Just a funny aside.  I have a little crush on one of the Japanese staff here and last night this old Gary Larson cartoon popped into my mind.  Had to share it 'cause this is really how it is (though the genders would be reversed):

Oh well...shikata ga nai (it can't be helped...)

Inuyama Jo and the Big Test

Chen-san and Ro-san came again this evening (like they did last Tuesday) to study for tomorrow's big test.  Our test will be on using grammatical structures like "before I came, after I came, when I came, in order to have XXX become something else, (and, incase you are someone who actually happened on this blog because you study the language the まえに、いくとき、いたとき、と。。。いいですよ、どやて forms（ますぐいて、まがて, etc. like how to show someone on a map),  and the inevitable
。。。んです form which shows natural flow of communication but which DOES NOT come naturally since it uses the じしょ form but is often used within a formal context.）

Agggghhhhhhhh.... plus three chapters of vocabulary.  Here are my friends and I, feigning happiness while we study...

And here's how we really felt....

I'll let you know next time how i did....

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊


The trip to Matsumoto ended up not happening BTW.  We all met at the train station and I had concerns for all of us to try to go that far in a day and actually enjoy the trip- especially since someone told me the night before that the Ukiyo-e museum I was dying to see was not in the heart of the city but another 15 minute taxi ride away.  My Taiwanese friends are students with student budgets and I didn't want to force them to go on such an expensive trip, so we changed our minds at the train station and headed to Inuyama instead.  Inu means dog, and Yama means mountain.  The town is very charming and has the original castle intact (castles are called Jo, so Inuyama Jo).  It is the oldest castle in Japan, and is still privately owned by the same family that owned it since 1617.  The town was charming, the little street leading to the Jo not too touristy, (oh a little, but not like it is elsewhere) and the weather was fine.

Inuyama Jo

If I was concerned that I would have to lead my group of Taiwanese friends and be the leader, I needn't have worried.  Ko-san, the only man, quickly took the lead and Ro and Chen-san instantly took the roles of being my nieces, calling me Julie-chan and aka-chan (Julie baby and little dear one) making sure that I was buying my ticket correctly, making sure I had a seat, holding my back pack for me while taking pictures.  I don't feel THAT much older than they are (but I am) and I kept telling them I was quite fine, I've traveled a lot, but I think the Taiwanese courtesy (much like the Japanese) is about taking care of others, always.  There was also a thing about them being Taiwanese and me being American that made them want to take care of me.  They don't know each other at all from before being at Yamasa.  But they have banned together to form a little Taiwanese group.  Ken-san bowed out since he's been to Inuyama before and wanted to save himself for the next day when he and Ko would head to Nagoya.

We take our shoes off to enter the Jo, and carry them around with us in plastic bags....

Chen-san takes pics

Ko-san overlooking the river.  

Inuyama Jo is situated perfectly for defense purposes, as these pictures show.   A beautiful and useful river behind, the valley stretching out far and wide below.

We gather around our text book, "Minna No Nihongo" ("Everyone's Japanese Language")

We are attacked on the streets of Inuyama!

It was a great and LONG day, since we also went to a part of the town that was an architectural park from the Meiji period -- the Japanese moved hundreds of structures from around Japan to this park, representing various building styles going on at the time that Japan opened its doors to the west.  The European influence was phenomenal and one gets to walk through original buildings, including the front door of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel (which I forgot to get a picture of).    (BTW, in order to get there, we had to use our newly learned vocabulary about directions...)

After the long day of walking around and speaking in our new language together, we were all very very tired.  We hopped a bus to Nagoya and sped through the night on a 90 minute journey, Chen-san sitting next to me, sharing her earphones so we could listen to music together, Ko-san in the seat right behind us, Ro-san right in front. We all fell asleep together bouncing along the highway.

We arrived at Nagoya train station and then after a great dinner of Nagoya specialty barbecued chicken wings, pork tongetsu on a stick, rice and miso soup, our evening ended in a 5 story Japanese pharmacy (やっ清く)。.

 Ko-san explained to me that Taiwanese are crazy for Japanese medicine.  The place was full of Taiwanese and Ro-san and Cho-san walked me through showing me all the special items that I must buy.  I did buy some vitamins (after checking the label - Ro-san swore by it) and some Japanese medicine plasters for aches and pains (which, I'm actually looking forward to trying).  Ko-san had already been there three times to buy presents for his family, so he waited outside.  When we were finished purchasing, we came out and he was gone.  We looked around a little nervously for a few minutes, then saw him running down the street towards us with a shopping bag.  "I'm so sorry!  I can't believe it!  I just bought a camera and I got such a good deal!"

The most amazing thing was that 90% of the time, we all spoke Japanese.  They can all speak a little English, and much better than they think they can, but we didn't try.  We practiced all of our vocab and grammar, taught each other new words, and just enjoyed each other's company.

There was a moment when we were all walking down the street, away from the lovely Inuyama Jo when I had a sudden pang in my heart.  I know now, from long experience, that these friends of mine may remain friends for awhile, but that because of time and circumstance we will drift apart.  I know that this time and place and feeling, the feeling of love when you open your heart to new people, when you let them in at the exact same moment that they are letting you in, is a precious and fleeting thing.  I know that when I was their age, I believed that you could hold on to that feeling forever, with the people you fell in love with.  And traveling does indeed allow you to fall in love more easily.  My new wonderful friends won't be in my life for long, and it's that recognition of really needing to hold on to a moment, the feeling of absolute love that has only the moment that it is given and no more that breaks my heart.  And yet, I wouldn't trade  this feeling for the whole world.

Matsumoto Here We Come

Well, I've gone and done it.  Just when I was starting to cruise along, not a worry in the world (except next week's test!) I put myself in the same type of situation for which I am (for better or worse) famous. After class today, the gang hung out together in the hallways.  I had originally had a plan to perhaps go somewhere this weekend with Chen-san and Ro-san, my two cute Taiwanese apartment neighbors.  When I asked them during this morning's coffee break, they looked very uncomfortable and said they might have other plans.  That was totally fine with me and I told them that. Daijoubu des, ne? I assured them.

By the time that class was over Chen-san asked where I was thinking of going.  Since we don't speak the same native language everything is in Japanese.  I told them maybe Kyoto (only an hour away by train) or possibly Matsumoto, a town I had wanted to visit last time, famous for it's castle and the most famous Ukyio-e (Japanese Woodblock Print) museum in the world.  It's also famous for it's very old buildings in parts of the city that are made out of mud and grass and still standing.  However some of the town is brand new and sprawling, my guide books pointed out you kind of have to seek out the colorful old areas of the town.

Matsumoto Castle

My thought was that Matsumoto sounded more "doable" in a day then Kyoto, since Kyoto is a little hard to manage from the train station -- a very large city and you must get from the train station to the sights in various ways, mostly subway and bus.  The idea of trying to do that sounded a little daunting with two women who didn't speak my language.  Matsumoto seemed easier, if farther.

Soon, the others in the group were hanging out with us too and Ro-san asked if all of them would like to go with us.  Now, Ken-san, Ko-san, Chen-san, Ro-san, and possibly a few of their friends are coming with me to Matsumoto.  I found out when I got home that it's a 3 hour train trip, not 2, and then had to madly write to my new friends on Facebook in Japanese to tell them of the change and if they didn't want to go, that's fine.

I didn't hear back from anyone, and later as I was taking out my garbage, Chen and Ro were biking up the hill.  They invited me to their apartment and we all discussed it as best we could then they wrote the others and it is now all set.  I am to play tour guide.

Oh, the weight of the responsibility!  Only one week ago I was a carefree single white woman pretending to be a journalist.  Making mistakes and getting lost without a worry at all.  Now I have a band of Taiwanese students in my charge!  How did this happen? Shikata ga nai, ne? (Nothing to be done about it, it's out of my hands...)

Day in the Life of a Nihongo Student

I just finished my first week of study.  5 hours a day of only Nihongo (plus two hours a week of private lessons) is just about the most fun I've had in in a very long time.  My class is a group of 10, a little over their normal limit, but I think since we are all at exactly the same level, they want to keep us together and not split us up into smaller groups.  I really like the bigger group.  I'm used to a small class (only 2 or 3 students) -- this larger group has an energy and dynamic that feels already like we're family. That pushes us all forward together, and we don't seem to want to separate even at lunch or after class...

 Ko-san, Ken-san, Hon-san, Ro-san and Chen-san are all from Taiwan.  All are looking to better their future by working for Japanese companies or work in Chinese companies with Japanese bosses.  Montero-san is from Brazil.  From my understanding, his grandparents live in Japan (and are Japanese?) and he's been living with them while studying (I just learned today that his real name is Luan Suehara de Oliviera Montero.  Cool!)   Dave-san is a Canadian who, like me, has no really good reason to study but does it just for the love of the language.  Lina is from Russia and I haven't had a chance to ask her yet why she's here.

Our classes start out each morning with a review of the homework and study of the day before.   Then new grammar forms are introduced and we study it together and try to converse for the rest of the day using the new structure, mostly using role play.  This practice is truly helpful. The sensei walks around and listens, corrects us and we are to ask questions of her if we get stuck.

Homework

Yesterday was a two hour test based on four chapters of our text books, 20 minutes of which was an oral exam.  I was glad to see that I wasn't the last one finished with the massive written component.  In fact, we all finished at about the same time.  The Taiwanese students have a significant advantage over the rest of us since they can easily read Kanji, and I believe they all scored better on the written test than the rest of us.  My score, for the record, was 80% written and 90% oral.  I honestly thought it would be the other way around.  Well, there's nothing wrong with a B during your first week in an immersion program!

It's really fun to be part of this group of late 20 year olds.  There is such a different energy than what I'm used to.  Some of them live together in the Student Village - where they have more of a communal atmosphere.  They cook together, and hang out, but i get the impression that it's a little rough.  The others have apartments near mine.

Last Friday a bunch of us got shuttled over to the local Department store (basically about 8 stores in one huge building).  Some of the students were from the AIJC program, a long term academic study program. They were all in the shuttle (driven by the director of the school, Declan Murphy) to get cooking tools and futons.  That was fun.  I just went along for the ride and Dave-san came too and we just tagged along with the young-uns.  I ended up buying a takiyaki maker (octopus dumpling balls, however I will use shrimp!) and a tamago pan (for the delicious egg dish I have every day).  

Dave is about my age, from Canada.  Otherwise it's all young people and I really love being around them.  It makes me feel young too...

Takiyaki Maker

Today we each got to be the owner of a company hiring someone for a job.  (Today was the only day so far that had anything to do with business.  The rest of the week was all about daily life.)
Because the grammar structure we are learning is actually just about third grade material, I thought it was appropriate that we spent a half hour drawing posters with brightly colored paper and markers to encourage people to work for our company.  My partner and I owned a zoo and needed a maintenance person.

Ko-san and Montero-san discuss their company, Family Mart

Lina-san and Ro-san promote their flower bouqet vending machine

Ken-san and Dave-san upsell their French Speed-Racing Bicycle Shop

Then we interviewed for positions.  Our teacher actually had half the group as the joushi (boss) and the other half of us had to exit the room, enter the room bowing, approach the boss and use proper manners during the whole interview.  How fun! I have no interest, really, in the vocabulary  (goods, overtime, bonus, salary, etc.) but the whole experience of interviewing Japanese style was great.

Today Ken-san (during our interview), asked me about my husband and kids.  I told him I didn't have a husband but I had kids that I missed very much.  Ken-san is the tough kid in the class, the one who comes in every morning looking like he had a bit of partying the night before.  He would be a textbook gangstah in any hollywood movie.  He looked at me for a long time then said, "how old are you?"  I thought it was part of the interview and I said, "does it matter for the job?"  He twinkled..."Oh...Secret!" in English.  We laughed. "Yes, Secret" I replied.

Montero-san, Ken-san and Hon-san - the next generation of successful business people!

Last Day In Tokyo

 I wanted to take a break from studying and back track a little.  I meant to post this story about my last day in Tokyo.  I had quite an experience trying to find an ATM that would work for me on that Sunday and Monday before I headed to my language school.  On finally finding one, I decided to spend the last afternoon at a famed onsen on the man-made island of Odaiba.  I read long ago about The Oedo Onsen Monogatari, and though it was supposedly a little hokey, trying too hard to re-create an old Edo (Ancient Tokyo) experience, it still sounded like fun.  Having had no money in my pocket for two days ($13 dollars to my name in this non-credit card oriented city), I suddenly had a sense of freedom.  Before I hopped on the boat that would take me across the Sumida river to Odaiba, I decided to catch a very touristy Rickshaw ride around Asakusa.  I had been watching the Rickshaw drivers for the past three days and, like our American Firemen, the requirements seemed to be that they must be strong, friendly and handsome.  I couldn't resist this indulgence.

My driver's name was Yoshi and he had studied English for a summer at UC Davis.  He was great at plodding along the streets, pointing out historical detail that I hadn't researched myself, and keeping a conversation going.  When I told him that I was studying writing in a University program he said, "Oh, I am so honored! May I someday read your books?"  I said, "oh, yes, someday!" and we laughed.  I told him that I would probably write about Japan and he stopped the cart, turned around and said, "How very nice of you!"

He was a doll, and it was worth the price, just to talk and joke with this friendly guy...

Later, after a long boat ride, getting lost on  Odaiba island and heading in the wrong direction on the monorail I finally arrived at Oedo Onsen Monogatori, just as the sun was going down.

Although a "re-created" onsen (read, Las Vegas style) with a sand bath, a foot healing stream, 10 indoor baths, 8 outdoor baths, massage, salt scrubs, fish foot therapy, hot stone baths and a beautiful food and bar courtyard, it really is an amazing experience.  Of course, going out into the country side to experience a "real" onsen in the woods is the ideal, but if time doesn't allow, this is a fun option.

By the time I got there it was 5:30.  I was starving, so after getting dressed in my yukkata (simple cotton robe and obi (sash) provided by the onsen) I went into the food court, bought a big bowl of ramen and had a glass of shochu  (Japanese hard liquor)...actually I asked for a sake, but the way I asked she thought I meant this whisky-style drink because all alcohol is categorized under the term Osake.  Well, I wasn't too unhappy about the mix up!

The inner courtyard and shops

By now, I was getting used to being the only Caucasian for miles, and decided that the best recipe for the discomfort of traveling alone like that and being a woman was to appear to be someone studying the culture.  Having a camera in hand and boldly taking pictures as if on a journalistic assignment seemed to work.  Of course, I never directly took a picture of a person, (except for the little girl below, but I asked her father if it was OK). I just got on with enjoying my time and not worrying too much how odd I appeared.

After my quick meal, I headed for the foot stream which was outside in a garden pavilion.  People were hiking up their yukkatas and gingerly walking in the stream.  The stream was embedded with small and then ever larger stones that were supposed to relieve your feet by poking at the pressure points gently.  It was hellishly sharp and I tried not to cry out when I walked over them.  I was one of three gaijin in the entire pavilion, and far be it from me to show that I was a baka gaijin who couldn't handle it.  

The food hall

The entrance to the hot baths.  Women have red noren (curtains), men have blue

Everyone wears a yukkata
This girl is getting a refreshing cup of iced green tea, which is dispensed like water

So I waded all the way to the other end without tears and was quite proud of myself.  Next, I tried the Fish Therapy foot bath.  Apparently this is all the rage all over the world now.  These little fish eat the dead skin off your feet and your feet come out of the bath completely renewed.  They're happy, you're happy.

I sat in a little area of the pavilion with two other women who apparently had been sitting there for awhile.  A few little fish were swirling around their feet.  I put my feet gently in and instantly hundreds and hundreds of tiny fish swarmed my feet. It tickled and I tried not to look down because I was feeling very queasy suddenly.  The women laughed and nodded, like they knew how I felt.

I finally did look down after about two minutes...my feet were covered, like I had on fish boots and I was so terrified suddenly that I shrieked and pulled my feet out of the water.  The women continued to nod at me and I immediately stood up and went to the door.  The manager came to ask if I was alright and I said "Gomen nasai, sukijanai." I'm sorry, I don't like it.  He said, but you have 15 more minutes before they are finished! I bowed and made my exit, he bowed and kept trying to get me to sit down. Arigatou, doumo, doumo I said as I bowed myself out.

Finally, I headed to the baths.  The women's room was giant, the biggest indoor bath I've ever seen.  Multiple tubs of every temperature, with different minerals and salts, wet saunas, dry saunas, scrub rooms.  The rotemburo (outdoor bath) had a bamboo cover and the moon was out.  There was one large outdoor bath and then quite a few barrel baths, made for only one person at a time.

What I love about the Japanese bath culture is that it's just so natural.  Kids are with their moms, girl friends and middle-aged and old-lady friends are just hanging out, talking, laughing, relaxing.  I wish America wasn't so hung up on the naked body.  We could learn a lot from a culture that just hangs out naked together a lot.

I didn't leave the onsen until 11:00 pm.  In six hours I had oodles of time in the baths, a salt scrub, two meals, a glass of shucho and a half pint of beer...it's hard to leave that kind of paradise.

Girl Meets Okazaki

I have been in Okazaki for three days now.  It feels like much more than that.  I arrived on Tuesday afternoon, and after an awkward beginning, (I was picked up at the train station by a distractingly handsome staff member of the Yamasa institute and needless to say, the part of my brain that held what little Japanese I know and understand shut completely off in his presence. Luckily, I regained consciousness, somewhat, within about 15 minutes) I began to settle into my little apartment.  # 102 in Villa 5 -  a set of apartments (Villas 1-5) stacked next to each other about a 12 minute walk away from school.  I had to stock my apartment with goods (a couple of towels, detergent, a bowl, a plate, a cup some paper towels, a pair of hashi, some food and drinks etc. ) from the local department store.   The department store is about 15 minutes walk each way as well so between school and supplying my "pad" I've been getting plenty of exercise.

The apartment is small, but has everything one could need.  A futon loft, a galley kitchen, a separate toilet room and bath room (with a separate shower and deep japanese tub in which to relax), a study space by the window (I use the bar above it as a drying rack for my clothes...the place includes a washing machine)...

The first day of school was Thursday.  I was nervous but knew it was just orientation day.  Nothing could go wrong really.  At the school there is a cross walk where a staff member (not MY staff member though) stands and waits for the students, like a crossing guard at an elementary school. He wears a shirt and tie and black pants.  He holds up a sign and slightly bows and shows you the way to get across the street.  There are never any cars coming at all - this is just a courtesy.

(I have been getting good at returning that kind of bow with just the right bow.  It's more a nod of the head, the lips pressed together tightly, almost smiling but not so much.  The head goes down quickly, as does the other person's head.  Nothing formal, just keep walking.  One might add in a Konnichiwa or a Ohayougozaimasu for emphasis (good day or good morning) but not necessary.)

I walked into the classroom to see a gentleman of about my age and two younger Taiwanese women.  The teacher talked with us about where we are from and what our hobbies are, about our work and such.  She was looking for oral skills and also helping us to get to know one another.  After this a long test was issued and we began.  During the test at some point we were pulled out for more oral testing.  When my time came I dropped a lot of particles and often forgot to put sentences in the past tense when I was talking about my trip to Tokyo.  





In the end I was put into what she said was a beginning intermediate class.  Turns out all four of us were put into the same class.  This is unusual because often the students attending have great disparity in skills and proficiency.

The male student, Dave is from Vancouver.  We hung out afterwards and he was kind enough to send me all sorts of links for studying and app recommendations.  Everyone here is very kind and so helpful to each other.

I have to admit that i came home from the super market (after Dave and I parted I headed to get a bento box dinner and a beer) I felt very depressed.  I can't quite make out why.  I think mostly because I feel so insignificant here in a way. Everyone else is here for a month, two months, 6 months, a year.  When I tell people that i'm here for only 2 weeks, it's kind of like why am I bothering? In fact, I feel like the only way to make this trip worth while is to stay for an extra week (three weeks total) so I can get just a heftier amount out of the whole course.  But that probably won't be possible...

The head of school, Declan Murphy, told us later during orientation, that we are required to give a parting speech at the end of our stay.  My heart sunk to my feet.  How ridiculous for me to do that, when others have been here for months!  I am nothing here, not even noticeable.  I told him that must not apply to me.  He said, no it's required of everyone.  Somehow all of this made me go unconscious at about 8:00.  It's been about 10 years since I fell asleep that early.

The next day was today, the first day of class.  I walked to the school and a different staff member (still not MY staff member) was there as a crossing guard.  Doki doki shimshita!  I was nervous! I was entering an ongoing class with people who had been studying there for a long time.  How would I keep up?  I didn't even have the same vocabulary because I've been using a different text book for years.  I dreaded the intensity.  I dreaded having to reveal just how awful I am at this.  Why did I come all this way to be humiliated?  I knew i would have to title my next blog "A lesson in Humiliation."

Sakura House - Yamasa Coffee shop and Common Room

It helped that Dave-san, Chen-san, and Ro-san were all entering as newbies too.  And it also helped that everyone else in the class is about 23 years old and were all so delightfully easy going.  There's Ken-san from Tiawan, Montero-san from Brazil, Lina-san from Russia, Go-san from Tiawan and Peter-san from New York.  We worked for three hours on the potential form in conversation.  And I never felt at any time that I couldn't keep up.  Three hours passed so quickly. (It's only a half day on Fridays, because they want people to get out and tour around Japan on the weekends.)

After class, Go-san, Montero-san Dave-san and I went to lunch at the cantina next to the school, the Sakura house.  The coffee shop area is called Kitsutsuki (The Wood Pecker) with a bar and television and handful of tables.  Go-san was the most talkative, and we all spoke in Japanese as much as possible.  I realized that this is what I've really wanted all along, to just find people to speak Japanese with, constantly.  To have it as a part of my daily life.   I'm about to experience that for the next 14 days.

Tokyo Sky Tree

Sunday, I woke to new stories of Typhoon Jelawat heading towards the city.  My plans had been to try to go to a Swing Dance class in another part of Tokyo (The Tokyo Swing Dance Society has classes in English on Sundays!) then get a boat to Odaiba, a section of Tokyo across the river and spend the rest of the day at the famous Oedo Onsen (bathhouse).  When I asked the receptionist at the desk about the typhoon, she said  (after checking with her manager and also a long research on the computer) that the typhoon was set to hit at about 2:00 so I better be back by 12:00.  There went my plans.

I also needed to buy some essentials and she said I should go to the Sky Tree mall - I had no idea there was a mall there, so why not kill two birds, as they say?

The ride there was easy, just one subway stop away.  Getting out of the station the tower is just above and is literally breathtaking.

Standing in line at the Sky Tree Tower, I kept asking myself, is it worth it?  I have been way up in high buildings before.  I’ve seen city views in Florence, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York.  But there was an energy that surrounded Tokyo Sky Tree that was undeniable.  The crowds, almost entirely Japanese, were determined, excited and in great spirits. The family behind me played an endless game of Ro-Sham-Bo (though it was called something else) where the father yelled the last word explosively and let out a booming laugh at the end of each and every match.  This delighted the kids, but after about 20 minutes, not me so much.

There was plenty of information to listen to, watch and read as we wound our way through the halls.  Brochures in hand and videos showing the “making of” Sky Tree, one couldn’t miss learning all about it.  The building is 634 meters high, currently the tallest in the world (though, wouldn’t you know it? Shangahi is building something 636 meters right now).   

The design is sleek and ends with a five story pagoda.  Even the two colors they’ve chosen to dress it up at night are traditional Japanese colors that come from the Japanese color pallete known as aijiro – these colors were used hundreds of years ago in cloth dying which was established in 603 by Prince Shōtoku and based on the five Chinese elements.  In this system, rank and social hierarchy were displayed and determined by certain colors.  The blue is called skldjfdsklfjds and represents not only the Sumida River (which winds through Tokyo) but Iki, the manly sprit of urban Edo (Tokyo), its “full strength and intrepid spirit.”  When the tower shines blue, it is only the core of the structure that lights up. 

Every other evening the tower is glamorously purple with glints of golden light, describing for all to see the color Edo-murusaki (royal purple), representing the traditional aesthetics of Japan called Miyabi.  The miyabi lighting shows off the structure of the tower.  And every night a light encircles the tower over and over again showing the passing of time as the light form the tower beams up to the sky to express the hopes and dreams of the people of Japan.

I had been admiring the tower from my hotel room every night and it was fun to learn the specifics and the importance of every detail. 

Iki, the Essence of Kokoroiki - Heart and Straightforwardness

Miyabi, the Essence of Aesthetics

Before we get lost in the elegance of the tower though, this is contemporary Japan after all, so along with the traditional anjiro and delicate balance of male and female representation,  we also need to know that a special and official Character has been created for the Sky Tree as well:  Sorakara-chan! 

 

Sorakara-chan is a young girl with a star shaped head who descended from the skies to Tokyo Sky tree.  She sticks around Skytree to tell visitors about the delights of the tower.   

Birthplace: The Star Tongari

Favorite phrase: Sora kara, kore kara, ittemiru kara!  (Let’s go explore!)

Prized possession:  Her handy telescope, an heirloom from her grandfather.

There are also other characters, friends of Sorakara-chan:

Sukoburuburu: An old dog bred in shitamachi, the Tokyo traditional town area

Teppenpen: A penguin girl who has a weakness for new fads and fashions.

Ah, Japan.

Once up there,  (riding an elevator with beautifully designed mirrors reflecting cherry blossoms and traveling at 600 meters per minute) it was fun to see how far Tokyo stretches, but without a great knowledge of neighborhoods (I saw the temple in Akasuka right away, however) it looked like infinite buildings reaching as far as the eye can see.  Everyone else was getting a kick out of picking out different areas.  I got a coffee, strolled a little  then left after about 30  minutes. 

The View from a little under 634 meters...

Was it worth it?  In a way.   It’s truly something to say you’ve been to the top of the tallest building in the world.  But to me, the great reward is looking upon it from afar. In the daytime, seeing its presence towering over new Tokyo and old.  And in the evening, admiring  its manly blue, its dazzling purple as it extends straight up to the night sky.  That’s when the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower delights.

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