After school

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Yes, I'm back to school, but this time, it's the Tokyo School of Japanese Language. Everyday lessons, tests, small classrooms, teachers, homework - just like high school. And the atmosphere's exactly the same, we always have a good laugh and no one is really that stressed about the whole thing. Of course, there is a bit of rivalry and some usual conflicts but that's natural and nothing to be concerned with. Also, for the past three months all the Vulcanuses have really come close to each other. We hang around a lot, go out all the time and organise small excursion to various places in and around Tokyo. Our high school lifestyle has it's up and downs, though. Since we are a tad older and used to the freedoms of college, it's sometimes hard to study on a daily basis as well as regularly attend classes. The schedule of our language course is really tight so we are not allowed to be absent almost at all and have a lot to study. Fortunately, the school does its job very well and we're already able to speak some simple Japanese in everyday situations. Laying emphasis on conversation skills is, by the way, an important feature of our lessons and one that the school is famous for.

The Naganuma School was established just after World War II, thus being one of the first Japanese institutions freely teaching the language to foreigners. The classes are diverse - apart from regular grammar / conversation / writing / listening practice, we sometimes use the computer room and the special language laboratory, where we record our voice and improve our pronunciation. There are seminars and other occasional activities like calligraphy, tea ceremony or Tokyo field trips. All these activities combined with extremely long commuting leave us little time for anything else on weekdays. Sometimes, however, I do manage to find the energy to explore the city some more and take an after-school stroll around Tokyo. Here are some random thoughts on...

Shibuya. I wrote about my first trip to this district here. Back then I wasn't aware of the fact that I would visit it everyday since that's where my school is. Below you can see a bonus clip of the crossing as seen from Shibuya Station on a rainy night. The facebook album contains some pictures taken on my usual way to school as well as in other surrounding districts, like Chiyoda (near the Hanzomon Gate) or Setagaya (especially the cool Shimokitazawa neighbourhood, our favourite party spot).

Tokyo Disaster Prevention Center (Ikebukuro Bosaikan). Located in Toshima, it was the destination of our first school field trip. As a part of the Tokyo Fire Department, it fulfills the noble mission of educating the townspeople about the basic actions they should take in case of various natural disasters that frequently invade Japan. During our visit to the Bosaikan we took part in elaborate simulations that empirically taught us how to react to danger. We had to find our way out of a small maze of typical office corridors filled with smoke, keeping close to the ground and following the exit signs. We learned how to use real extinguishers putting out a virtual fire in an amusing yet difficult computer game. In a special room mounted on top of a moving platform we could experience a genuine magnitude 7 earthquake and prepare some hiding strategies. Finally, dressed in waterproof outfits, we faced a powerful typhoon and realised how hard it is to stand straight or even breath when an extremely strong wind hits your face with streams of cold water. All those events were preceded by a short introduction by our Japanese guide and in the end we watched a rather silly informative movie in Bosaikan's small theatre. All of this was a lot of fun (when not treated too seriously) but also a piece of useful information and I'm glad our tutors had thought about taking us there.

Ginza. A district of Chuo, it's unquestionably the most luxurious and expensive place in all of Tokyo and therefore one of the fanciest urban areas on Earth. Often compared to Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, it hosts a great number of department and flagship stores of the world's biggest fashion, jewelry and electronics brands like Tiffany, Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Apple or Sony. There's gold dripping from each wall and the smell of wealth in the air. You can see the elite of westernized Japanese businessmen with their kimono-clothed wives and butlers in white gloves. Let's just say it's a bit too expensive for a poor student like myself.

Welcome to Japan Party. Although it has little to do with my after-school trips, I've never had the opportunity to mention it here, so I'm doing it now. Organised a while ago by Vulcanuses in Europe, it was the proper welcome party that allowed us to integrate better with each other and with our new Japanese friends. It took place in Marie's (yes, the same who took us on a tour of Yokohama) house and was obviously very enjoyable. Just look at the pictures over here and you'll know why. And that's the end of this incoherent post.

Akihabara - the electric town

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Let's make things clear. I don't want to write any travel-guide slogans but if you ever go to Tokyo and have even the slightest interest in either electronic consumer goods or Japanese pop culture, you should visit Akihabara Electric Town. This relatively small (according to local standards) shopping area is a part of Chiyoda and stretches across only a few blocks. It is, however, packed with numerous street stalls as well as huge, many-storied, luxurious department stores offering their customers any kind of electrical equipment and hobby related commodities. Otakus come here from all over Japan to admire their favourite manga, anime, computer games and figurines of the characters in all sizes (including real-life scale). There are shops with do-it-yourself models, specialised magazines, really strange souvenirs, basic electronic parts or wires, not to mention newest computer hardware or even prototype robots. What's truly unique and pleasantly nostalgic, you can also buy some vintage stuff like prehistoric gaming systems or wooden-case equipment. Namely everything that runs on electricity is here, no matter if it's old or new. No wonder that this place attracts a lot Chinese millionaires who spend here their fortunes on "cool Japanese stuff", so fashionable in the Far East countries. And yes, the prices are sometimes sky-high, but at least it's always free to look.

Also, I've never considered myself a true manga fan, but I have watched some of the most well-known ones in my time. And I have to say I was just in awe of all the stuff I found in Akihabara. Clothes, mugs, mouse-pads, chopsticks, carpets, toilet-seats - everything in anime-related themes and obviously way to expensive. I especially liked all the beautiful, hand-made, precise figurines, strongly exposing heroines' womanly attributes. There was also a fair amount of hentai and special toys for adults, some of witch even I was too embarrassed to photograph. But this is Japan, erotica is around every corner and not a huge taboo. Of course, it's also really well hidden from the kids, so no worries here. And speaking of adult entertainment, Akihabara also offers a wide range of "meido kafe" with cute, cosplaying waitresses. According to rumors, not only coffee is served there.

The Electric Town is really a lot of fun and surely a landmark in modern Japan's landscape. Although I have been there a few times (mostly to get good deals on my mobile phone and Internet connection), I never managed to take photos that would clearly show the specific atmosphere of the place. So this time I would like to post a picture by Rob Sheridan. Make sure to visit his gallery of some amazing Tokyo pics. It's here.

Aizu Wakamatsu - the spirit of Japan

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The last weekend of October was home stay time for all Vulcanus students. We applied for it a couple of months ago (while still back in Europe) by filling out a special form with detailed information regarding our interests and preferences towards the Japanese host family that was going to take us under their roof and take care of us for these few days. The whole event was organised and conducted by Aizu Wakamatsu International Association with some help by our own EU-Japan Centre. After some good as well as pretty bad experiences in Japan, we thought we could expect almost anything from this programme and with mixed moods departed from Shinjuku on Friday morning. The four-hour bus trip took us on a relaxing tour around the picturesque autumn landscapes. Through tunnels drilled in enormous mountains we eventually got to our destination - the vast valley of Aizu.

Aizu Wakamtsu, the capital of the Aizu region, is a small city located in Fukushima Prefecture, about 300 km north from Tokyo's center. The moment we got there, we knew the reasons why it had been chosen for the home stay. Beautifully quiet, old, traditional and very different that Tokyo, it looked so promising. Aizu Wakamatsu dates back to 14th century when it was founded around the majestic Tsuruga Castle, the military and administrative center of the Aizu region until 1868. However, during the infamous Boshin War (a civil war of 1868/1869) the whole town was destroyed by the winning imperial forces. Before the war, Aizu was a loyal supporter of the old Tokugawa shogunate and therefore an enemy to the anti-samurai, pro-western reforms of young Meiji emperor. Fortunately for us, the town was re-founded in 1899 and since then, most of it's historic structures have been rebuilt. What can we all learn from this lengthy introduction? Well, Aizu has a strong bushi spirit and might be a good scenery for some kind of 'Last Samurai' movie.

After arriving we grabbed some nice udon in a small, cosy restaurant, the owner of which even took pictures with us. Then we met with Kita-san in front of the town's Boys' Statue and took a local bus for The University of Aizu. This relatively small college is famous for teaching exclusively computer science with international professor staff. This cosmopolitan school was a good place for a discussion about Japanese customs, gestures, art, stereotypes and culture in general. We divided into small groups and tried to figure something out together with Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Russian students of Aizu. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to go through the topics thoroughly but we still had a good time and made some friends. After small presentations of our results (most of which were hilarious) we met with the host families and headed for our new homes to get some much needed rest.

My host family, the Tashiro family, consisted of a mother, a father (both teachers of Japanese) and a cat (not a teacher). Their son, an art student at the University of Tokyo, was staying in the capital at that time, leaving his room just for me. I don't want to get into too much detail about everything I was doing during my stay there - suffice it to say that it was such a warm and funny time, definitely one of my best in Japan. I really felt as if these people were my family and I was just visiting some (very) distant relatives. They prepared some great and diverse traditional meals (like tempura, ramen, mushroom rice, shellfish and clam miso soup, to name just few) as well as the famous, time-honoured, hot Japanese ofuro bath. During the day, they took me out to do some shopping in a huge food market (I stuffed myself with free food samples handed out generously by shopkeepers) and to admire the beautiful and unique Japanese art in small local galleries. Being filled with samurai spirit for centuries, Aizu's people have a love for fine arts and precious craftsmanship. So we went to see the Urushi Festival, which is an annual exhibition of various wares (like paintings, sculptures, dishes or toys) painted with a special type of red or black lacquer (urushi) - the local speciality made from tree resin. One of the most notable examples of these beautiful and very expensive goods are figurines of the town's mascot - Akabeko, a red cow constantly nodding it's head. According to a legend, a long time ago people used cows for transporting wood used to build temples. During the construction of Aizu's biggest temple, all the cows fell down from overworking except for one. Since then, the sole survivor, Akabeko, has become a symbol of discipline, endurance and persistence - the virtues praised by all Japanese. Going back to my activities during the home stay, I was very glad to learn that my 'father' loved to play the guitar. We had some interesting conversations about Japanese music and played a little while sipping whiskey on the rocks. And the guitar was an old flamenco one. Priceless.

Furthermore, probably the most shocking experience was meeting a family friend, Kojima-san. We drove for about an hour into the woods to find ourselves in the middle of rice fields, surrounded by mountains and in front of a big wooden tatami house. As we entered the cold room we saw him in the middle, sitting on the floor with an American cigarette in his mouth and piles of papers, dishes and pillows around him. He was by far the most eccentric Japanese person I met and I was really surprised by his knowledge of Polish history. By the way, a lot of people I met in Aizu knew a lot about my country - from Chopin Year Celebrations to Cracow's Wawel Dragon. Kojima-san, a teacher and an amateur rice farmer, treated me to coffee with a bit of 'magical' water he makes by himself. How does he make it? It's a secret. I also learned he is a direct descendant of a samurai family and that we both shared fondness of Kurosawa's movies.

On Sunday evening we had to go back to Tokyo. Everyone was happy as ever and wanted to stay in Aizu just a bit longer. We felt very welcome and missed the kind of warmth and hospitality only a family can give. After saying goodbye and exchanging contact info, we departed for Tokyo. This time the dusk hid all the trees and mountains from us. But in the end we got to see the lights of the Infinite City, stretching as far as the horizon can go.

Oktoberfest in Yokohama

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It's October, time for some Fest. Even in Japan? Yeah, apparently it's celebrated everywhere these days. Even though I am not a big fan of German folklore, I am definitely keen on some beer now and then, especially European. And the image of a typical Bavarian festival in oriental surroundings seemed so silly and yet so appealing that I deiced to go the moment I heard about it from Emmanuel. So I grabbed some Vulcanus friends (not literally, of course...) and headed for Yokohama, to the already-known carnival spot between western-stylized red brick buildings. Fortunately, this time the often fitful autumn weather was kind enough to be sunny. So... how was the party?

First of all, it was crowded. Lines of people before the entrance, lines for beer, lines for food, etc. But it was a big event and I should have expected nothing less. There were some gaijins, of course (Germans and Americans, for instance), but the venue and it's surroundings was filled mainly with Japanese craving for some exotic entertainment. Because how else could the locals call downing a fine weisswurst with a pint of even finer bier. The main spot was occupied by a huge tent with long benches, tables and a stage set up for a coarse brass band in traditional costumes. The sight of tipsy Japanese shouting "kanpai!" and dancing ecstatically to the sounds of German folk sing-alongs was surely a precious one. And to tell the truth, I felt quite content surrounded by plates of steaming "meat and potatoes" variations, boot-shaped beer mugs and cheering blonds. For a second there I felt some Silesian spirit and distant European air. (Un)fortunately, the prices brought me down to Japanese earth. Nonetheless, it was a very pleasant afternoon spent integrating with Vulcanuses and practicing Japanese with random chat buddies. And afterwards we headed for the famous Shibuyan Atom Club to dance away all those beers. But that's another story.

Kamakura - a link to the past

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I was told that there are actually two Japans. The first would be Tokyo and other major cities: modern, cosmopolitan, made of steel, glass and concrete. Always bright, always crowded, never asleep. The second would be the small towns, scattered around the countryside. A bit forgotten, old and wooden, closer to the nature and tradition. Of course Japanese manage to combine the two worlds pretty well: there's a lot of tradition in the Capital's centre and some modern stuff in even the tiniest of villages. But I really wanted to experience this other, smaller Japan, especially after a tiring night at Roppongi. The perfect place to visit is Kamakura, a half an hour by train to the south of Yokohama. A picturesque medieval town stretching from the Ocean's shore to the nearby hills. Densely covered with forests, shrines and temples, a popular hiking destination for the Japanese from big cities, mostly during weekends and national holidays. We (myself and seven other Vulcanuses) also visited the place during a holiday: September 20th is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. So... what's up in the countryside?

First of all, an important fact: Kamakura used to be Japan's capital city in the Kamakura Period (yeah...) sometime between 1185 AD and 1392 AD. It was where shoguns from the Minamoto family resided. They overthrew the fragile reign of Kyoto emperors and established a military government in their faraway home town. The predominant ideology of those times was Zen Buddhism praised by the ruling warrior class of bushi (we call them 'samurai', which is a bit incorrect). Hence so many Buddhist temples in the area, which also was an important stronghold during the XIV century's Mongolian invasions on Japan. The first temple is actually a few meters away from the train station - it's the great Engaku-Ji, the Temple of Spirit or Perfect Enlightenment. It was build by the shogun after his victory against the Mongolians in order to express his gratitude and ease the souls of people who died in the war. The temple itself is a pretty big complex of different purpose buildings. I've never been to a Buddhist temple and I was charmed by the beautiful gates leading to different areas and the sacral places with many Buddha statues and altars. Everything there is wooden, some of the buildings are 700 years old, some were rebuild in latter eras after fires. There are also some graveyards (which is a distinctive feature of Buddhist temples - Shinto shrines don't have them) and small grottoes carved in the surrounding rocky hills. The place has many visitors yet it's very quiet and beautiful. I felt as if I went back in time a few hundred years, to the times of shogun and samurai. A great experience.

Then we went along the Daibutsu Hiking Road to see the famous Great Buddha statue. The narrow path led through a kind of familiar looking forest (apart from some bamboos maybe) situated on some steep hills, which gave as a great view of the beautiful landscape with the seaside and the whole town in the distance. If I hadn't known that it used to be the capital city, I would have never guessed - now it look silly compared to Tokyo. We passed some other temples along the way (some of them are branches of Engaku-Ji, which is a regional Zen centre). We also visited a small Shinto shrine or rather an altar hidden deep in the trees. Of course, before entering the holy ground, we had to wash our hands and mouths with water pouring from a cute blue dragon statue. Back home, I would never agree to do any religious practices, but here... it's Japan and I have to try everything. The nice thing about the humble Shinto shrines is an always present rack with small pieces of wood or paper attached to it, on which people can write down their wishes and intentions. During the walk I got to meet Tetsu-san, a 2009-2010 Vulcanus in Europe (Germany) student, who happened to visit Cracow and liked it a lot. Finally, we got to the Great Buddha. The copper monument was pretty impressive, about 10 m high and surrounded by lots of lots of tourist. After taking some typical Daibutsu photos and even going inside the statue (extremely hot), we went to eat some great ramen and ended up on Kamakura's beach. Everyone was too tired to do anything else, so we went back home. The end. Kamakura was definitely different than Tokyo. Closer to the nature, tradition and religion, it was indeed a very different Japan.

Roppongi

A new experience - the most international district of Tokyo and a meeting place for gaijins looking for a party. Lots of clubs and a slightly different atmosphere. Not so safe anymore - some bums on the streets or aggressive Americans dripping with hormones. On my way to the meeting place I was actually approached by four huge marines asking for directions. '-Excuse me sir, are you American?'. 'No' was obviously a wrong answer: I could see from their faces that they didn't like Europeans. '-Do you know where Roppongi is? Some cubs? Are the girls good?'. These questions gave me a bad feeling about the upcoming night. I met with other Vulcanuses traditionally at Shibuya by the Hachiko statue. Then we were accidentally joined by a Switz and Spanish group some of us had encountered a few days before. Some really nice people working here or travelling around Japan. Then we met with our host: a former Vulcanus student Kuba, now living in Tokyo, and his Japanese and American friends. We started partying at Shibuya, in a European-style restaurant. A few beers later we integrated pretty well and the conversations were led in almost all major world languages. Imagine a drunk and extremely loud group of American, Japanese, English, Scottish, Switz, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and Polish people. Crazy. Moreover, we were sitting by a huge table with da Vinci's 'Last supper' painted on the wall behind us. Must have looked hilarious. Finally we left for Roppongi, where the main course party was about to take place. No night trains in Japan - we had to take taxis.

At the site we were joined by other Polish and Japanese friends. The huge group of people entered an even bigger club. A four storey party palace with its main dance floor in the basement, a bar on each floor and a special quiet roof terrace with sofas for smooth and private conversations. Fountains, sculptures, lights and music. Each room with it's own giant black bodyguard in a perfect suit. Most of them from USA or Jamaica. The prices were sky high and we spent a small fortune on entrance fees and other pleasures. Speaking of which, the place was stuffed with Japanese women with the sole purpose of meeting a handsome rich gaijin, preferably American, but some of my non-American friends were quite popular too. There were also some Russian girls hanging out with Japanese and Korean 'playboys'. The club seemed like an expensive and exclusive commercial product with no atmosphere of it's own and a soundtrack of original "Nirvana vs. Beyonce vs. Samba de Janeiro" remixes. The whole place was addressed to a specific target audience and I felt I didn't belong. A night of frustration and struggling with my moral backbone. How I missed Cracow's clubs, the small, quiet and stylish works of art. I will definitely not forget the night. Lesson learned. Oh, and no pictures from the party, my camera died at the TGS and I had no time to recharge it. Anyway, what happens in Roppongi, stays in Roppongi.

Tokyo Game Show 2010 and the Ocean

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Since I was a little kid, one of my annual ceremonies was to check some press reports from a then-current Tokyo Game Show. One of the biggest gaming expos in the world always seemed like an almost magical event taking place on another planet. Thousands of visitors, all the major computer game companies, cos-players, charming hostesses and many more. It was always then, when all the important news about the upcoming killer titles leaked. New games, new hardware, new trailers and technical details - TGS always had it all. The only other two major gaming shows take place in Leipzig and Los Angeles, but since Americans decided to make their shows press-oriented and stopped allowing casual visitors in, the European and Japanese shows have become the most popular ones. When I came to Japan, I was so confused and had so much on my mind that I totally forgot about the event. But thanks to my friends Iñigo (who reminded me about the show) and Emmanuel (who bought me the ticket - only credit cards accepted in the presale) I was able to go.

The show took place in Chiba, which is a distant city located in the east of Tokyo, next to the seaside. The trip from Isehara took us around two and a half hours - we had to get up at 6.30 am. But it was definitely worth it - as soon as we left the train station, we got ourselves surrounded by a river of otakus heading for the venue. Excitement was in the air and a short walk around Chiba's beautiful skyscrapers felt almost like a pilgrimage. The team consisted of me, Emmanuel, Iñigo, Beatrice, two Haviers and their two friends. Unfortunately we had to wait in a huge line for about and hour in the burning midday sun, but eventually we got into the ginormous exposition hall complex without additional problems.

Most amazing place. Indeed there were thousands of visitors, mostly Japanese otaku, but also a lot of foreign geeks. Huge HD screens with game presentations, interviews with game creators, hundreds of game consoles with the newest games waiting to be played. Games, games, games everywhere. But not only that. I also saw some side shows, like DJ sets, Japanese schoolgirls' dance routines, voting for the best game of the show and models demonstrating some debuting hardware. These were all hosted by various companies on their own small stages. There was also a separate hall just for families with small children (lots of activities like football) and a fighting games tournament (Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6 and so on) displayed on a cinematic screen for a numerous audience. Loved it. What about the companies? Konami took the best space close to the first hall's entrance. They showed the new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Winning Eleven 2011 and a new Dance Dance Revolution game. Unfortunately, they didn't mention anything about Metal Gear Rising apart from the already well know trailer. Sucks. Capcom, located in the second hall, had it's owned little movie theater, where they showed some trailers on a big screen. A new Monster Hunter, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (there's even Amaterasu from Okami among the characters) and a pretty sweet teaser from Devil May Cry 5, entitled just DMC and with a new main hero (also Dante, but definitely not the same). Square Enix mainly boasted about Final Fantasy XIV (this one's online) and Deus Ex. Sony showed some new stuff for PlayStation 3, like PlayStation Move that turns PS3 into Wii (similar technology and wave of silly games). There was also the very fashionable Avatar style 3D (with shutter glasses) demonstrated on Killzone 3. Microsoft had a huge spot for XBox 360 with all the major games and some exclusives, but it wasn't even half as popular as Sony's place. By the way, they also have a hardware add on detecting user's moves (Kinect). Ubisoft focused on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, they even had a real life Altar to take pictures with. Apart from the big fishes, there was also tons of smaller companies with games mostly for Japanese market (like stable simulators and j-style Gears of War rip offs). Oh, and obviously there was a lot of anime based games (some were half-porn) and online slashers/RPGs set in the beloved Sengoku period. All together, a lot of funny things.

Another accompanying event, almost as important and exciting as the Game Show itself, was the cos-play competition. Cos-players gathered in the passages between expo halls an attracted more audience than some gaming spots. I have never seen better and more detailed costumes. These people really love dressing up like that and posing to pictures. Anyone could ask them to strike an awesome pose and take as much pictures as they wanted. Some may say the cos-players (mostly girls if you ask) are a bunch of totally vain losers craving for some popularity but whatever - they looked great and really into their roles. Cos-play is treated very seriously in Japan - the best costumes got attention of professional press photographers and TV interviewers, and of course there was a competition for the best dress-up. I don't know who won, I loved most of them, especially Final Fantasy X team and the Snake & Boss duo. Too bad I couldn't photograph them all, it was too much for my camera's battery.

All in all, TGS 2010 was a great experience. Although my expectations very incredibly high (I felt I was going to see a legend itself), they still got to satisfy me. Unfortunately, the place was obviously overcrowded and too noisy. I got tired after a while an didn't get to play much games (only Castlevania after an hour-long waiting). But another of my childhood dreams came true. Pretty touching. And afterwards we went to sea the Ocean (Tokyo Bay, to be more precise). Beautiful endless blue fired up by the setting sun. But you already know it must have been great. How else could it be?

Yokohama and the Infinite City

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Today about the trip to Yokohama, Japan's second largest city. Actually, size doesn't matter, since most towns in the Tokyo Greater Area kind of blend with each other, forming one big city - hence the title of this post. But we'll get to it later. Introduction time: Yokohama was the first Japanese town to open itself to foreigners in the late XIX century. Since then, it became a lively and fast developing port town with lots of minorities among its inhabitants and of course some interesting architectural clashes. This is obviously some travel-guide-like bullshit. Yokohama was very pleasant for us (we went in a group of around 20 Vulcanuses) and we actually felt it's more open for gaijins and more international all together. Even than Tokyo. Even better than Tokyo - more spacey, less smelly, less crowded and really fun. The trip was quietly directed by a volunteer - Marie Wakana. She is a former Vulcanus in Europe student, lives in Yokohama and was very happy to show us around with some of her Japanese friends (also Vulcanus students). The offer was made at the Reception Party and we all agreed on it - thanks again Marie, you were there for us.

First we went to the famous Landmark Tower, which reigns over the city's skyline. You can literally see it from everywhere, like some kind of evil tower watching over you (Half-Life 2, anyone? :). Fortunately, it's far from that - I loved going to the 69th floor to the highest observing point in whole of Japan. There's a super fast elevator (750 meters per minute - now that's some strange speed measure unit) and you get to the top in around 40 seconds. The view from there is definitely one of the best things I've ever seen in my life and I'm not going to describe it - look at the pictures. I felt godlike, watching the coast, the Ocean and of course the huge Yokohama smoothly shifting to Tokyo on the horizon line. It was like the world was covered with a thick carper of skyscrapers - the Infinite City. When we came down and turned human again, we walk around the harbour (the beautiful old ship docked in front of steel and glass giants looked both fragile and impressive). We also visited a local carnival with shops, concerts and various entertainments.

Then we headed for the Chinatown. Another small marvel hidden in the concrete maze of Japanese modern buildings. Narrow, colorful streets and elaborately decorated gates showed us greatly the difference between Japanese and Chinese in terms of aesthetics and their way of life. We dined at a traditional Taiwan restaurant - the food was way better than in similar places back in Europe. Probably because of the atmosphere and some nostalgic Chinese pop music in the background. Watch out - boiled chili peppers don't get less spicy at all. Too bad that the Chinatown was so expensive, but it was clearly because of all the tourists coming to visit. Oh well. Still a must-see.

And last but not least - after party! During the sightseeing, Marie got a call from her friends back in Tokyo, who prepared a surprise party for us. Actually it was a birthday party for one of them, but we also got invited. So that's cool anyway. I got the be on my very first Japanese house party. Overcrowded and extremely hot, but grand. Met some really nice people (who were very happy to see some gaijins), practiced my basic Nihongo skills and drank some Japanese beer called "Asahi". And the best thing - for the first time in two weeks I briefly touched a guitar. An acoustic one. I missed it so. The trip to Yokohama ended late at night somewhere completely different. The whole day was great and much needed after a tiring week of illness and studies.

Reception Party and Stairway to Heaven

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This is going to be short. You should not write too much about a party, you should experience it or at least watch some pictures. After some most useful but a bit tiring briefings in the Center and the dorm moving hassle we were awarded with the Reception Party. There were official speeches from EU-Japan delegates, aesthetically prepared snacks and free drinks. European wines plus Japanese beer plus extreme heat equals blurry memories. Most of us had the chance to meet representatives from our future host companies and own embassies. Unfortunately, no one from my department was able to attend, so after a brief and polite conversation with a Polish diplomat I could get a bit tipsy without the risk of embarrassing myself in front of my employer.

Also, most of our countries send some friendly officials, but not ambassadors, so the atmosphere wasn't too stiff and I had a good time. And we still got to meet the ambassadors or consuls a few days later, when we attended our diplomatic outposts to register ourselves as residents abroad. Going back to the party, we had the pleasure to meet the ambassador of Bulgaria, who came despite the fact that this year there are no Bulgarian students in Vulcanus. Oh well. And afterwards we went to an expensive karaoke club in Shibuya, where I had a truly remarkable performance of the Zep's classic. Nothing short of Plant's own. Cheers.

Culture Shock vol.1

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I promised myself I would not write anything about Japanese toilets, since this topic is banal and over exploited. It's like writing a review of Star Wars. Whatever comes to your mind, it's already been thought about and written (e.g. here). Yes, the toilets have some buttons, but it's not that complicated. You can use your intuition or the helpful icons. By the way, most of things in Japan is marked with approachable and funny pictures: a family of raccoons warns about the dangers of subway, a pink robot points to a ticket machine, Hello Kitty shows fire extinguishers. You can survive without even knowing Japanese. Going back to the toilets, about which I'm not writing right now, I found controls for warming the seat up, washing with adjustable water pressure and "powerful deodorant". Of course you flush using a barely seen, ugly metal switch hidden somewhere in the back and under a pipe, because it's not the most important thing, right? Yeah, when I arrived in my land of dreams, one of the world's biggest and most interesting cities, instead of sightseeing, watching, trying, experiencing, etc. I was playing with the loo. And now I'm writing a blog. Sober...

So the culture shock got me already the first day, in a hotel toilet. Then I turned on the TV, where I saw an intriguing scene with some pixels here and there. Porn in TV at 13:00? Hm... I really liked my gift from the hotel - yukata, a simpler and more casual version of kimono. Perfect for Japanese wannabes. I don't think there are any Vulcanuses who didn't take a picture of themselves in these clothes. Or at least didn't wear it to pose in front of the mirror. I did both. The hotel was "Asia Center of Japan" which speaks for itself. Definitely one of the expensive ones - most of the guest seemed to be elderly tourists slash businessmen with a Texan accent. The purpose of the hotel was to gently introduce us to the new surroundings - everything was western-styled, friendly and polite. Also for the first time I have experienced the world-famous and legendary Japanese customer service. Bowing, smiles and kind words make you actually feel like someone special and important. As some American lecturer told me a week or so later, "when you go back to your countries, you will suddenly start to wonder 'what the hell is wrong with this place?'".

Obviously, I was too tired after the trip from Europe to do anything extraordinary. While constantly thinking about going to sleep, I forced myself to take a look around the neighbourhood. Akasaka is a pleasant and fancy district with some tall buildings: both apartments and offices. An hour-long walk with some Vulcanus friends led me to the real deal. Shibuya, one of the main places in all of Tokyo. Bright, lively, colorful and amazing when you see it for the first time. That was the City and I was so happy to finally feel its atmosphere. Crowded? Noisy? Expensive? Yes. But so beautiful. And afterwards I got to get my beauty sleep. The following days were going to be pretty tough: briefings, moving to my dorm and the reception party with ambassadors. And then finally some time to travel around. More on that later.

The trip

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Warsaw. A painful cold morning of August 31 was in a deep contrast with it's preceding night. The capital did not let me down and bid me some pleasantly nostalgic farewell before "the trip of my life". Actually, the Mermaid was nothing more than an addition to my proper Farewell-er, but the city deserves some praise, too. A walk through the New World and the Cracow Suburb, ending with slowly finding our way in the Old Town's labyrinth. Tears of rain, lanterns, neon and city lights mirrored in the pavements. They were joined in their lustration by the all around polishness, coming out of every street. Copernicus, Mickiewicz, Insurgents '44, Workers '80, Defenders of the Cross '10, Piłsudski looking fiercely at Lenin and Sigismund at everyone from his column. And God from the towers. An impressive gathering, especially for a young, excited man with a feeling of getting more and more distant. Just some gifts for the Japanese (a teddy bear from Zawiercie bought in Warsaw), beer and lots of love. And now we can skip to the morning. Breakfast as heavy as the luggage. Not to mention the trip to the Chopin's Airport. Uncertainty; do I know everything, have everything. Farewell.

Moscow. My fears towards Aeroflot were fortunately unjustified. Fully professional, cold and to the point. Of course, pretty stewardesses, magnificent Russia advertised from the screens, decent meals. The pilot's voice sounded surprisingly understandable, sometimes I could forget it was a different language. Only a sickle and a hammer, cleverly disguised in the company's logo, made me remember who I was dealing with. Even before the trip it came to me that I was going to travel the same route some of my less fortunate fellow countrymen went in the past ages. A painful morning in Warsaw, then change in Moscow and further into Siberia. They say that some Polish noble man, imprisoned in Sakhalin, got free and (because he lacked any better options) sailed the sea on a stolen boat. This way he got to be one of the first Polish people in Japan. From my point of view - kind of funny. From his probably too. The western part of Russia seen from an airplane is a one big forest, and Moscow's city line - both impressive and dreadful. The airport hosted a massive wave of Japanese, probably going home after some Russian-European sightseeing. The Italian vulcanuses prepared a nice surprise for us (apart from me also Bartek, Tomek and our man from Lithuania - Jarek). A toast for our safe flight drank with vodka called "Putinówka", which had been bought in a tax free shop. I was also reading "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in the meantime. Why not?

The flight. More tiring than I expected. 37000 feet above sea level, 600 kilometers per hour and -40 degrees outside. I watch "Clash of the Titans" in Aeroflot TV and couldn't sleep afterwards. Wished I had chosen "Star Trek". And in the end this wonderful feeling that each and every second gets you closer to your goal. Sunrise over the endless ice plains is beauty itself. Mysticism, alpha and omega. It's not even worth trying to describe it; imagination is way better anyway. Especially that the picture is poor. And how's Japan seen from up above? It blinds with the morning sun, covered with fluffy clouds and the Ocean's lapis lazuli. But a tired man doesn't care for this beauty. He wants to sleep and eat, and drink. I would like to land again and again. In that moment I felt a dream coming true. You don't feel that every day, do you?

Tokyo. All big airports are the same, Narita too. Kana and kanji said "Welcome to Japan". Japanese passengers, until now quiet and calm, simultaneously began shouting, joking and telephoning. Feverish officers politely (but with some reserve) took our fingerprints, photos, checked the luggage and visa, asked for the visit purpose and where we were going to stay. There was a medical post in case of fever or diarrhea, but none of us attended. Keiko San from the Eu-Japan Centre (from now on called "The Centre"), who came to pick us up, was way nicer. Her smile filled us with optimism and strength. Nobody probably wants to read about tons of formalities and the gruelling trip to the hotel. People don't even remember that sort of things themselves. Sometimes, however, they recall it and say: "yeah, it was tough, but I made it". I made it, I'm in Japan. And I hope to stay for a long time, even though I miss home already.