Roppongi Area!

   On November 15th at around 2:45, my group and I headed to Roppongi area. First we checked out the Nogi Shrine, which was right by the subway exit. The first thing I noticed was the white torii shrine gates. Usually torii are a red/orangeish color, and I don't think I have ever seen a white torii before, so I was a bit surprised. Although I tried to research if a white torii has any specific meaning, I couldn't find any answers. I never knew there was a shrine for General Nogi until I took this class. I learned about Nogi in a class I took at Earlham (he was a/n in/famous general during the Meiji period who was prominent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 where, although many soldiers lives were lost including his own son's I believe, he captured Port Arthur. He also commited ritual suicide on the funeral day of Emperor Meiji.) Since I've learned about Nogi before, it was really interesting to see this shrine! There were a lot of people there (mainly from our class), but the atmosphere was calming. The shrine was giving out free barely tea (which I've never seen done before), but it ran out by the time I tried to get some. Some of the leaves where changing color, so it was a really beautiful area. Supposedly there is a 300 year old tree there, but I'm not sure if I saw it/where it was.

   Next we moved on to the garden area towards Nogi's house. It would have been really interesting to see inside the house, but unfortunately no one can go in anymore. After than we walked down Gaien Higashi Dori to Tokyo Midtown. I noticed on the way there was a mix of newer and older buildings. When we left Nogi's house, there was a old brick building on the left (brick seems pretty rare here). And one building had a nice, expensive looking store on the street level, but the rest/top of the building was pretty shabby and old looking. Around the Midtown and later Roppongi area we went to, I noticed that there were various types of stores and restaurants. I saw a couple of fancy car showrooms, Japanese-esque style restaurants, tons of bars and clubs, and even a Wendy's and a Friday's restaurant (my first time seeing either in Japan)! In the Roppongi Crossing area (which I will talk about more later), I noticed that there were more "young" people looking shops. I thought it seemed like a fun and interesting area, and I hope to go back there again.

   Anyway, at Midtown we checked out the Fuji Film Square which had some camera and photo galleries. I saw a lot of cool old cameras as well as new cameras such as the instax mini 8 which I want! After walking through Fuji Film, we passed by a fountain/sculpture area where there were snowmen statues! It seems like the Midtown area puts up various Christmas decorations. After walking through a expensive looking department store/mall area, we headed towards the garden grounds. There was a huge area with lights (for Christmas?), but since it was still light outside, they weren't on. I really want to go back at night sometime though! It looked pretty intense even without the lights on. To the right of that, there was a park area that we passed through. Most of is was pretty grassy, but there were a couple of sculptures/play areas which I thought was interesting. Some kids were playing around there, but overall there were not many people. We also checked out the Hinokicho Koen, which was a small Japanese garden that dates back to the Edo period. I can't even imagine what it looked like back then. I've gotten used to seeing skyscrapers in the background while at gardens, but it must have been incredibly beautiful back then. A lot of the leaves were changing at the park, which struck me as beautiful. Not many people (other than students from our class) were at this park either, but my group did notice a cute high school couple holding hands and napping on a bench. You don't see much public affection here in Tokyo; holding hands is about as much as I've seen.

   After leaving the garden/park area, we headed to Roppongi Crossing. I've already mentioned some of the shops I saw in this area. Another thing that I noticed was that by the cross walk, there was a sculpture/flower pot area with various flowers. Sometimes you see plants on side streets here, but I'm not sure if I ever noticed potted plants on main streets too much. I'm sure they exist, but this was the first time I actually took notice to it. Anyway, I learned from the reading that Roppongi used to be a significant military center and was known as "heitai machi, a 'soldiers' town'" (Cybriwsky 79). This area has certainly changed over time, from being a place were multiple daimyo lived during the Edo period, a military area, and to the entertainment and pleasure center it is now. Although a lot of the area has been rebuilt because of bombings, I guess that since it was a popular place for bars during its military years, that role has somewhat continued over time. But while I was there, I would have never guessed the area used to be the center of military activity.

   Next my group headed towards the Tokyo Tower area. Since we walked slow, it took us a while to get to the place we were aiming for, the Ichijo temple. By the time we got there it was closed, but it was interested to note that temples and shrines like Ichijo, which are surrounded by buildings on almost all sides, exist in little pockets throughout Tokyo. We also didn't get to experience the Reiyukai Shakaden, a building for one of the newer religions in Japan, but we saw it from the street and the architecture seemed pretty amazing. We also noticed the St. Alban's Church and the Masonic building across from it. I though it was interesting that so many different types of religious buildings are in one area. I wonder if that has any effect on the area/neighborhood such as who lives in the area, etc.

   We also stopped by Tokyo Tower for a bit! It was mt first time being that close to it. Someday I want to go to top! But today we just stayed at the bottom and looked at all of the Christmas lights/decorations that were set up. They were so cute but a bit random. I wasn't really sure why they were there. Since there aren't as many Christmas decorations here as there are in America, I haven't really noticed that it is getting closer to Christmas...After Tokyo Tower we also stopped by the Zojoji Temple, but since it was dark (and closed) we didn't actually get to see much. I did notice the rows of jizo (statues devoted to stillborn/miscarried and aborted children), but I would like to go during the day to see more of the temple and to figure out where the graves of former shogun are! After the temple a few of us ate ramen and took the crowded train home from Hamamatsucho station.

   After going to various parts of Tokyo, I fell like each neighborhood has it's own distinct atmosphere. That's part of why I love Tokyo. The Roppongi area was a mix of quieter areas, such as by the Nogi Shrine or park areas, high end areas, such as the Midtown buildings, and areas which featured more "seedy" places such as bars and clubs. I noticed that on the back of some street signs there would be graffiti or stickers, which I have noticed in Harajuku (which isn't too far from Roppongi), but don't really see in areas such as Marunouchi for example. While walking by Tokyo Tower I noticed one "green" building which had plants growing up and down the building's walls, which I haven't seen in Tokyo before. Roppongi was an interesting and intriguing area for me, and I hope I get the chance to explore the area again!

Wasedasai 2012

On Saturday November 3rd, I meet some friends at Waseda for the first day of Wasedasai, the school festival that happens once a year. It was pretty intense. Clubs work super hard to prepare for the festival, and people from all over (not just Waseda students but students from other universities, families, and just random people) come for the festival. Therefore, it was super crowded. Like really. It took like a half hour to walk through the food stall street. The street with the food booths were especially crowded. People would be shouting, trying to get you to buy what they were selling. And flyers were constantly being handed out. Some students were dressed up in costumes for the event as well. We found the Niji no Kai waffle stand, however, and I bought a waffle (maybe it was one I made the other day?)! At around noon we headed over to one of the main stages to wait for the Male SNSD dance cover group performance to start. At Earlham I saw a video of them preforming, so I was determined to see them during my year here at Waseda. And they were amazing and so entertaining to watch. I never knew a man could look so attractive in high heels and make-up! Haha. I've noticed how cross-dressing is a pretty popular thing here. I mean it's funny, but even so, it seems weird that it is so popular here... Anyway after their performance (which is apparently their last!), we went over to a different stage to check out our friend who was dancing there.

We stayed at that stage area from basically 1:55 to 5 (which a food break in between). We saw a musical/broadway group, the international dance club (which my friend was in), some hip-hop and breakdance dancers, and a k-pop cover dance group. The K-pop dance cover group was amazing. My friends and I were cheering and singing along, but most of the time the rest of the crowd didn't cheer (or even move really) till the end of the performance...we thought it was kinda weird that people weren't being more enthusiastic. We had a great time though. We even went to talk to the K-pop dancers after they were done. Most of them weren't even Waseda students (which was weird since they were performing at the Waseda Festival).

On Sunday the 4th, . I didn't get to Waseda until around 12, so I missed a lot of the morning dances. I was pretty exhausted after standing so much Saturday though, so today I was slow moving.

At around 2 I went to watch some more dances with some of my friends. One of my Japanese friends who studied abroad at Earlham for a year was appearing in a dance, so I was pretty excited. The style of dance she does is called yosakoi, " highly energetic, combining traditional Japanese dance movements with modern music" The dances were seriously amazing.  Everyone in the dance was so expressive and energetic; it looks like a lot of fun! I might ask her about joining (even though they seem way to intense for me). After that I headed over to the Niji waffle booth to help sell waffles. We held signs advertising the waffles and would yell out at people asking them to buy our waffles. Although people usually ignore you, it was a lot of fun getting to take part in selling the waffles. One of my program friends was so good at being a salesman, it was hilarious. He kept pointing at me and saying "mite, gajin! nihongo hanasemasu yo! sugoi desho! waffle kattekudasai!" which is basically: "look, a foreigner! she can speak Japanese! amazing right! please buy a waffle!" Sometimes we would do certain cheers too to try and get people to buy a waffle. We ended up selling out, so I guess some of our advertising worked!

I also ended up participating in the Wasedasai parade with some other Niji no Kai members. At first I was a bit wary when one of the members asked if I wanted to be a part of it, but I'm so glad I said yes. Being in the parade was such a great experience. Our group was behind a car that was playing music and in front of a male cheer leading group called Shockers (who are seriously like celebrities at Waseda). As we walked around Waseda we danced, cheered, and energetically waved our glow scks around. The parade was a bit slow moving at times, but it felt great to be a part of the parade. At the end of the parade we all gathered in the middle of Waseda campus where I ended up meeting my friend who I saw dance earlier. There we did some more cheering and all sang the Waseda school song together (which I don't know yet). It was so energetic and exciting, 盛り上がっていた！Seriously so much fun. This was my first and last Waseda Festival, which is somewhat sad, but I'm glad I had such a great time and was able to participate in the events as well.

It was weird being at Waseda today after all the festivities have ended. The campus seemed so much quieter and less crowded (even when it was a bit crowded at lunch time as usual). It felt as if there wasn't a huge festival there the day before; everything returned to normal. I wish that there was an equivalent festival at my home university. There is really no event that goes on at Earlham, or most American colleges, that can compare to the scale of the Waseda Festival. True there are certain dance performances and other events, but they are no where near the scale or intensity as Wasedasai was. From what I saw, it seems that the students here really put a lot of time an effort into making the best festival that they can. Some groups practice for months so they can perform the best they can at the festival. When the waffles sold out at the Niji no Kai booth, one of the organizers started crying because she was so relieved and happy and had put in so much energy and emotion into Wasedasai. The festival really is a time to acknowledge and appreciate all the amazing things people are doing here. Looking back at Wasedasai I really am so happy that I was able to help sell waffles and participate in the parade. Just going to performances and walking around is fun, but it's a completely different experience actually being a part of the festivities. I hope I never forget this experience!

Cultural Mapping: SILS Stairs at Lunch

    

On Friday November 29th at 11:45 pm, my two friends and I ate lunch at the SILS stairs. I decided to do my cultural mapping project there because every day people use the stairs as a place to eat lunch. Therefore, although stairs may seem like an insignificant place, the stairs at SILS are an important part of the culture at SILS.

     When we got there at 11:45, the stairs were empty. The main, and really only set of stairs, at SILS are pretty wide. Most people only walk down the stairs since there is an escalator that leads to the second floor. So when heading downstairs, people walk to the left side. The right side is never really walked on since there is an escalator right above it. Somehow this side of the stairs has become a popular place to eat lunch. When I first head about the stairs being a popular place to eat I was a bit surprised. I've heard that the ground, or areas where people walk, are considered dirty. Usually one does not see people sitting on the ground in public areas, but I guess since that side of the stairs isn't technically used for walking, it is socially acceptable to eat there. 

     And many people do use the stairs as a place to eat lunch. Once class got out at 12:10 pm, the area became very crowded. There do not seem to be any set rules that you must follow while you eat there, or any places that seemed"reserved" by a usual crowd. Anyone is allowed to sit there, but most people were probably SILS or Waseda students. And it seemed like you could sit anywhere as long as you were not too close to another group and as long as you did not cross over into the section of the stairs used for walking 

     Most people sat in groups of two or three; there were not really any huge groups of people sitting at the stairs. The groups were spread out all over the right side, or left side depending on where your vantage point is. Some where close to the side where people were walking down, and some were sitting in the small space behind the hand rail that does not seem to serve a purpose since the right side leads to nowhere and therefore does not really need a rail. Sometimes I would see one person claim a spot and then friends would come join them later.

     The atmosphere at the stairs during lunch was very casual. Many people were chatting with their friends while eating. The language used was informal. Some people seemed to talk about their weekend plans, while some talked about classes. It was hard to listen to a full conversation. I noticed that much English was spoken, but I also heard Japanese and some Korean as well. Other people there would watch the scenery around them, for there is much to watch. From the stairs you could watch people walk down the stairs, go up the escalator, buy food at the conbini, and eat lunch at the white tables located outside. This area of SILS is relatively crowded during the hour between 3rd and 4th period. The people eating on the stairs only talked to their friends or the people in their group; there was not interaction with strangers, which seems to be a common theme in Japan. Sometime someone would move their bag to make room for annother person to walk by, but other than that people were absorbed in their own bubble. 

     As an observer, and participant since I was eating lunch as well, I felt very comfortable at the stairs. Since both foreigners and Japanese people were eating at the stairs, I did not feel out of place at all. I was just another student eating lunch my conbini bought lunch there. I took my time eating my lunch since I did not have class 3rd period. There was no rush at all there; no one made me feel like I had to move or eat faster to give up my spot to another. I have noticed in Japan at restaurants or tables that once people have claimed a spot, they usually stay there for a long time even after they are done eating. The stairs in that since are no different. They are just another place to eat. There seem to be similar behaviors there as there would be at other places where people eat lunch. If I came to the stairs on a daily basis, I would possible notice different behaviors, but that day there were none that stuck out as being especially different.

    In a larger sense, I believe that the stairs at SILS represent the common theme in Tokyo of making as much use of the space that is available, not matter the size or location. In Tokyo there are stores or restaurants tucked into corners or located in twisting alleyways. Space does not seem to be wasted here. So since one side of the stairs is not used to walking, someone one day must have decided it would be a good place to sit and have lunch and the spot eventually became a regular lunch-time gathering place. The space is also a very convenient spot to eat lunch at. It is close to the conbini, close to classes, and is inside as well. I'm sure the spot gets more crowded when the weather is bad and less crowded when the weather is nice.   

     Although stairs may usually be an small, overlooked, or insignificant place, the stairs at SILS play a significant role. There are many places to eat lunch at on Waseda campus, but people use the stairs as a place to sit and eat lunch every day. Some people may be opposed to the idea of eating on stairs, because of it being dirty, etc., so it could be possible that the people who sit there are less concerned about such an image. And it is true that seeing people eat on stairs is a somewhat rare occurance. As long as that side of the stairs remains free to eat lunch at, however, I believe that people will continue to use that spot daily. 

Asakusa

On October 16th at around 4 o'clock I ended up in the Asakusa area with my host family. Our meeting place was the famous Kaminarimon. Since my host family was running a bit late, I took the initiative to explore the endless line of shops that start once you walk through the large red gate. At first I was a bit overwhelmed. So many shops! So many people! Constant movement! I just stood and stared at the activity in front of me. Then I started to walk down the popular shopping stall area known as Nakamise-dori. Children, adults, foreigners, etc. were all browsing the various shops. One shop was selling trinkets, another selling kimonos. The line of shops seemed to never end. Since I didn't want to be late to meet my host family, I only went down about one-third of the road. At the time I had no idea that the Senso-ji temple lay just ahead.

After eating monjya with my host family and their friends, we all headed back to the Kaminarimon area to check out the famous Senso-ji temple. My second venture down Nakamise-dori was completely different from my experience there earlier in the day. Since most of the shops were closed, very few people were there. I'm so glad I got to see the area at night. Since almost all of the shops were closed, shutters were pulled down in front of the shops. Those may have been the most beautiful shop shutters I've ever seen. Various scenes were painted on these shutters such as a matsuri, cherry blossom trees, etc. I would have never known about them if I hadn't had been there at night when the shops were closed.

After heading down Nakamise-dori, we arrived at the Senso-ji temple. I was a bit surprised when we got to there since the temple is so huge! It was really breathtaking. The long line of lanterns, the large decorate gate, and of course the temple itself was beautiful. And since it was night time, all the lamps and lights around the temple were lit up. With the lights, the cool fall air, and the lack of a crowd, the atmosphere that night was calm and relaxed. It was my first time going to a temple at night, and I'm not sure if that is allowed with most temples or shrines (since it was technically closed), but I'm glad I was able to have such an experience. I've been to a couple of temples now that I've been in Tokyo for awhile, but the Senso-ji temple was unique. I'm sure I would have had a great time there during the day too, but I think it would have been an entirely different situation since there would have been a crowd. Although I want to go during the day sometime as well, a part of me never wants to go there again so I'll always only have that night as a memory.