A Day in 'Daiba

As I mentioned in my previous post I have a few things left on my to-do list before I leave Japan.
Well, I can reveal that two of the remaining things were.. crossing Rainbow Bridge on foot and seeing the full-scale model of  a Gundam Moble Suit!

Crossing Rainbow Bridge Part 1 レインボーブリッジを渡った第一！
It's been 3 long years coming, but I finally did it.. twice!
やっとこの有名な橋を渡った。。二回も！
Rainbow Bridge is about 15 minutes walk from Tamachi Station.. pretty sweaty in 30'C heat! The bridge spans about 580m and takes about 30 mins to cross.

• South Side 南ルート

This side has view of the Bay. I crossed during the day time.

 I finally arrived! Lovely welcome sign!
やっと着いた！何か看板がちょっとボロボロ..

 Up the elevator to the lucky 7th floor.. and presto!

エレベータをラッキーな７階まで。

Anyone wanna give me a lift?

Gundam Statue　ガンダム立像
Actually the statue was originally in Tokyo, but was moved to Kanagawa prefecture a month before I first came to Japan so I missed it. Luckily it has come back to Tokyo for another year so I got to see it.
I'm not really interested in the Gundam Series, but the chance to take a picture of an 18m tall figure is pretty cool! 
今年からガンダム立像はまた東京に戻ってきた！実はガンダムシリーズに興味ないけど写真のチャンスです！

Isn't it huge!?

デッカッやろ？！！

  

Remembering Richard/ リチャードを思い出す為に。。

 I tried to find Richard (RIP)'s favourite spot in Tokyo, and I think I kind of succeeded.
I sat on a rock and enjoyed the view and a yummy Subway sandwich.

 亡くなった友達の一番好きなスポットを探そうとした。成功だったね？

Crossing Rainbow Bridge Part2 レインボーブリッジを渡った第二！

• North Side 来たルート 
  
  By now the sun had set and I got to enjoy the lovely night scene of Tokyo and I thought a lot about how I'll miss Tokyo when I move in less than 2 weeks. 今度は夜の東京の景色を見ました。

Rainbow Bridge(left) and Tokyo Tower(right)

レインボーブリッジ（左）と東京タワー（右） 

So what is the final thing left on my to-do list?
...You'll just have to wait and see!!

A Big Catch-Up!

I apologise for the delay! I had been busy helping with my co-worker's wedding, then I've been having some technical difficulties.

News: As for the 'Adventure' that Toshi and I will be embarking on, it looks probable that Toshi will be starting late next month, and that I shall follow early October. I'm trying not to stress out (and failing..)

Camping May 30th 2012
I appreciate you've probably had enough of seeing my camping photos, so I'll just put up two. We left straight after our work finished (we both happened to finish at 6) and hurried to a place called Kawai (no, not kawaii , meaning cute!). This campsite was amazing- no ants or insects to speak of at all! And a lovely, clear stream flowed nearby. Definitely want to go again!

Charlie's Wedding June 2nd 2012

Charlie and his wife Rimi chose to hold a Western-style (as do approx. 90% of couples in Japan) in their favourite Italian restaurant. As couples in Japan legally marry at the local City Office (the same as in France and some other countries), the couples are free to hold any kind of ceremony or party afterwards and officials do not participate. The vows and exchanging of the rings were led by Charlie's old friend, Walter. I was given the honourable task of being receptionist and greeting the guests, as well as organising the party games for the after-party.

 Reception-ing and posing with the bouqet!

 The lovely couple, and hosting the 'Shoe Game' at the after-party

• Feel free to watch the video below of the popular Wedding party game called  'The Shoe Game' hosted by myself in Japanese.

Hadn't realised my Japanese had such a Welsh accent!



Venus Transit June 5th
Clouds, clouds, and more clouds ;( Oh well, only another 105 years to wait..
Disney Sea June 10th

Since Jen's departure from Japan, it had been a long time since I'd been to Disneyland or Sea, but I finally managed to coerce convince Toshi into going with me! For someone who loves Disney movies and songs, he had been a bit grumpy, but I think in retrospect he isn't such a fan of rollercoasters..
Anyway, we had a good time =D

No, not Mexico, the Indiana Jones ride!

A Planetarium (yay!) and a bunch of Japanese girls wearing their school uniform who all looked exactly alike (..;)

Typhoon #4 June 19th

Not a happy, drenched bunny with a destroyed umbrella (>.<;) But at least the rain was warm!

Happy New Year!

It's the Year of the Dragon! Sorry for the late post, I've been busy!

遅くなってしまってごめんなさい！

This was my third New Year in Japan, and this time I spent it traditional Japanese-style with the Yoshidas.

これは３回目日本ではお正月で、今年吉田家と一緒に日本的なお正月を過ごしました。

We flew to Osaka on the 30th December, and what an amazing view of Mt Fuji!

飛行機で大阪に行って、なんてすごいいい景色でした！

What better way to spend the final day of the year than under a kotatsu (table heater) playing cards and board games?
コタツで温めながらボードゲームと花札を楽しました!

Happy birthday Toshi! トシ君お誕生日おめでとう！

It is traditional to eat special long Soba (buckwheat noodles) on New Years Eve as they symbolise longevity.

長寿のためそばを食べました。

But after 2.5 years in Japan I still can't get the slurping thing right!　まだそばをスウことできません！

At midnight on New Years morning the family gathered in front of the kamidana, a small shrine in the house itself and prayed.to the god and ancestors for a good year in 2012.１２時になったらお祈りしました。

Then we went to the local shrine to pray and have some free amazake, sweet rice wine.

On New Years Day we enjoyed osechi, traditional New Years food, which Toshi's mother had stayed up all night preparing! All the different kinds of food have a meaning, for example the sweet black beans symbolise good health. You can learn more about Japanese New Years food and the meanings HERE
We also drank sake, rice wine, from gold dished with the Japanese Emperor's seal.
はじめてお節料理を食べました。お母さんが一所懸命作ってびっくりしました！料理がいろんな意味もあって面白かった。

 I was presented with chopsticks with my name in Chinese characters: 暮亜, meaning Asian sunset.

Toshi's mother taught me to make sushi (if memory serves, it was mackerel, one of my favourites).

お母さんから寿司の作り方を学びました。

 More relatives came to visit, including a very hilarious and loud 89 year old!
親戚が増えてきました！

On the last day in Osaka, we got up early to drive to Kyoto to visit Fushimi Inari, where the family's shrine is located. I went there with Cara and Laura two summers ago.

最後の日伏見稲荷大神に行きました。

 So many torii gates, and a fantastic view of Kyoto

Praying at the family shrine

Finally, while at the World's Largest Hot Springs Bath, which was amazing and I visited many baths from Asia including a Darjeeling Tea bath in Bali (see the English website) I was blessed by a New Years' Chinese Dragon, which touches you on the head (ouch!) to give you good luck!

H is for.... Happy 100th Post!

H is for...

Happy 100th Post!
Thank you to my friends and family (and anyone else!) who have been reading and keeping up with my adventures! I've been here over 2 years now, but knowing you keep up with what I've been up to makes me feel less lonely.. don't forget to keep me updated with your gossip too!!



H is for...
Happy Christmas!

December 23rd is a National Holiday, as it is the Emperor's Birthday, and as per tradition, Jen and I celebrated 'Early Christmas'.
１２月２３日はいつも祝日だから毎年友達と「早いクリスマス」を祝います。

First, we greeted the Emperor at the Imperial Palace, which was open especially on this day. He had been ill recently, but was well enough to wave enthusiastically and give a meaningful speech about the trouble this year and how we have to work together.
まず、皇居で天皇様を見ました.

 Next, a shameful visit to McDonald's.. followed by Christmas Karaoke

Lots of waving Japanese Santas!

Christmas dinner!!!!!!

December 25th was spent with Toshi. Santa brought me a keyboard, so despite 8 years of rustiness, we decided to play 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas'
サンタトシは電気ピアノをくれたからこの歌を一緒に'We Wish you a Merry Christmas'を弾いた　（けど８年以上弾いていないから下手くそでした（・・；）

 Afterwards, we enjoyed tapioca tea and a crêpe, followed by Christmas karaoke

大阪って楽しいヤロ？！ My Trip to Osaka [PART 2]

Sorry for the wait/お待たせしました
 
Day Three

We went to Kobe, which is where Toshi went to University.

トシの大学生な時代の神戸行きました。

Actually when I first applied to Aeon almost three years ago, I originally asked to be placed in Kobe, as I saw it as an urban, cosmopolitan city.

実は、イーオンに申し込んだ時、「神戸に住みたい」と頼んだけど、東京の方に欠員がいっぱいあった。
Toshi drove us in his car and we stopped at Toshi's favourite steak restaurant from when he was a student..

トシの車で神戸に行って、トシの大学生の時一番好きなレストランでおいしいハンバーグを食べました。
The decor reminded me of Back to the Future III, one of Toshi's favourite movies.
そのレストランのデザインを見て、バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャーパート３を思い出した。

 What a view!　いい景色ね！

Then we decided to ride a ship!
次は船にのりました！

 I got sunburned and hot so we cooled off at an Arcade Centre, where we played Air Hockey and Mario Kart!
涼しいゲームセンターでマリオカート負けてしまった。。

At La Rosa/ ラ　ローザで

Then Toshi and I went to ShiTennouji Temple 四天王寺 near his home, the oldest Buddhist Temple in Japan.
Due to it being Obon, a sacred time in the Japanese calendar, when ancestors' spirits are said to return to our world, the temple was decorated with candles, which guide the souls of the dead to its location.

 The Pagoda and the view from the top

 Look closely at this photo (click to enlarge). See the 'orbs' streaking the photo?
Toshi's mother claims these are the souls of the dead who have returned to Earth.

魂が付いていますか？

This chant was actually very moving after I put down my camera and Toshi found me a lyrics sheet so I could join in. 感動しました！

After the festival was over, Toshi and his siblings went for a late-night Ramen-run at Dottonbori, the most famous street in Osaka.
I was still full after our Italian dinner, but it seems the Yoshidas never stop eating!!!
イタリア料理食べたから、もう食べられなかったけど吉田家はいっぱい食べれるみたい！

A Yoshida tradition: Late night Ramen-run.

The famous Glico Man
(And yes I am wearing pajamas, that's how late and unplanned the trip was!)

Day Four
The final day of my stay in Osaka, and the final day of Obon. During the Obon time, it is traditional for people to go back to their hometowns and pray at their ancestors' graves, because as I said earlier, Obon is the only time of year when the souls of the dead visit Earth.
I was really moved  when I was invited to visit Toshi's great-grandparents' graves, where I prayed and asked for their acceptance as Toshi's girlfriend, to which I think they said 'yes' :)
吉田先祖の墓参りをして、「よろしくお願いいたします」を伝いました。

Tending to the grave.

 Finally some exploration of Osaka, and a game similar to Pachinko.
最後にちょっと散歩して、パチンコみたいなゲーム負けちゃった。

 I didn't want to leave Osaka! I was really welcomed by the family, and I got to use a lot nothing but Japanese the whole time and I saw how Kansai (the area Osaka is in)  has a lot of things to do, great food and lovely people! I wouldn't mind living in Kansai some day!!
本当に帰りたくなかった！みんなクレアの事やさしくにしてし、いっぱい日本語もつかったし、おいしい食べ物あるし。いつか大阪に住みたいな~! ありがとうございまあした！