Da FunkFest!

Last Thursday, December 6 I went to see Daft Punk in Kobe. I had never been to a concert in Japan before, so I thought that 'Da FunkFest' tour would be good one to experience here.
There were some things I noticed that were different from the concerts that I go to in my home country. First of all, when I got to the hall where it was held, there was a line that went all around the building and no one even tried to cut in. It was very well organized. The show was sold-out, but to me it looked like that there was enough room for a couple hundred more people. Maybe because of safety..? Another remarkable thing was that it actually started on time, at 19:00! It ended early for my standards, but this is because trains in Japan stop riding after a certain time. That didn't matter because the concert was awesome!

Umbrella...ella...ella

All the umbrella's you can imagine, you can find in this umbrella store in Hiroshima. When in Japan you will need to get yourself one of these....especially during Fall.
A lot of districts in Japan are known for their specialization in something, whether it is food, electronics or fashion, it can be anything (...like umbrella's).

Bowling Pins & Candy Slots

It seems that everyone can bowl here. This place in Makino (Hirakata) only closes for two hours in the morning so the truly serious bowler can take a nap from 7 to 9 before starting on their day of knocking down pins. Of course if bowling isn't interesting enough there is always the crane and slot machines where you can win yourself a pile of candy. That is, after you have wasted ¥2000 trying to knock down boxes of kit kats. Similar machines can be seen just about anywhere because you never have to go far before you run into an arcade full of them.

Survival Tips

I do have to warn you that things in Japan cost money and you are going to have to have a grasp on the currency. The currency exchange rate is always changing but it is a safe bet to say that ¥100 is about $1 US dollar.
In Japan, I spend money a lot more then I do when I am back in my home country because of the difference in physical differences. The most common coin the in US currency is the quarter, which is worth a quarter of a dollar. The quarter is very similar to the ¥100 coin and I find it very easy at times to just use my ¥100 coins because, I don’t have to take my wallet out as I would a US dollar to spend and I feel like it’s just like a quarter so it’s easy to spend. Spending ¥100 like that adds up to a lot more then you bargain for. Please be careful about your spending while in Japan.

The best way to get around during your time in Japan is a bicycle. If you constantly take the bus or a taxi, the fairs will definitely add up and the bus doesn’t always run when you want it too. You can buy a used bike form anywhere around ¥5,000. A bicycle tremendously reduces you daily travel time and gives you the greater ease of travel. There are tons of bikes everywhere in Japan. Everyone from children to older men and women uses bikes every day. A mother uses the bike to pick her children up from school or to carry her groceries home, the business man uses the bike to ride to the train to get to work and the student uses it to commute to and from school.
There are laws in Japan for bicycles that you should be careful to observe. Such as, a bicycle is a one person vehicle and you cannot do anything that would impair your ability to drive the bike such as holding an umbrella on a rainy day, talking on a cell phone, and riding under the influence of alcohol.
Be sure to take care while riding your bicycle because the streets are very narrow and traffic can be heavy at times. As the Japanese would say: “きをつけて”

Garbage or art?

So I took a little trip to the Osaka Kaiyukan (Aquarium). The outside of the building was an exhibit made by high school students made out of only recycled items. There were many display cases along the way with different themes. After the Aquarium closed, the students took their own creations apart and threw it all in garbage bags.

Blog Essay #2

My second blog essay is about a posting from Anthropology Judged From Pictures. The posting is entitled A Rest Room in Japan. As for the subject of this posting, I was immediety drawn to the post because I absolutely love, love all these super toilets. Even though I love these toilets this post is not really about the toilets themselves.

The posting is more about the function of the rest room in Japanese culture. The public toilets in Japan are different from those in America. Most toilets in America are not like a separet room but have a flimsy half door enclosing you in your small space. It is one of my most dreaded times when I am forced to use a public restroom in America but in Japan its a different story. I know that I will be alone and free to do what must be done with almost no outside interfernce. I do like the idea of having alittle time away byself self especially during the time I would to do my business alone. Sometimes I even sneak in a little nap in a rest room and these wonderful Japanese rest rooms with the warm seats make it ooh so nice. Thank you Warmlet!

Go for a ride!

In a little canal in Akiahabara there was a group of people about to take a ride on these speed boats. It was a little cold, but it didn't seem to bother them. I wish I could have gone with them...instead I went shopping for electronics, that is what this area is famous for after all.