back to the first 19 hours in japan
26 hours ago I landed at the Nakita airport, outside of Tokyo. It was a 10 1/2 hour flight, in very tight seats. Thankfully, there was an open seat to my left, so the guy on the far side of it and I shared a bit of extra leg room. But still, I stood in the back galley for 2 hours, just to avoid sitting down. And I managed to sleep for about an hour...that was of course the last hour we were on the plane...could've slept more.
Got to the airport - spectacularly clean and calm. Customs was easy - they didn't want anything to do with me. Asked me why I was there, what was in my bags, and send me out. Then we got on a bus...again, crammed seats, and only sleeping for the end of the trip, to the hotel. Get to the room, and it is beautiful. Gorgeous furnishings - all really nice wood. The bed is low, and really firm. Just the way I like it. The sheets are high quality, soft and simple cotton. And the bathroom rocks my world: the shower has two controls, one for water flow and another for water temperature...with a push-button to make it really hot - because it will scorch you on full power. And the best, which I only noticed after this morning's shower - there is a heating element behind the mirror. The mirror is big - probably 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall. But there's a rectangle, 18 inches by 12 inches, in line with the sink, that doesn't fog up. Perfect for shaving. I love this place.
Then last night, dinner, went out to dinner with a Japanese university student, studying foreign relations, who went to Brown University! A group of four of us went to a small restaurant selling food in the tekkan-yani style...grilled or somesuch. Had good food and reasonably good conversation...and the bill only came to ¥850 for each of us...about $8. Fantastic. We've got a food allowance of ¥2000 for dinner each night when we're not being fed, and I'd love to stay under that for a while, be able to afford a really great meal later in the trip.
This morning, up at 530. Went for a run, got lost, had to ask a cop how to get back to the hotel. A good thing really - once I'm lost in a place and find my way back, getting lost there never scares me again. There is some wonderful architecture in this city. Tomorrow morning, the plan it to go and find some of it, before we start our sightseeing at 820.
Breakfast - well done. Lots of pastries, fresh omelets, fruit. Then another orientation (we had on in San Francisco Sunday evening), followed by a talk on the Japanese educational system. Then lunch, a bit of posting and email writing, and then Japanese theater performances and lecture. It was fantastic. The best part was a Kabuki actor (female) who shared with us the whole process of putting on make-up. She applied her make-up right on stage! (Photos are available on flickr.) Then she performed a piece with two 'singers' and a musician accompanying her. It was beautiful, really cool. A bit disappointing in a way though - it was held in the hotel. I really want to have more time to get out and explore Tokyo...so tonight I'm headed out with a few others to Ginza - the part of town that looks like Times Square in NYC, all lights and marquees and electronic Coke signs.
Oh - the Japanese love vending machines. Every corner here there's one, selling all types of stuff. But the best was in the international terminal at SFO...there were two bigger wending machines...one to buy iPods and accessories, and another for Motorola phones and accessories. Wild. iPods, $300 iPods...put in your credit card, make your selection, and somehow it gets to the door for you to get it. I considered buying a case for my Nano, just to see it work, but I didn't.
The internet situation in the hotel is such: I could pay by the day, ¥2100, or I can pay for a 10 minute block, ¥200. Today I managed to send out 10 emails, download 30 new ones, send up two blog updated, upload 5 photos...all in less than 10 minutes. I believe that will be the way to go here. I don't want to spend ¥2100, because if I do I'll be reluctant to be away from the internet at all. I can get stuff up in those 10 minutes, and it'll work just fine.
Need to sort through photos to publish for you, and then off to Ginza. This'll go out to you tomorrow!
Peace, Kippu
Got to the airport - spectacularly clean and calm. Customs was easy - they didn't want anything to do with me. Asked me why I was there, what was in my bags, and send me out. Then we got on a bus...again, crammed seats, and only sleeping for the end of the trip, to the hotel. Get to the room, and it is beautiful. Gorgeous furnishings - all really nice wood. The bed is low, and really firm. Just the way I like it. The sheets are high quality, soft and simple cotton. And the bathroom rocks my world: the shower has two controls, one for water flow and another for water temperature...with a push-button to make it really hot - because it will scorch you on full power. And the best, which I only noticed after this morning's shower - there is a heating element behind the mirror. The mirror is big - probably 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall. But there's a rectangle, 18 inches by 12 inches, in line with the sink, that doesn't fog up. Perfect for shaving. I love this place.
Then last night, dinner, went out to dinner with a Japanese university student, studying foreign relations, who went to Brown University! A group of four of us went to a small restaurant selling food in the tekkan-yani style...grilled or somesuch. Had good food and reasonably good conversation...and the bill only came to ¥850 for each of us...about $8. Fantastic. We've got a food allowance of ¥2000 for dinner each night when we're not being fed, and I'd love to stay under that for a while, be able to afford a really great meal later in the trip.
This morning, up at 530. Went for a run, got lost, had to ask a cop how to get back to the hotel. A good thing really - once I'm lost in a place and find my way back, getting lost there never scares me again. There is some wonderful architecture in this city. Tomorrow morning, the plan it to go and find some of it, before we start our sightseeing at 820.
Breakfast - well done. Lots of pastries, fresh omelets, fruit. Then another orientation (we had on in San Francisco Sunday evening), followed by a talk on the Japanese educational system. Then lunch, a bit of posting and email writing, and then Japanese theater performances and lecture. It was fantastic. The best part was a Kabuki actor (female) who shared with us the whole process of putting on make-up. She applied her make-up right on stage! (Photos are available on flickr.) Then she performed a piece with two 'singers' and a musician accompanying her. It was beautiful, really cool. A bit disappointing in a way though - it was held in the hotel. I really want to have more time to get out and explore Tokyo...so tonight I'm headed out with a few others to Ginza - the part of town that looks like Times Square in NYC, all lights and marquees and electronic Coke signs.
Oh - the Japanese love vending machines. Every corner here there's one, selling all types of stuff. But the best was in the international terminal at SFO...there were two bigger wending machines...one to buy iPods and accessories, and another for Motorola phones and accessories. Wild. iPods, $300 iPods...put in your credit card, make your selection, and somehow it gets to the door for you to get it. I considered buying a case for my Nano, just to see it work, but I didn't.
The internet situation in the hotel is such: I could pay by the day, ¥2100, or I can pay for a 10 minute block, ¥200. Today I managed to send out 10 emails, download 30 new ones, send up two blog updated, upload 5 photos...all in less than 10 minutes. I believe that will be the way to go here. I don't want to spend ¥2100, because if I do I'll be reluctant to be away from the internet at all. I can get stuff up in those 10 minutes, and it'll work just fine.
Need to sort through photos to publish for you, and then off to Ginza. This'll go out to you tomorrow!
Peace, Kippu
posted by kip at 07:31
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