Tag Archives: tokyo

Tokyo Trains, Planes and Automobiles

Trains are the most common form of travel in Tokyo bar none. While it can be overwhelming, it is actually easy to get around once you know what you are doing. To be fair, I’m from the Philly area (like half of Penn State) and I’m very much familiar with the trains and subway because of an internship I had in the city. My friends from other cities in the US without public transportation did find it a bit difficult, but they quickly adjusted after a few weeks! Personally, I find the Japanese train system much more advanced ours at home. Each line is color coded so it is easy to verify which train is going where. All trains have digital name plates first stating the location in kanji (chinese characters), katakana (Japanese writing), hiragana (another form of Japanese writing) and English. So no worries if you don’t read Japanese very well because the Tokyo transportation system is very tourist friendly.

When traveling in Tokyo, it is best to avoid rush hour(s), which in Tokyo is 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm. Otherwise you will find yourself getting extremely close to those around you and not in the way you intended when traveling to Japan.

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Tokyo Trains 2 Platform at Nishi Funabashi in Tokyo during rush hour.

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A lot of salary men getting off a rush hour train – beware they can get aggressive. So move quickly!

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The average Tokyo train (during off hours).

 

A view from the window of a Tokyo train. One stop (Minami Funabashi to Shin Narashino) one my daily 45 minute commute to school.

Vamos a…. Japan?

*Disclaimer*: I have been in Tokyo, Japan, for two weeks now; and, while this post was written before I arrived, due to the lack of free Wifi for desperate American college students to mooch off of, I was only able to post now.

As I sat in my Political Science class back in late February, I pondered the direction my future was taking. I was frustrated because I hadn’t yet heard back about my applications for summer internships (albeit prematurely), and my extreme lack of patience and my bad habit of thinking way too far into the future became a dangerous combination. So rather than listening to the ongoing lecture on the history of government formation in post-partition India (sorry, Professor) I decided to look into something totally unexpected: studying abroad. I closed down my Facebook homepage (again, sorry Prof.) and went over to the Global Studies site to think about studying abroad over the summer. From my brief research, I decided that studying abroad was the answer to all my questions, that Tokyo would be my destination, and that I could most definitely take on whatever this six-week excursion would entail. So, by the end of that same hour and fifteen minute class, I had begun the application and made the life-changing decision to go abroad (I promise that I do usually pay attention in class).

Spending six weeks learning the Japanese language in Tokyo was not how I expected to spend my summer. I had envisioned a typical summer: spending weekdays interning in an office and weekends relaxing at the beach at my hometown in California. I’ve spent my life growing up there, and my time abroad has only consisted school-sponsored and family short trips. On top of all that, I’ve spent the past nine years taking Spanish classes and am pursuing a Spanish minor at school. So, I began to think, “What business do I have in even going to Tokyo and trying to learn an entirely new language in a country I’ve never been before?” Other than my interest in global cultures as an International Relations major and my interest in Asia having had been to China and Korea before, I really didn’t have a connection to the place I was studying or even the subject I would be learning. I then decided then that the point of the program would be this: I would have a learning experience to take me outside of my comfort zone and beyond the borders of a typical classroom. Thenceforth, I used this as my mind set for my new adventure.

A short four months later I find myself here, two days away from my 11-½ hour flight across the Pacific. I sit surrounded by a pile of clothes, those freshly bought and old-time favorites, in an effort to discover what is considered appropriate attire for “plum rain season.” Alongside me is a first aid kit crafted by my mom so large that it would make UHS jealous in order to prepare for the bizarre lack of access sometimes to basic medicines in my host country. I am having to make the difficult decision as to which Penn State sweatshirt to pack as my Dad astutely advises me that with an average temperature of 80 degrees and high humidity, I won’t be needing all five of the ones I brought home. I switch between an overwhelming excitement in anticipation of this new experience and an immeasurable fear of a “What I have gotten myself into?” kind of way. Even though I sometimes look at my near empty suitcase as a metaphor for the unknown that comes along with living in a foreign country ( indeed, a tad dramatic), I keep reminding myself that my love of travel, language, and culture are what inspired me to make this journey in the first place. I can’t wait to eat the fresh sushi at Tsukiji fish market, to look over the Tokyo skyline from Tokyo Skytree, to shop in Harajuku, and to sing away at karaoke in Shinjuku. These are the things that are helping me to  to pack because I know that while the unexpected that awaits me in Tokyo is daunting, I’m a million times more excited than anything else.

So now that my trip is looming near, the nerves that had been building have almost seemed to evaporate. For every worry that I think of, I think of three more things that I am excited about experiencing in Japan. I think of the food, the culture, the language, and the new friends and experiences that I am going accumulate while I am there, and I am beginning to get peace of mind. Even though I am nervous for this new adventure, I can’t help but be thrilled at what lies ahead. Hopefully I’ll have some great stories for Geoblog, and can help inspire others to take a leap just like I did (or at least get a laugh out of the tribulations I’m sure to incur with my nonexistent Japanese).

So, Sayonara America! See you in seven weeks, and let the adventure begin!
P.S. Please make sure that nothing happens to Chipotle while I’m gone!

 


Location: Orange County, California

Bright Lights, Big City

I was lucky enough to visit Shibuya Crossing during Cherry Blossom season no less! Only a couple weeks in and I already checked off several things from my to-do list, but I will be blogging about each event separately as to give each one their due. In my adventure to Shibuya, I had several new American students and a Japanese student in tow so as not to lose my way.

Shibuya Crossing 1

Also known as the Scramble, Shibuya Crossing is one of Japan’s most identifiable landmarks just like Times Square is to New York City. There is a lot of noise, people and lights in every direction imaginable. Shibuya is the downtown part of Tokyo meaning that it is known for nightlife. It has karaoke, restaurants, pachinko, and bars and just about anything else that makes it a trap for tourists and locals alike.

Shibuya Crossing

Honestly, when I exited Shibuya Station and onto the streets of Shibuya, if it hadn’t been for the kanji, hiragana and katakana writing on the signs I would have felt like I was in New York City. Although the thing about Japanese cities is that the streets are clean, there are no homeless people, and there is no worrying over if your purse will get stolen. Shibuya has all of the benefits of a US city without any of the drawbacks.

Shibuya Crossing Panorama

In order to fully understand the essence of Shibuya, check out this video I took of the crossing!

 

My Japanese Bucket List

Whether you are young or old, everyone has a bucket list! I just turned 21, but studying abroad in Tokyo has been on my list for two years and I am excited to finally cross it off. I leave tomorrow. I want to see everything, do everything, eat everything and experience everything. I only have four months so it’s going to be tight. Here is my list of all the wonderful things I hope to cross of my list.

  • Visit Shibuya Crossing. I want to visit Shibuya Crossing and absorb the energy, the smells and the sounds and, of course, to make sure I remember everything I will take thousands of photographs. I have been to Time Square, so after this I will be able to say I have visited two of the busiest and most iconic travel locations in the world.

Shibuya Crossing Tokyo

  • Climb Mount Fuji. I am not an outdoor girl, but I have climbed Mount Nittany at Penn State because it is tradition. It would seem a shame to travel all the way to Japan and not even attempt to go hiking on Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji

  • Experience Kabuki theatre. I love Broadway, Off Broadway and live entertainment. In Japan Kabuki is a traditional cultural entertainment experience that I would not dream of missing.

Kabuki Dance featuring Bando Kotji with live music at Japan Society

  • Visit Okinawa. Much like we visit the shore in the summer, Okinawa is the beach destination for the beach-loving Japanese. While I am not a sunbather or surfer, I can still appreciate the beauty and the sounds of the rolling waves.

Okinawa

  • Travel on a bullet train. Surprisingly and disappointingly, there are no bullet trains (called Shinkansen in the Japanese language) in the United States; therefore, I must experience the ultimate speed of a bullet train, which travels up to 320 km/hr!

japanese_bullet_train

  • Go to a sumo wrestling match. Watching a sumo wrestling match while in Japan would show me a piece of their culture as well as one of their most historically beloved sports. It will surely be an amazing experience as it is the only country to practice sumo professionally.

Sumo Wrestling

  • Go to a Japanese baseball game. After a little research about sports and popular events in Japan, I learned that the Japanese also love baseball. I am interested in seeing the similarities and differences of what goes on during a Japanese baseball game!

Tokyo Dome Baseball

  • Visit a temple. I wish I could visit every temple in Japan, but there are simply too many to squeeze into four months! Hopefully, I will be able to visit Sensoji Temple and the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo as well as Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto.
  • Go to Tokyo Disneyland. I discovered that Tokyo Disneyland is extremely close to my university and it would be ridiculous not to visit a traditional American destination that binds us together.

Tokyo Disneyland

  • Go to a Starbucks and order in Japanese. I have taken three semesters of Japanese and feel that if I can correctly order a complex coffee at Starbucks then I must know a good amount of Japanese. Also, I am interested in the similarities and differences in the food, drink and atmosphere of a Japanese Starbucks.

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  • Eat as much sushi as possible. In the land that created so many fantastic dishes, I hope I can try as much traditional Japanese food as possible.

I take off on my plane tomorrow (Monday) at 11:25am and arrive at Narita Airport at 2:45pm on Tuesday. I will let you know if I survive the 14-hour flight. Wish me luck!

Fun in Japan! Part 1

I’ve experienced a lot of new and fun things in Japan and I love it! I have been to several popular locations around Tokyo (Akihabara, Shinjuku, Shibuya, etc.) and it’s fun and all but I think it would have been a better experience to have a Japanese friend show me around all those places instead! A few weeks ago, my epal and her friends showed me around Akihabara and I had a lot of fun!! I even bought 10 manga books for 700 yen (total!) 

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There was an event called Marugomi located in Chiba a few weeks back. I volunteered for it with the IES students. The goal was to clean up Chiba (but I don’t think there was much to clean up!!) We were given free T-shirts and gloves (FREE STUFF!!!) and I also got a picture with Chiba-kun!
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I went to an autumn festival with my host family and it was very interesting. They took me to a local shrine where the festival was held. I was able to offer 10 yen to the deity of the shrine to make my wish! The process includes bowing and clapping (I already forgot how many times!) And I saw  an interesting tradition where people were chanting and carrying a portable shrine!
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There were a lot of other things I’ve done but I’ll leave that for the next entry. It’s already my bed time! Look forward to it! =)

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Introduction – Study Abroad in Tokyo, Japan!

Hey guys! I’ll start off this blog with an introductory entry.

My name is Xue Wei Zhang but everyone calls me Davy. I’ll be studying abroad in Japan in Fall of 2010! I got accepted into the Tokyo, Japan: Society & Culture program. The host university will be Kanda University. I have been looking forward to going to Japan and learning about its language and culture, and this is a dream come true.

There are so many things to do before I can fly to Japan! I have multiple forms to fill out and turn in. I’ll also have to get the visa. I think I have until June 1st to get everything turned in, so as the semester’s over I will begin to take care of all these forms.

There is only one thing I really worried about (well, maybe two). Studying abroad in Japan is VERY expensive. I’m fortunate to have receive some fundings, but it is still not enough! So that’s why I have been applying to scholarships and waiting on their response. Anyway, the second thing I worry about is my experience there. I don’t really know what to expect, and plus, my Japanese isn’t that great! I only took two semesters of Japanese and I haven’t been practicing! So I’m not too confident about my speaking skills (I guess I’ll be practicing Japanese in the summer!). But then again, I have always heard about people who go to a new country and pick up the language fairly quickly…so I’m hoping it’d be the same for me as well.

Anyhow, I won’t keep talking about boring stuff. Hopefully, I will be able to post about some really really really interesting stuff about Japan.

See you next time!


Location: University Park, Pennsylvania