Mai is a sweet girl I met in Arao. She is a family friend of my host family and we are close in age. When I first met her we visited the local amusement park over the summer. So, when I came back to Arao we hung out again!

We visited Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine which houses the god of literature and calligraphy. It was packed when we went. Just to give our respects of ten yen and make a wish we had to wait. My host mother was saying that, in the new year last year, she waited an hour to give thanks to the god because there were so many people in line. Normally you toss money into a large box, maybe three feet wide, by two feet tall, but they had a whole barrier around the front of the shrine where you could toss money so there wouldn't be a line just for the box.

We visited here specifically for Mai's game match. She plays Hyakunin Isshu which is essentially a card game made up of matching poem card. I really can't explain this game and couldn't figure it out from watching, nor from reading descriptions. It's fast paced and players slap and smack the cards in front of them. Cards go flying so it's entertaining to watch but I have no idea nor understand how to play.

Mai is on the left

Sitting like that takes a lot of strength, as it kills your legs after only a few minutes. It's a super intense game and lasts a while! To be honest I can't tell how people win either. It's very formal so no long sighs from the loser, no big smiles from the winner.

After that, we got the local specialty sweet which is Ume ga e mochi. Which is plum (flower) picture mochi. It's mochi, with a picture of a plum on it. We went to a small Japanese style cafe, where you can sit outside with hot tea, on the same table you eat off of.

Left is the mochi, you can see little indents. Those are the plum flowers. There is anko (sweet red bean paste) inside.
The green stuff is green tea which I love very much. It is bitter and goes good with sweets.
The two little things are umeboshi. Pickled plums. I don't like, but I ate anyways because it's fun to pucker!

Mei and I!

It's fun to speak English and Japanese with Mei, as she doesn't know much English and my Japanese isn't perfect of course. I had so much fun with her! When I come back to Japan I will come to Arao to visit my host family and Mai!

Nara

For whatever reason Nara has a lot of deer running around. They want cookies, but I didn't buy them cookies this time. I just patted some of them that didn't look mean. Like this one. They aren't scared of people and will come and say hello (I want food).

Nara is a good day trip from Kyoto if you are up for walking around. It's about a 860 for one way, so a little expensive for me as a budget traveler. It's not too difficult to get there but I do suggest you know the kanji for Nara and your transfer stop (mine happened to be Tofukuji). Even still, there is always someone who speaks English somewhere around.

In Nara there isn't just deer, there is Todaiji, a massive complex with a large statue Buddha inside. There is also a large golden one as well. Although Todaiji might not be as decorated as Kinkakuji (golden pavilion), it is just stunning. The wood is old and it's age shows. Pictures can't show just how massive this building is. It's truly stunning. 

I walked back along the park road, passing many deer as I went. I picked up street food. Half of a massive baked sweet potato. I love the sweet potato here. It isn't pink on the inside like in America. More like a yam type thing, but sweet, hot and tasty! I passed through Kofukuji, a Buddhist temple. There were also deer there as well. Some tried to take my sweet potato. My potato.

The good thing about Nara is that it's a perfect day trip, even half a day if you aren't just strolling along. It was getting cold out and was cloudy all day, which made it feel rather late even though I finished up around three in the afternoon. From the JR Nara Station everything is just a walk away and it's not all that complicated to get to. There is an English map you can pick up with all the sight seeing spots. No buses needed, just walk!

Tofukuji

To start my day I went to Tofukuji which is a zen temple with a beautiful garden area. It's tucked away by residential houses which makes it a beautiful walk out of the city. There are two sections of this temple, both require different entry. Both are 400 yen for a total of 800. I was a little surprised by that but it wasn't very expensive and was still interesting to see.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Next I walked down the road about fifteen minutes to Fushimi Inari Taishia which is the the number one place to visit in Kyoto. I think maybe all of Japan as far as shrines/temples go. It's famous for it's thousands of bright red gates and the large foxes who are said to be messengers for Inari. It's a long, beautiful walk upstairs and it's totally free! 

Gion

I then took the bus home that afternoon and walked aimlessly around Gion. The main roads are busy, full of tourists and locals all looking for places to eat, to go to bars and tea houses, but back a few streets were my hostel is, there are old Gion streets which are beautiful restaurants and shops and homes. 

For quarter break I went to Yufuin which is only a forty minute bus ride from Beppu. I went with two friends from my Japanese class. In Beppu it was pretty warm and I was dying even in a t-shirt but in Yufuin, a quiet mountain town, it was pretty chilly and I was glad I brought my light sweater. The leaves are starting to change color finally! I visited here before and wrote a post about it back in spring semester.

For lunch we visited a Snoopy Peanuts themed cafe. We got to sit with a giant snoopy stuffed animal and got snoopy themed foods! Definitely a super cute cafe why can't we have these in America. I stopped at the Studio Ghibli store here and bought a cute photo frame as well!

 Okay this post will actually be two separate, not consecutive days. But it's fits together.

My host family lives in a mansion (an apartment complex) which has a lovely view of this amazing amusement park called Greenland. At night it is lit up beautifully. Like so. Greenland is a very popular, and a very big amusement park (I'll soon find out) and it is always crowded. In the summer, at least.

On the last day of August which is the last day of summer before school starts there is hanabi (fireworks) set off. So we went to their friends for hot pot, since they have a better balcony view of the fireworks.This marks the last day of summer. Literally, the last day of being crowded.

So, a few days later I went to Greenland with my new friend Mai! She is so cute and fun to hang around with! I had to use my Japanese a lot more since she doesn't speak English. There was literally NO ONE at Greenland and it was wonderful. Still humid and hot, but no lines, nothing.

I played with guinea piggies.

Me and Mai!

There were at least ten different coasters, three haunted houses, two haunted theaters, games and many more! It sorta reminded me of a retro theme park because the rickety sounds were a little ah... unnerving, but I am not dead. I definitely had fun!

Not actually home home. I'm going to my host families home which is home enough.

Now, I tried to be really cheap on this trip. Which mean I decided to go by bus and train everywhere. That being said, I took a bus from Sendai to Tokyo in the morning, a bus from Tokyo to Osaka later that night and took a train to Fukuoka that morning, then a train to Arao that evening. Needless to say I needed a shower, but saved a bundle.

The bus company I used was: WillerBus. The website is in English and the prices are cheap! There are different buses, from plain seats with no features, to capsule hotel style seats. Of course they get more expensive, but I think I paid about 25UDS each way on these buses and they were great. No one talks. Only women sit with women and they visit a rest stop almost every two hours or so.

Omurice and Tonkatsu

Between Tokyo and Osaka I was at the station for a while so I got dinner of my comfort food of omurice and tonkatsu. I finished it all in hopes to store up for the winter ahead. I then went to the book store to read an entire book while standing there for four hours.

Pictures from the Bus

Rice Fields, not perfect grass.

After that long journey, I came home and my host mother picked up me up the station. She fed me sweets, then I showered and went to bed.

Thought my trip was over? I have half a month more of playing around now! Look forward to me struggling while climbing a mountain, painting spiky chestnuts and going to Nagasaki!

The subway wasn't so difficult. On day one, yeah it was confusing, but after riding it a few times, you get used to it.

Here is a great website to use to educate yourself before hand. I didn't think to use it. Tokyo Metro. In Japan, subways are all the same. Same ticket booth, same maps, etc. Sometimes they are not in English nor in Hiragana. Good news is that on all of the metro lines the stations are announced in both English and Japanese. I heard Chinese a few times too.

To start, you can purchase tickets at touch screen computers. Just look at the map above, see where you want to go and it says the price from the current station. The computers can be put in English. **Carry 1000 yen bills and coin, as most do not accept anything greater than that unless you are going far on the JR. (JR is not the same as the metro, but there is a JR Loop Line in Tokyo)

Now you get a small ticket. When you enter, put it in the little slot and TAKE IT on you way out of the ticket gate. You need this to get off. When you arrive at your destination, put it in the slot. You don't get it back. If you get off after what you paid for, there are correctional computers where you put your ticket in and it tells you the amount you need to add, then you can exit! Simple.

SUBWAY ETIQUETTE: Japan has subway etiquette. Such as standing in line. There are marked areas where the doors will be. Stand in line. Some cars are female only for rush hour. If you are female, take those. Rush hour is around 8 am and 5pm. I suggest traveling before that, or after that, unless you want to be squished between awkward businessmen. Don't put luggage on seats, offer seats to elderly. Obviously don't litter and no smoking on the subway trains.

(Click to zoom in)

It looks confusing but it's easier than New York. Everything is color coded and numbered.

By reading up on the different lines you can find what is closest to what. There are also private rail companies, not metro, that run through Tokyo. Like the Tsukuba Express which goes from right next to my hostel to Akihabara. Even if you can't read the name of the station, you can know where to go by the station number. There is also the JR Yamanote line (which is not Tokyo Metro) that loops through Tokyo.

For those traveling just in Tokyo you don't need a JR Pass and it's probably a waste of money to get one. The fare between stations is fairly cheap. Take the subway, even if it seems difficult. Taxi are expensive and often times don't speak English, nor do many accept credit cards! 

MONEY MATTERS: Tokyo has more places that accept credit cards, but if you are simply here on vacation, take cash. Exchange in your home country and come with cash, as Japan is a very cash based society. Coins are very much used and it isn't strange to walk around with fat wallets. NO TIPPING IN JAPAN. 

If you do bring a card, you can take out cash from JP Bank. (Which is also the post office). They have ATM's in English but of course there will be a fee.

Today is my last day is Tokyo.

I decided to make a visit to a cat cafe first thing in the morning! Who doesn't like to play with kitties in the morning? Cat cafes are becoming increasingly more and more popular. The young kitties were in a huge kitty house for now. Cats in Japan seem to be much more docile than in America. They actually let you pet their tummies!

Staring intensely at his food being prepared.

Baby cat baby cat baby cat

After spending an hour there, I decided to visit Tokyo Tower! Sky Tree was a little too expensive, so I decided on Tokyo Tower.

The only point at which I could get the whole thing in one shot. It's only about ten meters shorter than the Eifle Tower.

I climbed up to the first observatory. The one at the way top was very expensive. If Godzilla really destroyed Tokyo, I'd probably be dead. The little lego guy is saying that this tower was built with legos!

View from Observatory Deck

Looking down...

A cool shot I took from the bottom of Tokyo Tower. I will definitely frame this picture when I get home!

Disney Land Tokyo is almost a replica of California Disney Land. I don't know if that's true since I haven't been there before. I've been to Disney in Florida which is much bigger.

I went during Matsuri Season which is both good and bad. Bad because there were so many people there it was hard to breathe (or maybe that was the 36 degree weather and 80% humidity). Rides had very long lines, but what's Disney without waiting?

Almost everything was in English, which is probably because Disney is not Japanese to begin with. Under the English sign it says: "Disney Natsu Matsuri" or, Disney Summer Festival! The majority of people there were Japanese or Korean actually, but there were some rare westerners.

Home of the tiki room which is Lilo and Stich themed since Stich is very popular and the western river railroad which takes you all around the park.

Here is where it actually seems Japanese to me. Their large day parade was the Matsuri "Festival" where all the characters performed on large floats. They all had traditional wear too.

Thank goodness for the super zoom on my camera because I was rather far from the main stage. They did come around in a circle though. It was definitely a different take on Disney than what I've seen.

After that I stood in a few more lines for rides like Big Thunder Mountain and It's a Small World. My favorite ride is the Haunted Mansion, which is the same at Disney Florida. Still very fun.

Park food is ridiculously expensive so I didn't eat a big lunch. I had a tiny turkey leg. Nothing like the massive ones in Florida though. I think I ended up drinking five bottles of water. While eating I watched yet another parade featuring all the Disney characters.

Finally rested, a little bit. It was starting to get dark and was still hot, so I went on an indoor ride. Star Tours. The motion movie itself was the same as Disney Florida but the movie played while in the line was different and interesting.

After this, it was getting late and about time for the electrical parade! So, I took my seat on the sidewalk and enjoyed! The music is still stuck in my head.

Shortly after that was the Disney Illuminations. I wasn't as close as I would have liked, but the inside was reserved for VIP's and there were a lot of people. Feeling pretty magical by now.

Honeycombs for Pooh Bear was my favorite one. All in all this was a good day. I really wished my family could have come because we have so much fun whenever we go to the one in Florida. It wasn't as big and I didn't go on as many rides as I wanted, but there were three parades, then the Illuminations. I hope one day I can take them to Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea.

I got back rather late and instantly fell asleep. For tomorrow...

DISNEY SEA.