Everything is called Aoyama

Yesterday, I went to 青山学院大学 (Aoyama Gakuin Daigaku) which means Aoyama Academy University. It's redundant, but Aoyama Academy also has a high school and middle school and so on and so forth. Everything is called Aoyama something. There is an Aoyama street, and Aoyama coffee place, and Aoyama blablablahlsdfsldfkj. Even in Nakano there are things called Aoyama something or other. On my phone, when I type out Japanese messages, if I just push "a" then my phone will suggest Aoyama as the first thing.

Anyways, it is a really pretty campus, especially since it's right in the middle of Tokyo. It's between Shibuya and Harajuku. My friend, Akane, showed me around. She used to go to Aoyama, but she just transferred to my college!! Yay! But I might apply to study abroad at Aoyama in two years so she gave me a little tour. It's really pretty. I like it a lot.

More importantly, apparently Aoyama Gakuin Daigaku has the top rating in all of Japan for food services. The food is so tasty!!! And really cheap!! I'm told that salarymen even stop by for lunch because it's so good and cheap. haha. That's reason enough to go to Aoyama, right?

Afterwards we walked around Omotesando and Harajuku. She showed me this really weird place called "Oriental Bazaar." The place looked ridiculous and housed ridiculous things. Mixed in with the nice traditional Japanese stuff like pottery, fabric, purses, and charms were these things:

They're made out of the same crape material as the other traditional Japanese key chains, but they're hamburgers and hotdogs!! What the hell? So very odd. But really, what did I expect when the outside looks like this:

Then Akane had class so she went back to Aoyama and I just walked around Harajuku again and found myself back at the station. Right next to the station is the famed Meiji Shrine and since I was there I decided that now was as good a day as any to check it out. Here's a picture of Harajuku from the pedestrian crossway that goes over the streets. The small building on the left is Harajuku Station.

Then, just turn slightly to your left and TADA! green!

That's the entrance to the Meiji Shrine. It really looks like the gate to a different world. Right behind me are skyscrapers and rushing vehicles. 信じられないよね。It's unbelievable.

As soon as you enter, the temperature drops like 5 degrees, it gets really quiet really quickly, and you really are in another world.

The path is gigantic. It's so wide, but that just makes everyone seem that much farther away. Then you come to a little bridge overlooking a stream. It was so serene.

Somewhere along the way there was a map, but I wasn't interested and just kept wondering, but if you guys ever visit and don't want to get lost, have no fear, there are maps. The place is HUGE.

So next up was the wall of sake. It's really kind of pretty, but mostly enlightening. Them olden people liked to get wasted. haha. No, I'm sure there's some sort of significance to all the liquor, but it's written all over wikipedia I'm sure and I didn't feel like stopping to read the signs. Make your own significance. It works better.

So I finally make it to the main Shrine and I see this family taking a picture outside the gate. Three of them were in the shot and they made the young boy take the picture. sad. So, I first asked them if they spoke English or Japanese (they spoke English) and then I asked them if they would like me to take their picture. They said, no, it's ok, but would I like them to take my picture. Not gonna lie, that was my ulterior motive for offering my picture taking services. Here's the pic:

The guy was really weird though, in a funny way. He said that he would take my picture, and take one with him in it because he's traveling the world and inserting himself in everyone's pictures. haha, whatever. ok. So here's the quirky guy and me at the Meiji Shrine:

Then me and the quirky guy and his family said our goodbyes and they entered the shrine and I went to go wash my hands again. I'm getting super pro at washing my hands for the gods.

Here's a picture of the shrine. It was a really cloudy day, so the shrine looks like it's glowing, no?

And right next to it was the place where you get your fortune. I never get my fortune at any of the shrines or temples, did you notice? I don't want to know. I just took a picture of it because I thought the tree looked like the Totoro tree. The whole thing looks like it's glowing, even the ground.

I bought a charm before I left. This one is supposed to protect me while I'm traveling. Handy. I travel A LOT.

Then I chilled outside the shrine, at a different entrance, and, I confess, looked at a map. It looked like it was going to rain soon, so I thought I should get where I want to go as soon as possible. Basically, I just didn't want to go anywhere I'd already been, so I found a tiny path on the map and decided to go with that one.

Just when I was about to leave, the same guy and his family walked by. The guy said, "well now that's an interesting picture," and said I should take a picture of me there. I said ok, handed him my camera and his wife, I assume, piped in, "just do what you were doing naturally, just reading." But of course the whole situation was kind of weird so the most natural pose I could come up with was this:

That's pretty much the way I looked when they were walking by except I have this awkward smile on my face. They were a very weird bunch, but I liked them. Apparently they were from Singapore.

So here's the path I chose:

I took a picture of myself on it because I was the only one there. I thought that was really cool. I really forgot I was in Tokyo. It was completely covered by the treetops,

it was quiet and cool, and there were no people around. I even saw a cute little butterfly.

But then the tunnel opened up and I was reminded that, yes, I was in fact in Tokyo.

It became pretty clear to me that this open green area was kind of like a local secret. There were a few people sprinkled along the lawn just chilling out, having a picnic, or whatever. All the crowds were elsewhere. So I joined in and laid on the grass.
This is what I saw when I laid on my back:

And this is what the tree saw when it looked down:

Then this little bird came really close to me! To give you an idea of how close he was, I took this picture WITHOUT ZOOM.

Then it started to rain so I got out my handy dandy umbrella and continued walking around. Here are just some random shots of the grounds. It's so serene!!

I am at a crossroads. Story of my life.

Then I finished up the day with some ice cream. It's called 抹茶金時アイス or Maccha Kintoki Ice cream. It had two little balls of mochi and red bean in it!! Perfect way to end a very traditional day.

Asakusa Spy Day

Today I woke up with absolutely no agenda. So, I lazed around until I decided that the best way to decide what to do was to go to google maps, bring up all of Tokyo, close my eyes and randomly point. I landed on Ueno and was like, "Ok. kimeta!" and then realized Ueno is stupid (which it's not, actually, but I didn't want to go there today and leaving things up to chance is stupid [which, again, it's not; it's actually pretty cool and fun, but I'm stupid]), so instead I went to Asakusa. It's right next door so really what's the difference?

And that is the story of how today became Asakusa Day. But then, when I was getting dressed and ready to enjoy Asakusa Day, I decided that Asakusa Day is not nearly interesting enough. So, Asakusa Day became the more interesting incarnation of itself: Asakusa Spy Day.

What this means, is that I would spend the day in Asakusa being all touristy and taking a lot of pictures because Asakusa is one of the most touristy places in all of Tokyo, but I would be undercover as a JAPANESE tourist. Asakusa is a huge TOURIST magnet, not GAIJIN TOURIST magnet. There are a ton of school children and Japanese people from anywhere outside of Tokyo. I could be a tourist from Hiroshima. They don't know. Muhahahahaha!!!!

So, I got dressed up in as Nippon-ppoi (that means Japan-ish) a fashion as I could with my American clothes, took a picture of myself, and set off making my own spy theme music. in my head. That last bit is important.

Yes, so that's me doing the little peace sign thing. I got all my hair piled on top of my head like all the other Japanese girls do, and I'm wearing a dress over a T-shirt and jeans, because Japanese girls I've noticed, put together an entire outfit and then put either a dress or a big, blousy shirt over it. Only then is the true outfit complete. Also got on the earrings I bought in Harajuku. That's pretty Japanese, right? I mean, all I had to work with was American clothes so.... come on, my resourceful spy skills are pretty good right? Hiroko Bourne. Oh god that's a horrible joke.

So anyways...moving on. Getting to Asakusa was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. Not on the Yamanote Line. haha. oops. Thought it was. Just meant transferring from the JR to the subway. Not too bad. I'm being a baby about it, but I don't like riding the subway. It's underground, did you know? haha. So when I finally got above ground, I was so happy to have fresh air that I took a picture. Of nothing. Whatever. You can feel my joy, can't you?

So yup, that's what you see immediately after you exit the subway station.

The main attraction to Asakusa is the largest temple in Tokyo called Sensouji, which has the same kanji for Asakusa but is pronounced completely differently. Hora, this is the kanji for Asakusa: 浅草. This is the kanji for Sensouji: 浅草寺. The second one just has "temple" added to the end. Japanese is stupid.

Anyways, the other main attraction is the street leading up to Sensouji called Nakamise Street that is filled with little shops. I purposely decided not to google map them and so I just randomly walked around Asakusa. I picked a random direction from the subway exit and ran with it. Except I walked because I was in heels and also I'm lazy.

But traveling is much more fun if you do it this way. Just randomly stroll. I saw this weird looking restaurant with painted cow statues outside and a shrine on the roof. Bet that's not in any guide books. Should be though, that's some hard core weirdness that should be visited.

But as it happens, my creepy sense of direction led me right to the famous shopping street. Here's A shopping street that I saw called Shin Nakamise. As soon as I saw the name I realized my spy senses had led me to where I wanted to be without me even trying.

Here's another little side shopping street. Again, it's not THE shopping street, but almost every street started to look the same: packed full of more shops than really feasible. I guess it's the result of being so close to Nakamise?

That one was a little nicer because it had a bunch of trees and the stores were more like stands at a festival so it wasn't so stuffy. You would understand the value in a lack of stuffiness if you have ever experienced the humidity of Tokyo during the rainy season.

I bought this cute little watch from this cute little old guy manning one of the booths on this street because it's cute and also he gave me a HUGE discount that I didn't even ask for because he said I was cute!!

Ok, so here is the actual famous street. 仲見世通り、ようこそ。Nakamise Doori, Yookoso. Welcome to Nakamise Street.

I saw this cool little string thing at a few of the shops but I have no idea what I'd do with it because I'm pretty sure it just sits there and looks cool, also, it's so delicate, there's no way I'd ever get it home. So, I took a picture instead. Almost as good.

Nakamise Doori is mostly filled with touristy stuff like key chains and whatnot, but some of it is pretty high quality. They had kokeshi dolls which are wooden dolls that I love that usually go for anywhere from $50-$500. You might be able to get a cheap one for $13 or $30, but they really look their price. There were also samurai swords and kimono and all sorts of stuff. They really had a thing for frogs and ninjas though. Don't know why...

At one end of this street is Sensouji itself, and at the other end is the famous gate called Kaminari Mon, or "Thunder Gate." That's a big lantern in the middle there with the Kanji for Kaminari Mon (雷門).

This is a crazy tourist magnet and all the guys who give rickshaw rides stand here and try to get customers. I actually came here about 3 times throughout the day, just because it's in a central location and between Sensouji and the subway station (something I figured out when I saw a map. Apparently I had made a big loop and came in the middle of Nakamise Doori. Most people start at Kaminari Mon and go up. oops.) I learned by the 2nd time not to make eye contact with the rickshaw guys. They're just as bad as hosts trying to pick up women in Shinjuku!! They pick you out of the crowd, make eye contact with you, smile until you get within earshot and then try to suck you in. And most of them are pretty cute. Don't be lured!! I mean, unless you want a rickshaw ride. I'm sure they're pretty fun. I just have no money. :p

I don't know why that gate is the famous one. I like this one better. It was on the other side of Nakamise Doori.

It's guarded by these two gods. The first one is like, "STOP! You shall not pass! Back demon, Back!"

And the other guy's like, "Oh, you're just a person, not a demon! Oh man, ha, this is embarrassing. Sorry about my little red friend over there. Ok, you can pass. Have a good time talking to the gods and all! Douzo goran kudasa~i!!"

All the shop girls yell that when you enter any store in Japan, REALLY LOUDLY!! They all say, "Irasshaimase~~~~~~~! Douzo goran kudasa~~~~~~~i!!!!" Which means, "Welcome! Please look around!" I really don't know why a big red guard god would say that.

This is the BOTTOM of the big red lantern you saw like 3 pictures ago. People thought I was funny, at least that's how I've decided to interpret their weird looks and laughter, when they saw me kneeling way down and turning my head up and almost falling over because I was wearing heels, just to take this picture. It's so big, that even though it was maybe a foot above my head (and I am not a tiny woman. I'm about 5'8" plus 3" heels), I had to get pretty low to get the whole thing in the frame. But it's really gorgeous. And kind of a secret. No one every takes a picture of it. Probably because they have more pride than me, or ANY PRIDE AT ALL.

After the gate, the actual temple starts. First, you have to wash your hands. I washed my hands, but I can't wash them and take a picture of me washing them at the same time. It takes both hands because you use one to hold the cup-on-a-stick (I really hope it's not actually called that) and poor water on the other, and then switch. So, here are some other people doing it.

Then people lit some incense. Not really some, it was remininscent of California last summer when 90% of it was aflame.

Earlier I had bought this tempura thingy to-go so I could sit and eat it in the little park area surrounding the temple and that's exactly what I did. Not sure if that was disrespecting the gods or not. That thought occurred to me when I opened it, but it vanished as soon as I took a bite because the food was much more heavenly than the temple was. Looks like crap though.

Asakusa is also pretty famous for it's sembei (Japanese crackers) and tempura, but this was not normal tenpura. This was like a big mass of stuff fried in tenpura batter over rice with a sweet sauce all over it. There were baby shrimps, squid, kappa, and vegetables, all for $500!! (oops. I mean $5. ￥500. That's kinda a big difference. Sorry for those of you who read this before I caught my mistake.) So tasty! I'm gonna say it was probably the best thing I have eaten in Japan so far. And I don't even know what to call it.

Wow!! I just realized as I was typing out this blog, that tenpura actually has the kanji for heaven in it!! I forgot! Ha! So there! I told you the food was more heavenly than the temple. The temple doesn't have the kanji for heaven in it.

Anyways, here's the inside of the temple. I don't have a shot of the whole thing because it was under construction and they had built a ton of stuff around it and put tarp over things. But the inside was still the same as it would have been.

I bought this charm for my mom inside here. The lady I bought it from was so nice. I said, "すみません。えと、母は病気なんですが、どちらのほうはいいと思いますか？" And she told me and then after I bought it she said, "早くお母様は元気になるように。" and gave me the sweetest smile. For those of you who don't understand Japanese, let this be incentive for you to learn. Unless you're my mom. I'll tell you when I get home.

It's got a gold dragon on it! I know because it says so on the back. haha. Rawr!

So the temple was all very nice, but I really liked the outdoor parky type place where I sat and had my heavenly meal better. So I went back there.

See where those two people are sitting? That's where I had my lunch. Also, isn't the bird cool? In flight. Very nice, Hiroko, very nice. I waited hours just to get that shot. Or I just snapped it before I moved on. The first one's a cooler story and for those of you who pick the second one, go read Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

So I left Sensouji and continued randomly walking in directions that looked interesting. It really is the best way to get to know a place really quickly. Planning is stupid.

I stumbled upon this beautiful red bridge. I don't know why this one isn't in the guide books either. Why does no one talk about this bridge? It's really close to Sensouji and it's gorgeous!

Later I found another bridge that was kinda ugly but had a really good view of the pretty red bridge. I hung out right in the middle of that, just right of the yellow sign you can see there. I stayed there for a while because it was really breezy and just comfortable. Some people gave me concerned looks though. I wasn't gonna jump. god.

And that was pretty much my Asakusa Spy Day. I think I was pretty successful. People didn't really seem to realize that I was undercover gaij-tourist until I said anything other than the Japanese equivalent of "excuse me" or "I'd like to buy this please." Anything else would give myself away immediately because it was probably wrong. haha. But my accent's ok so my spy day was pretty seikou (that means like, emmm, successful, but it's a noun. Whatever just learn Japanese yourself; that's close enough for me.)

On my way back from Nakano station, it began to rain. Luckily, a spy is always prepared with the right gadget, so I had my handy-dandy umbrella in my bag, but it started to rain so hard so suddenly that I didn't get it up in time and I got a little soaked. haha.

But here's a picture of me, slightly soaked, happy in my apartment with a little hair thing I bought on Nakamise doori. It cost way more money that it was worth, but I wanted it, so I bought it. And that is the secret to a happy life: if you feel like doing something, do it. Proof = look how happy I look in my cute little hair thing that maiko wear!!

P.S. You guys do know that there is a link you can click right below here to leave comments for me right? I kinda like comments. ^-^

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