Japan

I had one goal for Day and that was get some of my money exchanged. Between all the vending machines, train tickets, and major shopping damage in Harajuku, I was running out of Yen! So I went to the bank and attempted to exchange money. At a Japanese bank you have to provide your address and it totally slipped my mind as to where I was staying at, so I walked back to the dorm and asked for Manager Ikera’s assistance with the form. I returned to the bank and was finally able to exchange my US dollars for yen. Since I had money, I stopped by a bakery and bought Ikera a manjyu bun in the shape of a bunny as a small token of appreciation for her help. She loved it and coincidentally was born during the year of the rabbit!

My next task was Skyping with Armando since the lack of wi-fi (and amount of sight-seeing) had prevented us from communicating a lot. In an effort to show him what my sister’s new living situation looked like I took some photos of her actual “apartment.” At the entrance of her building there is a place to remove shoes and put on house slippers. The first floor has the lounge/kitchen as well as the shower rooms. When you enter my sister’s apartment it has a hallway that has a place for more shoes as well. There are 3 private rooms, and a shared toilet and kitchen/sink area. I took photos of her room while it was in a disaster stage so please forgive the mess!

One of the cool features about her room is the lock is electronic. She can use her key card or she can enter a pin to be let in. It is so cool and convenient since it allowed for me to access her room while she was off at school for orientation. After the Skype session I noticed I was hungry, so I headed to see what other restaurants I could try near the station. I found a place called Sukiya where I ordered a bowl of Yakitori and rice.

On my way home I stopped by a bakery and browsed all the cute goodies. The coolest looking desserts were these lions made out of what looked like yellow snowballs with a cookie for the mane and frosting for the face. I bought a cake to celebrate Nicole’s first day on campus with her new friends. It looked and tasted so yummy, but was extremely expensive! I later discover why cakes are expensive, but I think the taste made me okay with the price.

Nicole arrived and we shared cake with everyone who was downstairs in the lounge at the time. Originally we had made plans to have someone make us dinner and in exchange I thought the cake would be a nice thank you. Those plans had to cancelled, unfortunately, but the good news is somebody else made us dinner so it all worked out.  
The night ended with people reviewing Japanese since the following day they would be taking their Japanese placement tests. It was great seeing people who had never spoken Japanese attempting to using Youtube videos. I shared a video of two guys from Denmark practicing how to say greetings in Japanese.

The day was very relaxed, but my final days offered more excitement than I expected. Stay tuned for Day 9!Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |

Day 7 was all about getting Nicole settled in to her dorm. Our first stop was a department store called Seyu which is basically Wal-Mart with a different name over in Japan. The store had canvas bags with the Wal-Mart Logo and the logos were also on the cash registers. 
We bought some extra storage for her in her room so she wouldn’t be living out of her suitcase. We grabbed hangers for her clothes, and a bunch of other little necessities for her room like a mini dresser that she could use as a night stand. We were joined on this trip by two other students studying abroad, both from California and also were in need of some items for their dorm rooms.

We dropped off the items we had purchased and then made our way to a Daiso two stations away from Toyoda station. I did not write down the name of the city but we made it and located the train that took us to Daiso.

After finishing up our shopping, we stopped near a 7-Eleven and Peter (on the left) had lunch. Tessa and my sister were craving some noodles so we decided to search for a restaurant after we dropped off our purchases in our rooms.

While we waited for our train, there was a vending machine that sold ice cream, and it was what we needed to beat the summer heat! They were so cool because it was like eating a bit of the cone with your ice cream with every bite!

We experienced a bit of a culture shock since we entered a restaurant where their menus didn’t have photos. It was almost difficult ordering especially when we didn’t know what else was coming with the noodles. I thought I had photos of our meal, but I cannot find them! I had delicious tempura soba.

We spent most of the afternoon fixing up Nicole’s room and most people were recovering from the jet lag, but after we were done we made our way to the lounge. It turns out a group of the Japanese students were inviting the newcomers out for a drink, so we made our way to a Yakitori bar with drinks and most food under 300 yen. (Yakitori is grilled meat, usually chicken, on a skewer.) We had a blast mingling with more people and trying Japanese liquor for cheap!
We cheated and asked for a drink menu in English.

It was such a fun day and a nice change of pace from all the walking we did while we were sight-seeing in Tokyo. I can’t wait to share more of the adventure we had while at the dorm! See you for Day 8!
Brandy | BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |

What are the odds that the day we checked out of our hotel to move our stuff to Nicole’s Dorm that there would be a typhoon. We stayed in our room in the morning packing up until we were ready to go. My camera was all packed up and I was managing 2 suitcases so it was impossible for me to take photos of the weather or me and Nicole lugging our suitcases down the streets of Tokyo. Just imagine us walking against the wind and taking up a whole corner in a subway cart.
We almost didn’t make it Toyoda Station due to the typhoon and we had a nice business man give us advice regarding alternative stations to get off at. We boarded our train and luckily it made it all the way to our stop by inching its way along the tracks.
When we arrived at the dorms and immediately were met by the building manager Ikera. It all happened so fast: we had our luggage taken upstairs, Nicole signed some paperwork, we met a few of the students living in the dorm, and after some tea, we headed back to the station to catch a bus towards the university.

The security at the university was very helpful and directed us to where the International Center was.

We arrived to the campus, and it looked there had not been a typhoon earlier that day! It was empty since classes had not started yet and Nicole needed to check in at the International Center on campus to review some more paperwork. We met Sakuya who reviewed Nicole’s paperwork and then gave us a tour of the campus.

The campus is extremely beautiful. I was envious with how lovely the school looked and how different the area felt from the center of Tokyo. Chou is about an 1 hour away from most places in Tokyo which allows Nicole to visit if she wants to but also gives her time to really focus on her studies there by being so removed from the city.

After thanking Sakuya for the tour, we bused back to the Toyoda Station and looked for some place to eat. We found this little restaurant that specialized making tempura donburi (rice bowls). The food is delicious and we had been so busy/worried trying to get to the dorm that we didn’t  really think about food too much. Needless to say we ate everything that was served to us.

We spent the the evening meeting more people as more international students trickled in to the dorms. We went to bed to prepare ourselves for the task of fixing up Nicole’s room and getting her what she needed to settle in. (This gives you a preview of what we did on Day 7!)
Thanks for reading and until next time!
Brandy | BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |

It was raining Sunday morning which bummed me out because Harajuku was one of our site destinations for the day since the streets become a catwalk for street fashion. We thought nothing could hold us back, not even a little rain, but it was raining pretty hard and we were soaked, specifically my shoes. We hung out in the hotel lobby while our room was being cleaned, and after getting a little hungry, I ventured to a convenience store close by and got us some breakfast.

By then the rain had cleared up so after changing my wet shoes, we made our way to the station and mapped out our trip to Harajuku. Somehow we managed to end up far away from the Harajuku stop, but this turned out to be a good thing since the stop we got off at was for the Imperial Palace and Wadakura Fountain Park.  Since it was one of the places on our list that we wanted to see, we wandered around and took some photos by the entrance.

We were close to Tokyo Station and decided to take the train to Harajuku from there. The architecture of the station is really cool and almost looks European. Thousands of trains come through here per day because it is the central station of the city. A hotel makes up the top floors and underground has an extensive array of places to go shopping and many restaurants.  

Taking the train was the best way to get around Tokyo. The underground subway is convenient, but being able to see your surroundings made the trip much more interesting. We got off at Harajuku Station and while crossing an overpass noticed a “Princess.” She waved at us and I was so glad I got her smiling for my camera.

Our first stop in Harajuku was for lunch at The Gindaco – a chain restaurant specializing in takoyaki. Takoyaki is one of my favorite foods! Takoyaki is a ball of fried or grilled wheat flour with pieces of octopus inside. Nicole and I had different types and she ordered a melon soda with hers which made for an interesting photo. 

After our yummy lunch, we did what any normal girls would do and went shopping! First stop was the Omohara Department store since it was hot and we wanted to feel refreshed with the AC.

Among the stores in the department store, we found one called Uni Case and I saw that they sold all the accessories to my iGizmon camera case. (I shouldn’t be too surprised since iGizmon is from Japan.) I ended up buying the leather case carrier, tripod, and shutter. I am so excited and have been meaning to do a post on just my camera case since I’ve received so many compliments for it and now I can include most of the accessories!

After cooling off we headed towards Takeshita Street. This is the street you’ll find all the trendy stores in Harajuku. We did a lot of browsing at different stores and eventually made our way to the Harajuku Daiso. It was huge – 4 floors full of awesome and inexpensive stuff. I did do some shopping there as well as at a cute boutique nearby. The prices were not crazy expensive and I cannot wait to share the clothes that I bought in a separate post. 

We spent almost the whole day in Harajuku and remembered we still needed to go to Roppongi for the sole purpose of buying souvenirs from the Hard Rock Cafe located there. Roppongi is known for its night clubs and bars and we saw a lot of people dressed up in that area.

Nicole and I were lucky again and were able to see Tokyo Tower as we walked down the main street towards the Hard Rock Cafe. Since we would be busy the next day moving her stuff to her dorm I decided to take a photo from a distance while I stood in the middle of a crosswalk. 

After buying our souvenirs, Nicole and I headed back to the hotel to prepare to check out in the morning and get some rest before making the long trip to her new home.
Hope you’ve enjoyed our adventures in Tokyo and will enjoy the next chapter of the trip for Day 6.

Brandy | BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |

For Day 4, Nicole and I visited Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. Sensoji Temple is one of the more famous temples in Japan and definitely one of the biggest tourist attractions in Tokyo. It is easy to find souvenirs and experience parts of traditional Japan in the middle of a modern city.

We visited most of the shops and made a couple of purchases. Nicole bought a lovely yukata and I found quite a few souvenirs perfect for co-workers and family. I was tempted to buy Japanese rice cakes and other snacks to take bring back home but was worried I had bought too much from Disneyland and more food would not fit in my suitcase.

After browsing the shops and tasting some yummy (and not so yummy) snacks we arrived to the entry way for the temple. We decided to draw our fortunes. I drew out “Best Fortune.” Nicole, on the other hand, pulled out “Bad Fortune.” She tied her bad fortune nearby to change her luck and avert the bad fortune she drew. 

 We proceeded to the temple and smelled incense, which is believed to be beneficial to one’s health and increase one’s life expectancy. We performed Omairi, which is washing our hands and mouth at the Temizu to purify/cleanse ourselves from evil spirits.

After visiting the inside of the temple, we decided to stop and have a light lunch. We tried grilled squid and yakisoba from some food carts nearby. Both dishes were extremely delicious! There was no end to the good food in Japan, especially when it came to sweets. There were Ice Cream Hamburgers, Soft Serve Cones, Shaved Ice, and plenty of Pastries filled with red bean paste- of which I discovered a couple of days ago that I am not a fan.

The Sky Tower, recently completed in March 2012, was pretty close to the shrine and I love how it contrasts with the traditional architecture of the temple’s entrance.

Nicole and I originally planned to walk over to the Sky Tree, but our entire day at Tokyo Disneyland left us feeling pretty tired earlier than expected. So after some quick shots of the Tower across the river, we headed back to our hotel. There was some commotion by the Temple behind our hotel, so we checked it out and realized there was a summer festival going on! Traditional festival games such as pulling out water balloons, catching fish, and tug of war was being played. Nicole and I took a quick lap and went to our hotel room to rest.

As the sun set, we heard the sound of Taiko drums and music being played. We went out to see if there was a performance, and to our surprise, there was! Women and children in yukata were doing traditional dances as the taiko drummers played. I managed to record a snippet of the night to share the sights and sounds we experienced:

This was an amazing cultural experience and I am so glad we got to be a part of it. I thoroughly the dances, the traditional clothes, and the overall atmosphere of fun. Nicole and I have been very lucky during our trip because we stumbled upon many things by happy accidents, so my fortune must clearly be making all of this possible for us! 
Hope you enjoyed Day 4 and will check back to see what we did for Day 5!Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |

Before we left for Japan, Nicole and I agreed that we needed to visit Tokyo Disneyland. We grew up watching all of the Disney movies (as most kids born in the 90`s did) and wanted to see how this compared to the Disneyland in Anaheim since we frequented it all throughout our childhood. So we devoted an entire day to spend there!

We started out our day by having breakfast at the Moomin Cafe located in the La Qua shopping center near the train station. It was the perfect start to our day because it was a theme cafe and had cute stuffed animals in various locations that you could enjoy our pastries with.

We hopped on the train and arrived at Tokyo Disney Resort. The resort feature 2 parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. We only planned on visiting one of the parks for today to see as much as we could. Not only was it our first time in Tokyo Disney, but it was also the first time we were visiting the park during the Halloween Season.

We experienced a lot of familiar sights such as Disney Characters, Parades, and even some of the same rides from the Disneyland in California. With that we also experienced a lot of new things. We had never been to Disneyland during the Fall season before, so we saw the park decorated for Halloween and saw the Parades and attractions with that theme. Some of my favorite aspects of the park involved the people that attended. Usually only kids can go to the park dressed up as their favorite character, but during Halloween the adults could dress up as characters too. The cosplay style from Harajuku could also be found at Tokyo Disneyland. 

The costumes people had on were very impressive. It looks like a lot of time and effort was put into getting the details just right. I am so proud that I was able to ask the girls dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland if I could take their picture (in Japanese of course!) Speaking of Alice, Tokyo Disney had a number of unique eateries including the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall. Our food was heart-shaped, and I had desert that included a cute souvenir cup. 

We stayed at the park and as you can from the photos, we had a blast! The night ended with the Electrical Parade and Fireworks celebrating the Park’s 30th Anniversary. Of course, no trip is complete without buying some souvenirs, and we left carry a few bags full of Disney Themed cookie tins. I thoroughly enjoyed the cultural experience of seeing Disney through a different perspective and appreciating how universal having fun really is. Tokyo Disneyland is a must see and I regret we didn’t have the time to visit Tokyo Disney Sea. (Next time for sure!)
Hope you enjoyed the photos I selected, there were 500 to choose from so it was tough narrowing it down to the ones that I did. Stay tuned for Day 4 which details our day in Asakusa and a surprise festival behind our hotel.

Brandy | BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |