A Few Surprises By Alex

I have been　living　in　Japan　for　about a year　and　a　half. But I still  remember what it was like to first come to Japan. And even though I studied about Japan and Japanese customs before I arrived, I was surprised by a fewthings. So I decided to copy Nicki's style and make a list for everyone to enjoy.

1.Convenience stores- In America the “convenies” are combined with gas stations and the people are sometimes less than friendly. So I was 　　　　surprised by the stores not having gas pumps out front and especially by the nice workers who welcome everyone as they enter. And the food in Japanese convenies is great! It's fresh and you have a wide selection from pasta to gyudon. In the States we have chips and chocolate like in Japan, but the other food( if there is any) is usually something like fried chicken or hotdogs.  I have to say the Japanese convenient stores are far superior.

2.Karaoke- In America you don't get your own private room. If a bar has karaoke you sing in front of everyone. And you don't get the nomihodai (all you can drink) in America either. Without that deal, I usually can't find the courage to sing in front of anyone.

3.Fireworks- I love fireworks and shoot the show for my hometown's 4th of July festival every year. I remember thinking that Japan would have some awesome explosive things to play with. But I must say I was a bit disappointed when I found that people usually only buy sparklers. I mean they're pretty, but without the danger of possible injury where's the fun?

Well these are just a few of the things that surprised me. There are plenty more so if you're interested please come ask me. 

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The Best of Japan By Nicki

As my time in Japan draws to a close, I have decided to share a small list of my favorite travel spots in Japan. And what a better time to do so then now; May, the month better known for its   week long travel during Golden Week. Although the holidays celebrated during this week are not particularly special to me, I do value the idea of Japan creating national holidays that focus on its’ traditional culture. For me, Golden Week becomes the time to enjoy exploration (in wonderful   weather) before the rainy weeks and hot and humid summer come. Because traveling outside of  the country is astronomically expensive, this can be a good time for the people of Japan to discover what makes this country a place of wonder and tradition.

The places I have listed below (in no particular order) have brought me so much joy, love, and appreciation for this country. I will definitely miss everything that makes Japan such a wonderful place to live, work, and travel in. I hope this list encourages you to go out and explore your country, which is filled with so many wonders, before it becomes too unbearably hot to do so.

Miyajima, Hiroshima: This place has the most spectacular view of the Seto Inland Sea from the top of Mt. Misen. It is also well worth to stay till evening to witness the amazing sunset on the water, illuminating Miyajima’s famous o-torii with its golden rays.

Nara Park, Nara: This vast park is the best park to go exploring on a bike, see the most stunning  Buddha, and get harassed by numerous deer along the way.

Nikko National Park, Nikko: Ancient and beautiful shrines/temples are nestled in this magnificent forest. The best time to go is in the fall due to its beautiful fall foliage.
Arashiyama, Kyoto: One of the bests in the city to just walk around and explore traditional Japan. Here you can wander through one of the most famous bamboo groves, walk through a traditional village with old-style thatched roofs, and enjoy a windowless train ride through the hills and forest of Kyoto on the Sagano Romantic Train.

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'Foreign' Food By William

One of the nice things about living in Japan is the chance it affords to try new kinds of food.  Sometimes, however, familiar food can turn up unexpectedly.  For instance, while growing up in England I would often eat eels during the  summer, and so on arriving in Japan for the first time it was a nice surprise to find that eels were eaten here as well.  Recently, I came across some familiar food, which surprised me even more.  While shopping at a farmers’ market in Shigenobu I found local roasted barley flour on sale, together with a note saying how it is a foodstuff eaten in Tibet.  For me it was a food that I  hadn’t eaten in many years - not since I had spent time travelling in Tibetan  areas of the Himalayas, where it is a staple food known as ‘tsampa’.  It is usually mixed with butter tea (tea containing butter and salt) and formed into a paste.  Consumed this way it provides a lot of energy, and is particularly suited to the needs of the body at high altitude.  Perhaps reflecting its importance as a basic foodstuff, tsampa is also connected to various religious rituals.  Anyway, if you are looking for a foreign food experience, perhaps you should forget fancy restaurants and instead simply head to your local farmers’ market!

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