This July 16th to July 26th, a group from our team traveled to Japan and created a journal blog of the trip. Below are the links to the journal entries for each day of the trip.
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Travel Day - Friday, July 16th
Today we traveled from Edmonton Alberta to Tokyo Japan. The flight from Edmonton to Vancouver went well as it was only one hour. Then we stayed in Vancouver airport for 4 hours. As there was a four-hour layover in Vancouver this allowed us to eat lunch. Vancouver has an incredibly beautiful airport and they have an aquarium. It was quiet as we left in the middle of the week. This is the best time to fly as there are less people and the airports are not so busy. Then the Japanese Airline flight came. It was a big plane with an upper cabin. The airplane had a TV and a game control phone that was not extremely high tech; it was more like those in the 1990's. The flight was 9 hours. On these flights it is good to try and sleep as much as possible because then you will have less jet lag. They served us two meals on the flight one was rice with chicken the other meal was a spicy fish sandwich. For the first meal the supper they showed us a picture and we could choose which one we wanted. They do have movies and TV channels to watch in English. When we arrived in Tokyo, we went out of the terminal exits. There are two exits from the plain to the terminal if you take the wrong one like I did you may get lost. Luckily, I was able to find my way.
Then we walked to the train shuttle stop and got on an automatic train that took us to the main terminal. There was cool Japanese art with Kanji (Japanese Characters) on the airport's walls. To get to customs you must go up and down a few floors. At customs they had a fingerprint scan where they scan your fingerprints and a picture is taken when we gave them our passports. We then arrived at the baggage claim to get our two checked bags. However, Air Canada did not send our second bag, which was my parents’ suitcase. The way we found out was there was a sign on the luggage carousel telling us that we had to see the baggage services, so we contacted them and told them to deliver the suitcase to their hotel. This experience of losing bags flying has happened twice with Air Canada as this time they did not put our bags on in Vancouver on time, so our other bag had to go on the next flight. Then we got my dad's Japanese cell phone and train tickets to the Nippori station. When we got on the train and phoned our friend, we were meeting this took several tries. At the time we did not realize till later that talking on the phone in the subway is considered impolite. Then we got to the station, switched trains a few times and I bought a ticket and my parents bought passes an easier way than tickets. With Passes a person puts money on a card and can use it to travel around anywhere and there are machines at the subway stations to purchase passes or put money on them. Then we saw a few sites in the area of the restaurant we had dinner at once we met up with our friend. When we got to the restaurant and had real Sushi. It was quite different as the sushi was way fresher and tastier in Japan than at home in Canada. There was a salad that came with the meal and steamed soybeans where you only eat the beans not the outside. Then we met our friends and gave out gifts. This is a Japanese custom to give gifts to those you meet on the first night there. Then I went to my homestay. The house is like a modern New York apartment except there is a different room for the toilet and a different room for the shower and bath. The shower and bath are like here. The toilet is very advanced and automatic, no need for a button. Also, there is air conditioning in the apartment. The apartment is two bedrooms; it is quite small but almost the same size as the apartments in Canada.
Day 1 - Saturday, July 17
In Tokyo they have modern food like in North America as for breakfast they eat food like we eat here such as mini pizzas and cereal. In order to get around Tokyo the cheapest way is to take the subway and get a one-day pass. In Japan we visited a school that was an all-girls school and they wore uniforms to school. Also, the school had many ads for Universities in Tokyo. Then I went with my homestay family to The Yasukuni Shrine. It was a nice shrine; it was small and had trees in it. Also, there were animals guarding the gates and three main entrance torii gates. At the shrine there was a statue of the general who built the temple during the Meiji period. The Yasukuni Shrine is quite small.
Next, we went to the Meiji Shrine. It has a nice long park with huge tall trees. There is a garden and a few restaurants inside the Meiji Shrine Park. The Meiji Shrine had a place to ceremonially wash before entering the main part of the Meiji Shrine and a place to write wishes and hang them up so they come true; these are key features of every shrine. The park surrounding the Meiji Shrine is quite large and beautiful with tall trees and gravel walkways. At the Meiji Shine they have ice cream and the tofu flavored ice cream is delicious. The ice cream is not too sweet but exactly right.
Then we went to the Shinjuku district. It had nice cheap shops on Harajuku Takeshita street. Everywhere shopkeepers were holding up signs and yelling at people passing by in order to have them buy their stuff. Then we had lunch at a nice restaurant in the area. The restaurant had a nice buffet at lunch that had interesting and simple Japanese cuisine. After lunch we went to the Tokyo Central United Church, a church where international foreigners can attend. They were having a special outreach to people who were less fortunate in giving them a free meal and a concert. Then we went back to the Shinjuku district. It is more crowded there as packed with people and shops. Then we saw the Nihonbashi Bridge that was quite small from the Edo period. There were monks on the bridge trying to get people to give them money. I then went to a Kimono Store and saw many beautiful kimonos. The kimono designs were incredibly unique, but they were awfully expensive as much as wedding dresses or grad dresses in North America. After the Kimono Store, we went to the Ginza district where there are many American stores such as Forever 21, Starbucks, Gucci, Lactose, and Adidas. The Ginza district has many foreign European shops; the prices are very comparable to North American prices. We had Japanese curry for supper. It is a sweet and not very spicy curry that is quite different from other curries.
Day 2 - Sunday, July 18th
On Sunday, we lugged my suitcase around on a bike. It was hard work. As I brought a giant suitcase to Japan because I had to take so much stuff. I do not recommend taking a large bag to Japan as everything is so compact. We went shopping and the shopping centers are like the ones in North America just that there are so many of them with so many stores. I rode a Japanese bike. It is easier to ride than one in Canada as it is lighter and easier to use. In the evening, I went with my Japanese friend for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I had steak and mashed potatoes for dinner. This was a good change as I was feeling very hungry as Japanese food is not as filling and I felt a bit homesick. The Hard Rock Cafe was a nice little piece of home. Tonight, I will sleep on a futon. It is a mattress type blanket it is very comfortable to sleep on and folds up, so it saves space.
Day 3 - Monday, July 19th
Today I went to the Tokyo Edo Museum and had a guided tour. It was genuinely nice to learn about the Edo and Meiji periods. I met a Japanese student going to study at the U of A next year at the Edo Tokyo Museum. In the afternoon I went to St. Nicholas Cathedral Orthodox church. It was remarkably interesting to see a Russia Orthodox Church and learn more about what they believe. While in that area we went and saw a Confucian temple called Yushima Seto. It was exceedingly small and dirty. After this we went and saw Kanada Meojin. It was an Imperial temple built for the Emperor. It was very colorful compared to the Meiji shrine. It was built during the Edo period. It would be a good site to visit when in Tokyo as it is so colorful and full of history. After doing all the sightseeing for the day I went to a district that sells electronics and bought some more film for my camera prices are quite comparable with Canada and the U.S.A. I went to the 7-11 store to withdraw money. It does not really like Canadian bank cards as I had difficulty withdrawing money with a MasterCard. Later, I had supper of noodles, and an egg fruit dish for dessert. In Japan they have washing machines in their houses, but they air dry their laundry as it is so hot and humid things dry quickly.
Day 4 - Tuesday, July 20th
So today I went to Disneyland in Tokyo. It was fun but not as fun as Wonderland or an amusement park. They have themed areas as shown below and here is a list of the rides I went on. The space blast is a fun fast roller coaster. The buzz lightyear ride is fun. I bought my lunch before entering the park and stopped for lunch and iced strawberries. It is like a snow cone but in a cup and made with real strawberries. The strawberry ice cone I bought came in a souvenir cup which I kept. Then I went to Toon Land and took pictures with some of the Disney characters and saw Minnie's house and went on a small roller coaster. ToonTown is geared towards smaller children. Then I went to Fantasy Land and went on The Winnie the Pooh Ride and bought some things from that store. I bought popcorn and received a souvenir popcorn holder. Then I saw a parade with floats for all the famous Disney characters. It was entertaining and lasted 15 minutes or more. I went on the Peter Pan Ride. It was incredibly good. Then I went on the Haunted House Ride. It was a little scary. Then I went to Splash Mountain and got wet on a roller coaster ride. Then I explored the Wild West with a Wild Train Roller Coaster. It was fun. I went on the “It’s A Small World “ride in the Fantasyland area. It was a nice slow ride. After supper I saw another parade. In Western Town it is like the Old West in Canada or the U.SA but the souvenirs like cowboy hats and boots did not look authentic to me. Then I went on a train ride in AdventureLand and an Amazon Cruise in the dark. It was a little scary. Then I went on the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride but part way through they stopped the ride because security was breached so we had to evacuate the ride. On the way out they gave us vouchers for a free ride. I went back to where I was staying having experienced a full day of fun at Disneyland.
Day 5 - Wednesday, July 21st
So today I went to a Japanese school and taught some students about Canada. It was hard to get the students to talk so they stared at me a lot. The school was exceptionally clean as they have janitors that keep it spotless as usually the students and staff clean the school themselves as most Japanese schools do not have janitors. At the school I tried on and learned how to put on a Yukata (a summer Kimono). I took pictures in the Yukata and saw part of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. After school, I went to a used bookstore that had five floors of books. Then I went to a grocery store. Their vegetables are like the ones in Canada but smaller.
Day 6 - Thursday, July 22nd
Today I went to school and talked to the students about St. Albert and Skyped with a friend from Alberta. The students seemed to talk more, and answer questions well compared to yesterday when they were incredibly quiet. Then I went for lunch at the cafeteria as each school has a cafeteria for lunch. I had curry, my favorite Japanese dish. After lunch I saw several Japanese club activities. First, I saw Kendo practice. Next, I saw the Japanese traditional dance club where they use fans in their dancing. After school I saw a Buddhist temple and the gardens of the Shogun. The gardens are a nice place to visit as they have a lot of information on the audio guides about what the garden was used for as well as there is a teahouse there that you can visit.
Day 7 - Friday, July 23rd
This morning there was a small earthquake. At first, I did not realize it was an earthquake. I just thought it was the person I was staying with was just making breakfast. Then when I realized it was an earthquake, I was too tired to take it seriously. Today I moved my suitcase by taxi to the school. This was quite an endeavor as my suitcase was exceptionally large. I Skyped with a friend during class and talked about Spruce Grove and Stony Plain Areas' history and historical sites to visit. After class I went out for lunch and had an interesting Japanese dish called Monjayaki at a restaurant where you cooked it on the grill. In the afternoon I went to visit more Japanese clubs. First, I participated in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. This was interesting as I was able to try making Japanese Green Tea. Next, I went to see the Japanese archery. They use costumes and longer bows and arrows. After supper we went swimming in the pool at the apartment. It is very shallow, only one meter deep and you must wear a swimming cap. Also, I went in the hot tub. They also have a Sauna, but I did not go in it as you must be naked to go in and there is one for males and one for females.
Day 8 - Saturday, July 24th
On Saturday I had a small bible study with a Japanese student and a missionary who translated a lot so I could understand. After this I walked to a train station and met my mom and a friend. We went shopping in Harajuku street and I bought gifts and hair pieces at the 100-yen store. Harajuku street is a street in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo that has the most modern young people fashions. Harajuku is lined with shops and the street goes for a few blocks and there is a variety of clothing stores there. Some shops sell anime costumes or style clothing and others traditional Yukatas (summer kimonos) My Mom bought a modern Yukata with pants and a top. I bought two reversible bags to go with my Yukata and some traditional sandals. After shopping on Harajuku Street, I went to my parent’s hotel. We stopped at 7-11 for ice cream and to buy a bento box (a premade lunch). Then I went to their hotel room to visit with them. The hotel is exceptionally clean, but their room is small for two people. They have a fridge and a double sized bed and a small TV. Then my Dad took me back to the person's house I am staying at. I got ready for the summer festival that evening and I put on my Yukata. I got all dressed up in my new shoes and went to the summer festival. They had tickets you could buy, and we bought some. I used the ticket to buy a snow cone that was served in a bowl. After eating my snow cone, I went and danced around in a circle. It was like line dancing. After the dancing I saw a taiko drum performance. By the end of the night my feet were sore as the traditional Japanese shoes called “geta” are extremely uncomfortable.
Day 9 - Sunday, July 25th
On Sunday, I was a part of a bible study in Japanese. The bible study was in a home with about 20 people and we read the bible, sang and prayed together. After the study, I made lunch of hot dogs and Cesar salad as my host wanted me to make a Canadian meal for the bible study group. After lunch in the afternoon I went shopping at LalaPort. I could not find anything though because it was too small. LalaPort is a mall that is like Kingsway mall as it is small. I usually wear medium in Canada but here I think I need a large or extra-large because the clothes are smaller. Then I watched Jin a Japanese show about a modern doctor that ended up in the Edo Era. This show is great to watch for those interested in Japan and for Grade 8 Students. In the evening I went to Odaiba and had supper at the mall. The Odaiba Mall also is quite small like Kingsway; most of the stores were European or American but some were Japanese. I also went and saw the Rainbow Bridge from a distance and a mini Statue of Liberty. However, it was dark by then so the pictures I took were not so good. It gets dark in Japan in the summertime around 6 or 7 pm. Then I went to Venus Port, an outlet mall. The Venus Mall was nice, but it was still small. Then I went on the big Ferris wheel that is 16 m of the ground. This was fun as you could see the harbor and most of the buildings in Tokyo, but I recommend going in the daytime as you can see it better.
Return Day - Monday, July 26th
So today I went to the school where we did a final lesson about Alberta and received gifts from students. Then I went to the airport by train. This was a nightmare as we had two big suitcases we had to lug around upstairs and in elevators as we had to change trains for the one to the airport and the train we got on stopped frequently as it was not an express train. If you go to Japan, make sure to take the express to the airport as it is faster as the local train takes about an hour or more to get to the airport. Then I got on a plane and went to Vancouver for 8 hours. We flew on Jal then Edmonton via Air Canada and was home around supper time. In order to get over jet lag upon returning it is best to have supper and go to bed.
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