Category: JAPAN LSA+

07.29.16 – 07.30.16 

Hello lovely readers! It's about time that I gave all you a detailed account of our excursion to Nikko.

Nikko is located in Tochigi Prefecture, which is not too far from Tokyo. It is home to several famous sites, including Kegon no taki (華厳の滝、Kegon Falls) and Tōshōgū (東照宮、Tōshōgū temple and shrine complex, which was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu and bears his remains). Here are some maps for reference!

To get to Nikko, we boarded the semi-express train from Asakusa. The line to the train was filled with foreigners, which only confirmed the fact that Nikko is a must-see destination for tourists. We arrived at Tobū Nikko Station at around 11:30 AM, and stuffed our overnight bags into coin lockers.

We scouted the area for a lunch spot, since many of us were hungry from the ride. We found that yuba dishes (basically tofu skin, or the dry layer that forms on top of tofu when it is boiled) and yuzu flavored drinks (a citrus fruit native to Japan) were popular. We decided to eat at a restaurant that could accommodate a group of our size…the same restaurant that my LSA ate at three years ago! Small world!

The gang.

My lunch!

After feasting on some delicious grub, we headed off to Kegon Falls. We had to take a five-minute long elevator to reach the base of the falls. The tunnel-like passageway connecting the elevator to the base of the falls was extremely cold and wet, much like rainy winter days in Hanover. The waterfall was absolutely gorgeous, and we all made sure to snap several photos.

Kegon Falls.

The gang, before descending to the waterfall.

On our way out of the falls, we stumbled across a very…frightening mascot (or yurukyara) for Nikko: a cartoon version of yuba. Attaching a photo here for your viewing pleasure.

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After the terrifying encounter with the yuba character, we headed to Lake Chūzenji. At the lake, we were able to rent swan boats! The scenery was absolutely gorgeous from within the lake. There was some mischief within the lake: in Mario Kart fashion, some of us crashed our swan boats together playfully.

Lake Chūzenji.

Sharing a swan boat with Jen and Nicole!

Little did we know, it’s quite easy to get lost in a lake as big as Chūzenji. We actually had a lot of trouble making it back to the dock, because all of the docks looked the same. Sadly, we couldn’t enlist Siri’s help…how does one even use GPS on a lake, anyways?

We managed to make it back in one piece, and shortly afterwards headed back to the station. We picked up our stuff from the coin lockers, and headed to our hotel: a very large Japanese-styled inn (ryokan). We ate at the inn’s delicious buffet (which had a sushi section!!), bathed in the onsen (hot springs), and ended the night with karaoke.

Day 2 of our excursion involved a trip to Tōshōgū, which is basically a very ornate temple and shrine complex built by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The gaudiness has caused some controversy, namely that it conflicts with Buddhism’s focus on simplicity and humility.

Entering Tōshōgū.
Temple

Pagoda 

Nemuri neko.

Kikazaru (Hear no Evil), Iwazaru (Speak No Evil), Mizaru (See no Evil).

We walked around the temple complex, gawking at the ornate designs and carvings within the buildings. We also ran into several noteworthy sights within the temple, such as nemuri neko (the sleeping cat). We also managed to take some photos of the infamous carving of monkeys that depict “see no evil,” “hear no evil,” and “speak no evil.”

Our excursion was also full on interesting interactions with wildlife. We spotted a deer, which is a rare sight in a place like Nikko (though certainly not a rare sight in Nara). It looked so majestic and healthy – definitely a photo op. We also noticed a furry creature running about, though it did not look native to the area. It turned out to be a ferret – someone’s pet, actually! The owner of the ferret, who had mentioned that he was taking his ferret out for a walk, proudly introduced Mirin-chan to all of us. He also explained how he finds more comfort in Mirin-chan than his wife. Yeowch!

Mirin-chan!

Towards the end of our excursion, we also spotted some monkeys! Monkeys are native to the area, but are also notorious for being extremely aggressive, and for stealing souvenirs from tourists. This aggression was proven once a tourist in front of us tried to take a picture of a baby monkey – once the baby monkey screeched in annoyance, the mama monkey came dashing forward, bared her teeth, and gave the most frightening screech. Needless to say, all of the LSAers cautiously walked around the monkeys, and prayed that we wouldn’t get attacked.

A majestic deer

A monkey hiding among the leaves

More monkeys

After our excursion, we hopped onto a train back to Asakusa. Upon arriving in Asakusa, we were shocked at how packed the area was! Apparently, it was the day of the Sumida Fireworks, which is one of the biggest events in Tokyo. It certainly was a struggle for us to make it back to Chiba, but we did nonetheless. Stay tuned for more adventures!

07.23.16

Greetings! As you have probably gathered from reading this blog, the Dartmouth students’ experiences with their host families form a significant component of the LSA. I remember that during my LSA experience (back in 2013), my homestay families were truly the highlight of my study abroad experience in Japan. I speak to some of my families to this very day!

In order to provide families with a chance to host a Dartmouth student, some students have the opportunity of staying with two homestay families throughout the program. This is due to the fact that many families want to host Dartmouth students, though there are only 9 students on the program. Students stay with one family for the first half of the program (June 25^th until July 23^rd), and stay with a second family for the last half of the program (July 23^rd until August 28^th).

Today, students said farewell (or rather, “see you soon”) to their host families for the first-half of the LSA, and switched to their second-half host families! Dartmouth, KUIS, and Homestay Japan organized a “Makizushi Party” for the occasion. Makizushi is basically the equivalent of a sushi roll. Both the first half and second half host families were invited to the party, which gave the students a chance to engage with both of their families at once.

The Dartmouth students had a great time learning how to make makizushi with their homestays. The professional makizushi chefs astounded us with lovely designs, such as a sushi roll decorated with the design of a cherry blossom tree. Some of us felt quite guilty about eating the makizushi afterwards, only because the designs were too beautiful to eat!

Makizushi. This specific design was in the shape of a flower, and featured a cheesy center!

Chatter filled the air as the students conversed with their homestays, and the homestays conversed with each other. The food was all around delicious: we all got to try different varieties of makizushi.

At the end of the party, students said farewell to their first-half families, and headed home with their second-half families. Thus begins yet another exciting chapter in the LSA experience: meeting a new family, and experiencing different lifestyles in Japan!

07.16.16 

Today we decided to awaken (or release?) our inner child – we trekked to Maihama for a daylong visit to Disney Sea!

You can’t find Disney Sea anywhere outside of Japan, not even in California or Florida. It is a sea-themed park, with architecture and an overall setting that is reminiscent of Venice. While Disney Land is designated as “Disney for kids,” Disney Sea is generally frequented by teens and adults. Why, you ask? The rollercoasters are a bit more intense than those located in land, and some restaurants serve alcohol.

Now, I know you might be wondering: why would we even bother going to Disney in Japan, if we can easily go in the States? Aside from the fact that Disney Sea is only located in Japan, it’s important to note that Disney itself is a significant cultural experience. The Disney experience is quite different in Japan, both in terms of customer service and park visitors. For example, in terms of park visitors, many friends decide to dress in osoroi, or matching clothes. During our visit to Disney Sea, we saw friends dressed in matching shirts, couples dressed in matching Minnie and Mickey outfits, and even a group of 10 to 15 girls all dressed in the same black outfit (with matching black bunny headbands). If you want to read a scholarly analysis of the Disney experience in Japan, I would suggest taking a look at “’Bwana Mickey’: Constructing Cultural Consumption At Tokyo Disneyland” by Mary Yoko Brannen.

Disney Sea.

Six Dartmouth students attended the Disney excursion: the other three students had other obligations (such as homestay plans and personal excursions). We met at around 9 AM at the turnstiles of Maihama, and boarded the Disney Express Line to Disney Sea. Once we purchased our tickets and entered the park gates, we were immediately greeted by Goofy!

Group picture with Goofy!

We made our way into the park proper, and ran into Jiminy Cricket and the gang from Pinocchio. We grabbed a Fast Pass for “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” and walked to the Aztec-themed part of the park in order to wait in line for “Raging Spirits.” This ride is notorious for being the only rollercoaster in the park with a 360-degree loop.

Trying to figure out a pose with Jiminy Cricket.

After Raging Spirits, we stopped by for a snack at a nearby vendor. Some of us had a mango frozen smoothie, while others ate the spicy chicken leg unique to that side of the park. Afterwards, we made it back to “Journey to the Center of the Earth” just in time for the start of the Fast Pass usage period. We all truly enjoyed the rollercoaster’s scenery, ferocious monsters, and the huge drop at the end (although, I must confess that I thought that I was going to fly out of the cart).

We stopped for lunch, and feasted on some gyoza dogs (gyoza-shaped nikuman). Afterwards, we trekked to the other side of the park and waited in line for "Indiana Jones." Afterwards, we made the journey to yet another side of the park (America-themed!) for “The Tower of Terror.” I didn’t go on the ride, but the LSAers who were brave enough to ride seemed to enjoy it!

The gang on "Tower of Terror."

At one point during the trip, one of the LSAers lost her cellphone. Now normally in the States, once you lose your cellphone at a park like Disney, you can expect it to be stolen and/or gone forever. However, Jen and I were so surprised when we reported the missing cellphone at the park’s lost and found, and received it 15 minutes later! It turned out that a park attendant had found her cellphone, reported it missing, and held onto it. Once we gave a description of the phone (from its outer appearance to the image on its lock screen), the attendant at the lost and found made a phone call, and informed us that a park attendant was waiting for us at the location where Jen had left her phone. Once we arrived at the location, the attendant was waiting with the phone and a clipboard in his hand. One signature later, we received the cellphone! We were in awe, and also very grateful.

The rest of our trip to Disney was mostly characterized by grabbing Fast Passes, waiting in lines (each ride had about a wait of 30 to 40 minutes), and feasting on delicious park snacks. The intricate architecture and designs of the park (such as Ariel’s grotto) definitely caught our eyes.

We were all quite tired, so we headed home before the fireworks. Most of us bought some omiyage (souvenirs) for our host families. We then hopped back onto the Disney Express Line to Maihama Station, and had dinner at Ikspiari, the giant mall located near the station. We all went our separate ways afterwards.

After several weeks of classes and excursions, it definitely felt nice to release our inner children for one day!

07.05.16

Today, we were fortunate enough to participate in a Japanese tea ceremony on KUIS’s campus! This activity was organized by Dictionary, so that the LSAers could have the opportunity to witness and experience an actual Japanese tea ceremony.

The ceremony took place in a traditional tatami no heya (tatami room), featuring summer-themed decorations. We all kneeled in typical seiza fashion, and followed the teacher’s instructions on how to properly perform and enjoy a tea ceremony. She, along with her students, distributed a dish of wagashi (sweets unique to tea ceremonies) to each of us. The wagashi was filled with sweet bean paste, and featured a design of a fish. After we ate the wagashi, the teacher and her students distributed chawan (a small bowl used for drinking tea during tea ceremonies) filled with matcha tea. Before receiving the chawan, we all bowed and expressed our appreciation. We were then instructed to hold the chawan up to chest height with our right hands, and turn it clockwise two times. We then took a sip of the tea, and enjoyed it quietly as a group. The teacher urged us to take in the summer scenes of the room as we drank our tea, such as the giant scroll bearing the kanji of waterfall (taki, 瀧).

Photographs from the tea ceremony

At the end of the ceremony, we gathered around the teacher for a brief Q&A session. She spoke to us of the importance of the longevity of the tea ceremony, and its ability to survive despite the modernization of Japanese society. It was quite easy to tell that she was truly a master in her craft – we were all truly grateful that she took the time to teach us about the art of the tea ceremony.

After the Q&A session, we expressed our gratitude to the teacher and her students, and went out separate ways home.