Japan, part 1
Okay, so here is the long-promised photopost from Japan (part 1), which took me way too long to finish.
Day 0: Well, I arrived. There was some really annoying hassle at the airport (in Osaka), because I hadn't filled out my immigration form properly, because I didn't know Yutaka's address or phone number, and that lasted for about half an hour, but was sorted out eventually, so I met up with Yutaka and his wife and we took a taxi back to their house.
After arriving, I met Yasuyo & Eimi (Yasuyo was as nice as her emails had led me to believe, & Eimi was really nice too, despite not speaking any English), and they gave me a poster, which I think was really sweet of them, & I took a photo of it (both sides)-
I call this "day 0", because nothing else actually happened. I basically just met the family, ate supper, and then went to sleep, because I was really, really tired. I slept in Yasuyo's room, while Yasuyo shared Eimi's room, which was a little embarrassing.
Day 1: Woke up before 6 in order to get ready to go to the Komike (a massive doujinshi market) with Eimi & Yasuyo, & one of Yasuyo's school friends called Mina (who was also really, really nice). We got there at 9.30, & had to wait in queue for another 2 hours, because, yes, it was that crowded. And most of the people there were girls, as well. In total, there were 9 massive rooms, each with about 100 stalls. They seemed to be organised by series, for the most part (and there were loads of Code Geass stands).
Sadly, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the actual Komike, but I bought several doujin (as well as a cat hood which only reminded me in retrospect of Kankurou's ninja-outfit), & took photos of them all-
I love Acute Girls so much~ XD
Day 2: No photos, because there wasn't much to take pictures of. Yutaka was in Kyoto, & Eimi was at school (I think), so Yasuyo & Masayo showed me some places in Kobe. We went to the supermarket, & a couple of clothes shops, & we also rented some anime at a place called Tsutaya (Freedom, 12th Kingdom, & the Rose of Versailles).
Day 3: Yutaka took me to Kyoto! The first thing we did was visit an old traditional Japanese house that'd been turned into a museum of sorts, and had a tea-shop downstairs.
Afterwards, we went to a little Buddhist temple, the name of which I can't remember (if I was ever told at all). Yutaka told me about some of the rituals there, like having to throw some coins into a box, & ring a bell before praying; if you touch the head of the bull statue, it makes you cleverer, as does washing your hands in the fountain water. I also had my fortune told by a strange lioness-puppet in a box, & when I showed the fortune to Yasuyo, she told me that it was the best one that you could get from the machine-
And then we had to go to a camera shop, to get a new memory card for my camera, & we also had to eat lunch (a type of fried rice that I had to pick the meat out of. Vegetarianism seems to be pretty much unheard-of in Japan). Lastly, we went to another Buddhist temple (though this one was much, much bigger) called Kiyomizu-ji, which apparently means "clear water temple". Kiyomizu was really, really beautiful, & there were lots and lots of people washing their hands in fountains all over the grounds. I even saw a geisha(!) at one point, & took a photo of her-
(A charm for "luck & no calamity", with a little bell inside.)
(Another charm - this one a gift for Heli - for "luck & success".)
(And another charm, for "health & no illness".)
On the way back to the main city, I bought these two fans-
(A holiday present for Mum.)
Yutaka also bought me a slushie, which was very much appreciated after the incredible heat of the afternoon. & then we went back to Kobe (& slept. As if I ever do anything else with my free time~ ;P).
Day 0: Well, I arrived. There was some really annoying hassle at the airport (in Osaka), because I hadn't filled out my immigration form properly, because I didn't know Yutaka's address or phone number, and that lasted for about half an hour, but was sorted out eventually, so I met up with Yutaka and his wife and we took a taxi back to their house.
After arriving, I met Yasuyo & Eimi (Yasuyo was as nice as her emails had led me to believe, & Eimi was really nice too, despite not speaking any English), and they gave me a poster, which I think was really sweet of them, & I took a photo of it (both sides)-
I call this "day 0", because nothing else actually happened. I basically just met the family, ate supper, and then went to sleep, because I was really, really tired. I slept in Yasuyo's room, while Yasuyo shared Eimi's room, which was a little embarrassing.
Day 1: Woke up before 6 in order to get ready to go to the Komike (a massive doujinshi market) with Eimi & Yasuyo, & one of Yasuyo's school friends called Mina (who was also really, really nice). We got there at 9.30, & had to wait in queue for another 2 hours, because, yes, it was that crowded. And most of the people there were girls, as well. In total, there were 9 massive rooms, each with about 100 stalls. They seemed to be organised by series, for the most part (and there were loads of Code Geass stands).
Sadly, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the actual Komike, but I bought several doujin (as well as a cat hood which only reminded me in retrospect of Kankurou's ninja-outfit), & took photos of them all-
I love Acute Girls so much~ XD
Day 2: No photos, because there wasn't much to take pictures of. Yutaka was in Kyoto, & Eimi was at school (I think), so Yasuyo & Masayo showed me some places in Kobe. We went to the supermarket, & a couple of clothes shops, & we also rented some anime at a place called Tsutaya (Freedom, 12th Kingdom, & the Rose of Versailles).
Day 3: Yutaka took me to Kyoto! The first thing we did was visit an old traditional Japanese house that'd been turned into a museum of sorts, and had a tea-shop downstairs.
Afterwards, we went to a little Buddhist temple, the name of which I can't remember (if I was ever told at all). Yutaka told me about some of the rituals there, like having to throw some coins into a box, & ring a bell before praying; if you touch the head of the bull statue, it makes you cleverer, as does washing your hands in the fountain water. I also had my fortune told by a strange lioness-puppet in a box, & when I showed the fortune to Yasuyo, she told me that it was the best one that you could get from the machine-
And then we had to go to a camera shop, to get a new memory card for my camera, & we also had to eat lunch (a type of fried rice that I had to pick the meat out of. Vegetarianism seems to be pretty much unheard-of in Japan). Lastly, we went to another Buddhist temple (though this one was much, much bigger) called Kiyomizu-ji, which apparently means "clear water temple". Kiyomizu was really, really beautiful, & there were lots and lots of people washing their hands in fountains all over the grounds. I even saw a geisha(!) at one point, & took a photo of her-
(A charm for "luck & no calamity", with a little bell inside.)
(Another charm - this one a gift for Heli - for "luck & success".)
(And another charm, for "health & no illness".)
On the way back to the main city, I bought these two fans-
(A holiday present for Mum.)
Yutaka also bought me a slushie, which was very much appreciated after the incredible heat of the afternoon. & then we went back to Kobe (& slept. As if I ever do anything else with my free time~ ;P).