water, but the ride was short with an okay view. Afterwards we got lost in the mall looking for our next destination. Eventually we found our way and was excited to be there. We ended up at the noodle museum where we got to discover how instant noodles were invented and even design and make our own. It was a fun experience and I would recommend anyone to do it! When we got a break I went back into the mall and did a bit of shopping. I found a favorite anime of mine, mob psycho, did a collaboration with Sanrio. I definitely bought some merch! Before we hopped on the train back to the hostel, we visited the Nissan headquarters. One thing I noticed was that there were a lot of people going in and out of the building, business people and regular. 

Day 13

 Sunday wasn't very active. I started the morning by finishing up some work for class. Afterwards, I went to Kappabashi aka Kitchen Town with my roommates. Here I picked up a Japanese stainless steel knife as a souvenir for my parents. Later for dinner we found a restaurant that sold Japanese pancakes. It was a pretty penny since I got a burger with fries and the pancakes, but I enjoyed the experience!

Day 12

Today was the long anticipated Asakusa Matsuri Festival! This festival is known as the naked man festival. It's known as one of the biggest festivals in Japan. We went later in the day but there were still plenty of people out and tons of food stalls. All the food was super cheap and I finally got to try a 10 yen cheese coin and my most anticipated food item of all, wagyu beef. I got a wagyu skewer and that was definitely one of the most delicious food items I've had since I've gotten here. I would love to go back for another. At the end of the festival we walked into the start of the ceremony parade that was super fun. There were men and women of all ages participating. When we came back we got some boba down the street. In the convenience store I found different kinds of chips. American flavor, beef noodle flavor, and pepperoni pizza flavor were some interesting ones.

Day 11

Today was one of my top 3 trips so far. We rode the metro and shinkansen to Kamakura. Kamakura is about an hour away and we had to use a suica card to get there. We went during rush hour and this was the worst I've seen yet. We were so packed on the train my arms couldn't move. When we finally arrived to Kamakura we were allowed to buy food and here I discovered a fourth convenience store chain, New Days. They seem to be common in train stations and extremely small. I also bought some food from a bakery in the train station and we went on our way. We walked the most so far in Kamakura, it wasn't too bad but it was hot outside which made it worse. After taking pictures with the giant Buddha statue we found ourselves inside the statue to see the inner workings. I wish they had a wider exit since it was super hard getting in and out of there. After Buddha we walked over to a temple that had a view of the beach from the top. We grabbed some vegetable buns and drinks at the top of the temple. After seeing the top we saw some koi fish on the way down! We traveled to the beach as a group and had an amazing time! Everyone took their shoes off and got into the water. On the way back to the station I found a Studio Ghibli store and of course got some goods to take back home!

Day 10

 We explored the Mall of Ginza today. I've always heard beforehand that Ginza is the rich shopping area but I didn't know to what extent. The mall is decent sized and completely full of designer stores. There were stores I haven't even heard of that still cost a large amount of money. Similar to the mall at Green Hills in Nashville, this mall doesn't have a food court which I find common in expensive malls. Before the mall we visited Sony Showroom. It was a short excursion due to the small size of the exhibit but I found it nice looking at all the pictures and reading the background behind them. Surprisingly, plenty of photographers have vision impairments but Sony makes special products and add ons to their cameras that aid with disabilities. After the mall we made our way to the stationary store Itoya. Itoya is a couple stories high and includes stationary of all kinds in all different price ranges. I don't write a lot so I don't participate in the Japanese pen hype, but I do love stickers, stamps, and postcards. It was cool to see the different price ranges of these different products. 

Day 8

On Day 9 I traveled to Tokyo's one and only advertisement museum. When we arrived we were greeted by our tour guide, Yuko. Yuko started our tour by asking a few questions about advertisements. In her PowerPoint presentation we were guided to find Pepsi symbols within larger pictures. This was part of a campaign led by the Pepsi company to show that Pepsi can be found within the bigger picture. The tour started with an explanation that advertising was created in Japan, which is a fact that I was not aware of. Advertising was introduced in Japan during the Edo period. The invention of woodblock prints, nishiki-e created a means for fast spread advertisements. One of the first seen ads was a nishiki-e of three women adorned in kimonos in front a Kimono store. Nishiki-e were given outas a form of fashion magazines during this time. Later in this time period businesses started to hang signage outside their storefronts in order to show customers what their store offers. Yuko guided us around the museum which shows ads all throughout history, even in the U.S. We saw a specific exhibit which displays different products, such as phones, from different eras. In the end we were guided to use a sticky note and write an answer to the question "what is an ad to you?" then post it on the wall. In the end we were allowed to travel around the different parts of the museum in order to make our own nishiki-e post cards with a kabuki character design. I also noticed that in the building there was an Aladdin play taking place. After the museum, we were taken to the top of the building to look at a beautiful view of the city. In my opinion Shibuya sky was better since the view was at night, nonetheless the view was great! Later this day we visited the grocery store near the hostel called Hamasa Plus. I grabbed a snack thinking it was regular cheeseballs, turns out they are sweet instead of savory.