A Trip to See Mount Fuji

Hi again blog readers,

So, I'm going to keep the theme of Mount Fuji going again this week because last weekend I got to go on an amazing trip to the Kawaguchiko area (near Mount Fuji) and surrounding areas for a very busy, but very fun day.

The day started out early and we were all at the bus by 9:00 am, the first stop was at Mount Kachi Kachi, a mountain on the opposite side of Lake Kawaguchiko, prime Fuji viewing territory. Upon our arrival, we got in line for the "ropeway", which was a cable car up Mount Kachi Kachi.

  
Ropeway ticket and exiting the cable car at the top, looking down on Lake Kawaguchiko.

As soon as we exited the cable car, we were greeted with a magnificent view of Mount Fuji. It was incredible seeing Fuji up close, it looks a LOT smaller from my window back at campus.

  
Hello there Fujisan! (The first image is probably the best photo I will ever take!)

Aside from the great view of Fuji, the peak of Mount Kachi Kachi had little things to do, including a small souvenir/snack shop, a photo service where you could get a free postcard or buy a photo of yourself in front of Fuji and a hiking trail, but let's be honest, when you have this kind of a view you really don't need to offer much else!

  
Me and my friend Fujisan taking a selfie and Mount Kachi Kachi's mascots.

For anyone who may not know much about Japan, Fujisan (often -san is added as an honorific, almost like saying Mr. Fuji, the mountain is also often referred to using male pronouns) is iconic in Japanese history, art, etc. So if you do come study abroad in Japan, not only will you find Fujisan merchandise literally everywhere, but depending how close you are to the area, you may even be lucky enough to have a view of him out your dormitory window like me!  Anyways, back to the trip!

We hung out at the top of Mount Kachi Kachi for maybe an hour to an hour and a half until it got close to lunch time. Then it was back down the ropeway and off to a barbecue!


Mount Fuji looking out over Lake Kawaguchiko as we left.

Our next stop was a traditional barbecue place, we were put into groups and sat at large wooden table with a small fire burning in a sort of pan in front of us. A cast iron lid was placed over top and we all enjoyed cooking and eating our lunch together.

  
Quite possibly the single best meal I've had in Japan. It was fun and delicious!


The rest of the group finishing up their lunch.

The lunch included pork, noodles and a variety of vegetables such as onions, squash, cabbage, peppers, etc. I never did get the name of this place, but there are a lot of barbecue places like it in Japan, and I highly recommend you give it a try if you get the chance.

After lunch, everyone was energetic and excited again, so we got back on the bus and headed off to our next stop: Saito Iyashi no Sato Nenba (we all referred to it as Nenba for short). Nenba is a traditional Japanese village that has been restored as a tourist destination, it's old houses had been turned into small craft shops, historical displays and even a couple restaurants.

  
Fuji was always in the background, and in one of the buildings a man was demonstrating weaving.

  
A shrine behind one of the houses and another glimpse of Fuji.

It's no wonder why Japanese artists can paint entire series of Fujisan, it looks great in every picture! Unfortunately, most of my pictures from Nenba are on my camera and I can't get them posted here, but it was a great experience and the shops were all beautiful (though many of them did not allow photos to be taken inside).


Some handmade glass figures in one of the shops.

After Nenba, everyone got on the bus for our ride back to campus. It was such a long day with lots of events, but it was absolutely one of the most memorable trips I've been on here in Japan. I was astounded by the amount of activities that were planned (initially I thought it was just going to see Mount Fuji and getting lunch), I never expected to get the opportunity to go see Fuji, cook and eat an incredible lunch and get to see a traditional Japanese village. To put this in perspective, this trip cost me 1,000 yen (just under 10 USD). So as I've said before, take advantage of things like this while you're abroad, you may be surprised by a trip that far exceeds your expectations!

Well, I think that's all I have about Fujisan for now, since it's Thanksgiving back in the states, I'll be celebrating a very unorthodox Thanksgiving here by cooking a unique Thanksgiving dinner with a friend from Florida tonight. So next weeks post will be about that and how to make it feel a little more like the holidays while in your home country. Stay tuned!

Until then,
Julia.

Fuji-san and a trip to the Prefectural Arts Museum

Hello wonderful blog readers,

A little bit late with this week's post, but that's because today's topic happened earlier this morning. Today I was able to go to the Yamanashi Prefectural Arts Museum with my Japanese Art History class. The museum was currently holding an exhibit focusing on Fuji-san (Mount Fuji) with pieces of art from various time periods throughout Japanese history. While the museum did have limitations on photography, I did manage to get a couple photos to share. Mount Fuji is a very prominent figure in many aspects of Japanese culture as well as art, so there were a lot of works (some from very well-known artists) on display today. Luckily, this weekend is a celebrated holiday/festival time here in Japan, so we were able to see the exhibit at no cost. If you study abroad, I highly recommend looking for things like this in order to not only experience great cultural works, but also save on your wallet.


Outside the Prefectural Museum.

This exhibition featured a lot of paintings, sculptures and calligraphy pieces from periods spanning post war Japan all the way up to the Meiji Restoration (Japan's industrialization period beginning in 1868 after the Boshin War). Many of the paintings included emakimono which literally means "picture scroll" and byoubu which translates to the folding panel screens that were common in Japanese architecture at the time, many of these were painted in the yamato-e style that arose during the 15th century and reflected on the previous Heian period. Yamato-e paintings focused on the so called golden days of Japan. This style was very popular during the 15th century, but it also saw a sort of revival during later periods through painting schools such as the Kano and Tosa sects. The images themselves often focused on very delicately drawn characters and buildings surrounded by a "floating cloud" as it was called. The floating cloud was most often depicted by an opaque gold background with the figures appearing to float among the gold.

  
Emakimono and Byoubu in Yamato-e style, both featuring Fuji-san.

It was such an incredible experience getting to see some very famous works in person, until this point I had only been studying them in class and seeing images during the lectures. Aside from emakimono and yamato-e paintings, there were also a number of ukiyo-e, which are Japanese wood block prints that originated around the 17th century and lasted until the 19th (though wood block prints can still be found today, especially as souvenirs). A few prints from one of Japan's most famous artists (Hokusai) were on display as well, however, I wasn't able to take a photo of these. For anyone who has studied art, you are likely to know at least on of Hokusai's works, that being "The Great Wave off of Kanagawa", many of the prints from his "36 views of Mount Fuji series are considered to be some of the best works of Japanese art, so to be seeing them in person was an amazing experience. (For reference, I've included photos of some Hokusai prints found online below).

  
Hokusai's Great Wave and a print from his Fuji-san series (titled "Red" which was on display today).

The exhibition had so much to see that it's hard to put into words, but if you do get the chance to study abroad (whether it's in Japan or anywhere else in the world) make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to see important works of art and other meaningful cultural aspects. Trips like the one I took today really make me realize what a great experience being in another country is, as my time here gets closer to an end, I hope I'll be able to see a lot more of these national treasures that helped shape the cultural and artistic movements, and I hope you'll all take advantage of it too.

  
Saving the best for last, these were my two favorite pieces from the exhibition. The left was an Edo period painting and the right is likely from the Kano or Tosa school of painting.

After the museum, my class took a trip to a traditional Japanese tea house and enjoyed very high quality matcha (Japanese green tea used in traditional tea ceremonies) and a little mochi cake before heading back to campus.

  
Sencha to start, followed by a bowl of rich matcha tea and a mochi cake in a beautiful tea house surrounded by Autumn scenery.

Small trips like this really make my time here memorable, far more than my hectic trips to Tokyo, next week's topic will be about a trip I'm taking tomorrow to Mount Fuji area for a BBQ with some students from the Intercultural department.

Until then, じゃあね
Julia.

A Magical Day in Tokyo at the Studio Ghibli Museum

Hello blog readers and welcome back!

This week I'm writing about a trip I took over the past weekend, to the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka.


A plush Totoro with a map from Mitaka Station to the museum.

 For those of you that may not know, Studio Ghibli is an animation studio in Japan. The creator Hayao Miyazaki is highly acclaimed and known worldwide for his films and animation/illustration styles. Some of his most famous films include "Spirited Away", "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro". If you haven't seen any of these (or the other Studio Ghibli films) I highly recommend giving them a watch, I can't praise them enough honestly! But this post isn't about me advising you to see the films, it's about a trip I was able to take to the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka Japan.

  
When we arrived at the museum, needless to say I was very excited!

I've been a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli since I was a little kid, so this trip was something that was on my 'Must Do' list for my time here in Japan. The museum itself is incredibly whimsical and beautifully designed in a way that brings Hayao Miyazaki's unique art style and creations to life in every way. There were restrictions to taking photos, however, so unfortunately I can't share all the amazing art that was there, or all the little whimsical interactive pieces this wonderful museum had to offer. Anyways, we arrived outside the museum a little before noon on Saturday (November 7th) and we were greeted by this enormous Totoro plushie sitting inside the ticket booth before the museum staff guided us around the building to the entrance.

  
The side of the museum, like something straight out of a Ghibli film!

Upon entering the museum, we were told the rules about photography, then given a "ticket" with copies of actual animations cels in them. My cels for from a scene from the movie "Ponyo", I can't describe how happy such a small piece of memorabilia made the students in my group (myself included), it's something so small considering these 3 cel images make up less than one second of the overall film, but it is definitely a very meaningful souvenir that I'll always hold on to to remember this trip.


My ticket from the museum, with a scene from the movie "Ponyo".

 We were guided into the museum and free to explore after that point, up the stairs led to the main exhibition, which had hand drawn/watercolored scenes from Hayao Miyazaki lining the walls. Some other highlights of this exhibition (where photography was prohibited) were small pieces of films to be viewed, drawings of scenes and iconic Ghibli characters, etc. I really wish I could've got pictures to share because words can't do it justice (especially if any of you readers out there are big Ghibli fans like me, I'm sure you'll understand). There were also several interactive pieces to the museum, my favorite being a small set of stairs, two to be specific, leading up to a door. When the door was opened, it revealed a mirror and you're left looking at your reflection. My friend Michelle and I didn't expect this in the slightest, when we turned the corner to where the door was, a woman was coming down the stairs. So we decided to see what was there and when I opened the door we were quite surprised to be face-to-face with our reflections and couldn't help laughing at the looks on our faces.


This was quite an unsuspected surprise! Haha.

There were several interesting things on the second floor besides the exhibition, some included a large plush catbus (a character from the film "My Neighbor Totoro") for smaller children to play in, a gift shop and book store, etc. There was also a walkway that overlooked a small cafe and the outdoor patio below.


Looking down to the cafe and patio from the second floor walkway.

Perhaps the biggest attraction was a special surprise waiting on the roof. Up a spiral staircase to the roof, which was crowded with people taking photos, but standing there was one of the robot guardians from the film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky". I took several pictures of this one (though most are on my digital camera so I can't transfer them to my computer until I get home).

  
A Laputian robot guardian standing among the rooftop garden brought the scene from "Laputa" to life in every way and may have been the most incredible piece at the museum as far as bringing the films to life is concerned.

Before I said goodbye to the Studio Ghibli museum, I obviously stopped in the gift shop, but I also enjoyed some ice cream from the cafe and sat in the tiny theater to watch one of the exclusive seasonal animation shorts that can only be viewed at the museum. After which, I hopped onto a train and enjoyed a few hours hanging out with a fellow W&J student in Akihabara before returning to quiet Yamanashi after a very long, but wonderful day.

  
Lower level patio with a small garden and a "window" looking into the world of a Hayao Miyazaki illustration.

For anyone who has any interest in Studio Ghibli or even just art in general, I can't recommend going to see this museum enough. It's not something that will take up your whole day, just a couple hours or so depending on how long you want to look around. Admission cost is 1,000 yen (a little less than $10), but they have to be reserved online prior, you can find that information online with a simple search, but if you get the chance, take a little time to step into the world of Hayao Miyazaki, in the meantime, watch some Studio Ghibli films and get excited about visiting Japan (or wherever else you may be planning to study).

Until next time,
Julia.

Halloween and a trip to Tokyo!

Hello blog readers!

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I spent this Halloween sight seeing in Tokyo with a fellow W&J student (as well as a former W&J exchange student). The three of us met up at Shinjuku station early Saturday morning and spent a very long day seeing as much as they could think to show me. Both of these friends have experience being in Tokyo and being that it was my first time there, had plenty to show me.


Tyler, me and Mizuki reunited founders/members of W&J's Japanese Language Club!

After exploring Shinjuku's popular shopping areas for a while, we moved to Akihabara, a district known for it's anime and pop-culture shopping locations. We only spent a little time in Akihabara since our one friend isn't a big fan of anime like we are, we walked to Ueno next. Ueno is a district popular for it's art museums, public park, and shopping spots. We went to the famous Ueno park to enjoy a little bit of nature right in the middle of the city, we also stopped to see the temple there.

  
Akihabara and me being silly at an anime photo spot in one of the shops we visited.


A beautiful little garden right in between two large buildings in Tokyo on our way to Ueno.

  
      
Visiting Ueno temple. Dragon fountain, Dog fortune teller, sculpted tree, etc.

One thing that really surprised me was just how much greenery and nature you can find in Tokyo. Every depiction I've seen of Tokyo only focuses on the skyscrapers and the giant advertising screens, but we saw several gardens, parks, etc. tied seamlessly between the typical city features.


Plant pandas!

I asked Mizuki for advice about finding souvenirs and she suggested we check out Asakusa. We probably spent more time here than any other district, the atmosphere was great. We enjoyed seeing the little shops, trying the snacks from local vendors, seeing the temple, etc.

  
      
Asakusa. Handmade goods, snacks, etc. Various souvenir shops and other vendors leading to the temple.

  
People burning incense outside the temple and the three of us at the door of the temple.

  
  
More from Asakusa temple.

After seeing the temple we decided on finding lunch. There were many vendors in Asakusa making and selling tradition Japanese foods. For example, Mizuki treated us to fried red bean buns, and I suggested stopping at a stand that smelled good, menchi katsu, it was almost like a hamburger crossed with a pierogi and deep fried. It was something that none of us had ever tried and it was delicious. Don't be afraid to try new foods while you're abroad, it's part of the adventure!

  
Japanese apricot red bean bun and menchi katsu in Asakusa.

After leaving Asakusa, we headed for Harajuku (with a few unexpected stops in between). It was really great seeing so many popular areas and shopping places throughout Tokyo. On the way to Harajuku, we saw a Rilakuma (popular Japanese character) mascot and I couldn't resist waiting in line for a picture!


Possibly the highlight of my day in Tokyo!

We found a store for the popular social networking/messaging app Line as well, it had several photo spots and Halloween decorations, so we had to stop by and check it out. I think one of the best things about this trip is that we didn't really have an agenda to keep, we planned it out as we went along and we got to see and do so much at little places we came across along the way.

  
  

Shortly after the Line store visit, we arrived in Harajuku, which was full of people in Halloween costumes. Harajuku was definitely one of the more lively places we visited! We spent our time here exploring the shops and (as a recommendation from a friend who had studied abroad in Japan last semester) got crepes while we here, a recommendation I want to pass on to any readers that may plan on studying abroad in Japan. They were incredibly delicious! :)

  
  
Harajuku was crowded, but the atmosphere was great and the crepe was delicious!

After we made it through the shopping district in Harajuku we moved to a park on the path to the Meiji-jingu temple. This was around sunset, but luckily we made it in time to see the temple before it closed for the day. On the walk we decided that our trip would converge in Shibuya come nightfall since it's a very popular spot for celebrating Halloween.

  
Barrels of sake on the path and a huge lantern with the Meiji family crest on it (outside the main temple.)

We also happened upon a traditional Japanese wedding being held on the temple grounds, it was really amazing to witness something like that, especially since ceremonies like that are becoming less and less common in Japan today, only prominent and wealthy families can afford them.


The bride (in red) being escorted across the temple grounds. The kimono were intricate and indescribably beautiful, I was lucky to get a quick picture due to the crowd, but it really doesn't do it justice.

By the time we got back down the path from the temple, the sun was beginning to set, so Mizuki got us to Shibuya and helped me purchase my ticket for the ride home before she had to bid farewell. Even so, it was wonderful getting to catch up with her! There was also one big thing I wanted to see in Shibuya, the statue of the Japanese legend Hachiko, a loyal dog that waited outside the train station for years after his master died and never returned. There's a movie about it too that I would really recommend.


The huge advertising screens Japan is known for (outside the incredibly crowded Shibuya Station).

  
Another bucket list goal achieved when at least I got to visit Hachi!

Shibuya is an incredibly popular district to visit on Halloween (I'm not entirely sure why that is, but the place was packed with a sea of people). For the most part, everyone was very lively and just generally having a good time celebrating Halloween in costume, however, where there are crowds, there are problems. The biggest problem was moving around near the station, Shibuya has a famous crosswalk called "The Scramble" which is known for being crowded. That was especially true on Halloween, there were police officers with crossing tape guiding people across the streets and keeping them back when traffic was moving. The first couple time we had to cross sections of the scramble were easy and went smoothly, however, the last time (when we had had more than enough of the crowd) we were being shoved and tossed around. I felt so bad because I was being shoved into a mother and her little daughter while simultaneously trying to protect the little girl from having her head pushed into the poles and railings. So, if you happen to find yourself in a crowded section of a city on a crazy celebration night, make sure you keep close attention to your possessions and your surroundings. I'm not trying to make this sound like a bad experience, it's just the nature of people, nobody wants to wait for the next crossing so shoving happens. Overall, my time in Shibuya was incredibly fun. Everyone was just trying to enjoy the holiday, taking pictures with people, chatting, showing off costumes, etc. It was honestly a lot of fun, but the crowd was just too much, so Tyler and I headed back to Shinjuku to hang out for the remaining time before my train ride home.

  

The famously infamous scramble was extra crowded due to the Halloween crowd, but for the most part everyone was having fun together, taking photos with the crowd, etc.

  
I bought a kigurumi that I'd been wanting when we got back to Shinjuku, it fit the Halloween mood! I also got a picture of some costumes in Shinjuku (the girl on the left is dressed as my favorite character from an anime called Tokyo Ghoul).

After that, we sat down and enjoyed some pizza and I bought a doughnut before I had to head back to quiet little Yamanashi. My day out in Tokyo was incredibly fun and it was definitely a Halloween to remember! If you find yourself abroad during a holiday, try to get out to your host country's bigger cities and enjoy the atmosphere with some locals, it was so much fun! Just make sure you're smart, safe and cautious when in crowds. Have fun and stay safe!

Next week I'll be writing about a trip I'm going on this Saturday, to the Studio Ghibli Museum!
Until then,
Julia.