Sweet Dango

Dango!

I took this picture of Amae-Miso Dango while visiting Fukuroda Falls with my host family. Dango is made of rice flour, mochi, boiled or fried, skewered, and then drizzled with a sweet miso sauce. These were the first dango I have ever eaten! They were absolute perfection, warm and full of flavor! Ever since, that day I had an insatiable craving for dango, but as I later realized some dango can be undercooked and unpleasant. I have yet to find a dango that has matched my "first love".

Silliness aside, dango is a very special treat in Japan! It's most often found during festivals and is served alongside hot green tea. Festivals and dango go together like our American carnivals and funnel cakes. Fresh skewered pineapple, candied bananas, glazed sweet potatoes, and the delicious takoyaki, another favorite of mine, are among other traditional festival foods I found during the festival in Chiba!

Purikura

Purikura~!!
Purikura is a huge sensation in Japan! It allows you to take a series of pictures in a photobooth and then offers a generous amount of options to creatively personalize your photos. They cost around 400 yen or more depending on the brand of the machine. As you can see from the photo above, my friends and I had a great time playing with customization. By default, the purikura machine makes your eyes appear really big and bright. In Japan, large, bright eyes are considered attractive.
In American, we do have photobooths that print out print stickers. However, they don't allow for much personalization. Then again, this is how purikura started! Originally in 1995, you would only find them at festivals to capture the fun moment. They were called プリント倶楽部 = purinto kurabu. Since they were introduced in 1995, the quality and stylized options have developed and changed over time. Now, since the emergence of "image models", or famous models featured on fashion magazines, Purikura gives you a picture perfect makeover. Recently, they included the option to send your purikura pictures directly to your phone or blog.
Hopefully, our print clubs will evolve into what Purikura is today! :)

Temples and Shrines

It's hard not to think of Japan without thinking of the various temples and shrines.  I had a blast visiting these places, especially Kamakura with its older temples and shrines.  Also having a bustling place such as the Sensoji Temple within easy walking distance of the hostel was great.  Unfortunately, uploading the several hundred pictures of shrines and temples would take up too much time and space.  So here are a few that I like the most.

A Tale of Art And Graffiti In Japan

I am sorry. I do not know about anyone else, but I really, really miss Japan for so many reasons! However, as an artist (my first degree is in Art Studio) Japan was like my Mecca or finding the Holy Grail. Harajuku for me was probably the place that brought the influence of Japanese life on anime and manga full circle. Modern life in Japan has influenced every aspect of art that comes of Japan, whether it be woodblock, painting, or anything else. Harajuku not only had the people and style that looked like it was staright out of a manga but the art! Just look at these posters! It looks like graffiti, but these were actually plexiglass posters that were hung up around a mall on Takeshita Street in Harajuku. The colors, the style are just something that SCREAM Japanese! I wish I could wake up in Birmingham every day and see graffiti like this... *sigh*

Lasting Memories

Pictures of Tokyo from a "higher" point: *Sorry for the slight glare in some of the pictures.*



A New Generation Exploring Old Japan

Close to our last days in Japan, Tim-sensei, Mako-sensei, and the girls (minus Jordan and Taylor) visited Odawara Castle located in the Kanagawa prefecture. It was built in the 15th century for feudal lord Odawara Hojo and his clan. As time passed, Odawara castle became bigger due to the growth of the Hojo clan. It was reconstructed several times until, eventually, it was considered the largest castle in medieval Japan. The castle was abandoned during the Meiji era and then later destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.  It wasn't until 1960 that Odawara Castle was reconstructed. Today,  much of the surrounding area within the castle walls has been made into a park, Odawara Castle Park.

To get there, our group traveled via the Shinkansen, which was truly a treat for me at least. Below are two shots of the exterior and interior:

Exterior of the Shinkansen

Interior of the Shinkansen

Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside the castle, but we were welcome to take as many outside photos of it as we wanted. There was a balcony on the top most floor of the castle overlooking Sagami Bay and the surrounding area. Here are just a few of the shots that I managed to get during our visit:

Odawara Castle

Some sort of flower wall and a garden, where originally, a moat used to be...it was very pretty.

On the highest level of Odawara Castle looking out at Sagami Bay and the surrounding area.

I have way more pictures of Odawara that will, with the rest of the trip, appear on facebook in the near future.

Cross Cultural Music Performance

Western Pop meets Tradiational Japanese

A shamisen is a Japanese three stringed, plucked instrument, which is comparable to a guitar or banjo.  Unlike a guitar or banjo, the shamisen is fretless and slimmer in design.

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An awesome performance of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" at the Hitachi Welcome Party

Bonding with Host Families and Friends

Ashley and I were lucky enough to have host families that are very close friends.  As a result, we got experience many fun and interesting things.  Our group outings were fun, but I really enjoyed at home activities as well.  We had delicious food, played card games, and sang songs.

Playing Card Games

Ashley wearing Emiko-san's kimono, Ken wearing my karate dogi, and I am wearing Ken's kendo gear.

Fun with the Family

Myself and my homestay mom enjoying a training lesson in the fine art of judo. She is a third degree blackbelt!

Mining Museum in Hitachi

Pictures of the Mining Museum in Hitachi. A great link between the city of Birmingham and Hitachi.