Sports Day

Firstly, I would like to apologize for the quality of these photos. I took them with my iphone, so the quality isn't so good. The second graders had a homeroom sports competition in the gym. The girls played volleyball, and the boys played dodgeball. I couldn't believe it, but dodgeball is not the same at all in Japan. I had trouble understanding how you play, but basically, I think it is this. There is one ball, and people pass the ball in order to get people out. People are allowed on the outside of the other team's area in order to throw the ball. It's so strange. I thought the game would be the same, but it is completely different.

Kawasaki-Random Things Found Walking

For the rest of our time in Kawasaki, we basically just went on a big walk. We found a garden with a big pond and waterfall, a pagoda surrounded by streets full of souvenir shops and food stalls, and a huge cemetery. Cemeteries are so different in Japan compared to those in America. In America, cemeteries are grassy and spread out, but in Japan, everything is really close together and mostly concrete. Also, there were loads of animals everywhere. Everyone was out walking their dogs, and there were loads of feral cats. It really turned out to be such a nice day because the weather was finally somewhat warm, and we found lots of things we weren't expecting to discover. Also, we got Krispy Kreme and Starbucks, a much missed necessity in Gotemba.

Feral Cat

Pagoda

Carly at the Cemetery

Kawasaki-Cherry Blossoms and Hanami

After visiting the shinto shrine, we wondered through a park with lots of cherry blossoms. It was really nice because I was able to see what hanami is like. In America, we don't have hanami. We have things that are kind of similar though. In a neighboring town in America, there is a Dogwood Azalea Festival. At this, there is a parade, people go on walks looking at the flowers, and there are food stands. Hanami seems quite different. It is more like a picnic. I really want to go to hanami, but I think it was nice just walking through and seeing it too.

Kawasaki-Shinto Shrine

Carly, the ALT from Oyama High School, and I took a day trip to Kawasaki the weekend before last. I had heard mixed reviews of Kawasaki before going. I had been told it was dirty because there used to be lots of factories there. However, when I arrived, I thought it was a really nice place. There were lots of cool things in the area we went to, and I didn't think it was dirty at all. While we were there, there was a festival at a Shinto Shrine. It was interesting to say the very least. There were lots of food stands and tons of tourists. I was surprised because I think there might possibly have been more foreign people than Japanese people. Below are some pictures I took there. After staying at the shrine for about an hour, we moved on to other parts of Kawasaki, which I will discuss in the next post.

These are the strange people at the festival we saw wearing crazy wigs. We thought they were so strange, so we asked to have our picture taken with them.

Spring Snow

On Monday, there was a really heavy snow fall. I was shocked because it was quite late in the year to be getting so much snow. I was hoping spring would arrive soon, but it seems like I was mistaken. I think maybe that will be the last of the snow until next winter, but who knows. The snowflakes were some of the biggest I have ever seen. I swear it was like the size of a golf ball. Well here is to hoping rain/snow/cold weather will be finished soon.

Shopping in Tokyo

I haven’t had a chance to take many pictures lately, hence, the lack of blogs. Instead of posting blogs with pictures, I posted the anime post, and now I am going to post a blog about fashion in Tokyo. This weekend, I made a trip to Tokyo for shopping. My favorite place to shop in Tokyo is Shibuya. When I first arrived in Japan, I thought for sure that Harajuku would be my shopping area, but I have definitely changed my mind. Although, there is an H&M and Forever 21 in Harajuku, these places are ridiculously busy. I would rather not have to push my way through people to try on clothes that have been tread and handled by a million people. I understand the appeal of Forever 21, extremely cheap main-stream fashion released quickly, but I feel it is missing something, which is mostly quality. Although a lot of the clothes are bargains, these clothes also look cheap. If you are willing to work your way around 1,000 people in the store, you could probably find a few pieces, which would be a nice addition to your clothes collection though. Also, topshop is in Harajuku. I would have to say I am really disappointed with it though. I have not bought anything from there since I got here. I have still been buying all my topshop from online, mostly, because the store in Harajuku is so small and extremely overpriced.

In Shibuya, people seem to have better style than in Harajuku. It seems to be more tasteful. In Shibuya, there is a much nicer H&M than in Harajuku. On the bottom floor is their more expensive pieces, which seems to be lost in the Harajuku store. Also, there is a really nice, huge Zara. I also really enjoy going to Shibuya 109. Most of my foreign friends hate shopping in Japan, mostly, because foreigners are nowhere near the size of Japanese people. However, my body type is really comparable to most Japanese women other than me being taller, which really doesn’t affect me all that much because I never wear pants other than at work. The sizes in Japan actually fit me a lot better than in America. Also, the options are much better.

This weekend, I bought a pair of flats from Rezoy. This is by far my favorite shoe store in Japan. I have already bought two pairs of shoes from there. It is in the basement of 109. Also, I bought two dresses from H&M. Beadwork and metal is definitely in this season on shirtdresses. Also, I bought a washed-out denim shirt from Cecil McBee. This is a new spring fashion. You pair a loose denim shirt with a flower-print dress, a belt, and a pair of leggings. Also, short, flowy print skirts are in too. I bought one of these from Zara. I thought big thick-rimmed glasses were approaching their last leg, but it seems to still be going strong in Tokyo.

This type of glasses is still very popular in Tokyo. I thought it might be approaching its end, but it seems like it is still going to be popular for a while in Tokyo.

This is the newest spring fashion. Lots of stores are getting light-washed denim shirts in their stores. Lots of people are pairing it with a flower-print dress and a belt. Oh and definitely roll up the sleeves.

This isn't the best example because this shirtdress isn't that great looking. I had trouble finding an example on the internet, but beadwork and metal on dresses is very popular, especially around the shoulder area.

Ookami Kakushi

I have been watching this new anime called “Ookami Kakushi”, which basically means “Wolfed Away” in English. It is played on the TBS network on Fridays. I am not for sure how many episodes there are supposed to be. Basically, the plot revolves around a high school student named Hiroshi Kuzumi. After moving to a new town called Jouga, Kuzumi experiences strange occurrences, which relate to the local folklore of wolves. I think overall the plot line is pretty predictable, and there are also parts, which are a bit lagging and boring. However, I think the story is good enough, and the graphics are quite nice. Therefore, on a whole, I would probably recommend this anime.