My last day at the laboratory

Today is my last day at the laboratory. I gave a “last-day-party” (the secretary, who wrote the Japanese invitations called it that), basically consisting of a sushi lunch (with dessert) for the Professor and the laboratory staff. Today I got a lot of presents, for example pictures from the last party, a luck-amulet, a face mask (the Swine flu is quite present here) etc. .

Kakunodate

As already mentioned, here some photos from my trip to Kakunodate, a small town famous for its well preserved old samurai district.


And, of course, the most important part if you are in a old samurai district: Swords, blades and armor :)


The rest of the town was rather unspectacular, but Oliver Kahn seems to be quite famous around here :)

Matsushima

I know, have not posted in a while, I am a lazy skunk, my apologies. Still, I used my time and travelled around Northern Honshu, more specific Matsushima (a coast town from where you can see about 260 small islands) and Kakunodate (an old castle town with a well preserved samurai district, see next post). I also made a shopping tour through Sendai, the department stores here are CRAAAAZZZZZYYYYY, but more about that later. So, here some pics of Matsushima. As you can see, as expected, I have slit eyes now (food DOES have a major impact on your body).


The temple seen on the pictures opens its interior only all 33 years, and, unfortunately, I missed the last opening 2006. It’s still a very nice sight, though.


This beautiful red bridge is 252 m long and leads to an island with a botanical garden. It is as spectacular as it looks... :)


Since Japan only catches whale for “scientific reasons”, this whale meat, as the picture indicates, comes from happy free-range whales...

Party cannot be everything during my stay in Japan :) On my second day in Japan I visited the Meiji Shrine, the East Palace Garden (Garden of the Emperor) and the Nippon Budokan (Tokyo’s arena for Material Arts). On the first photos you can see one of the tori (gate) of the Meiji shrine, the entrance gate of the shrine from the inside, the entrance to the great hall (where you pray, photos from inside the great hall were not allowed) and a place where you rinse your hands and mouth before entering the shrine.


A photo from central Tokyo (on my way to the Palace Garden).


A lawn in front of the Palace Garden, I have never seen a lawn that flawless, no weeds and the grass was perfectly cut.


Entrance gate to the actual palace of the Emperor and his family.


After the Palace Garden I went to the Nippon Budokan where a Judo youth tournament took place.


I like the idea of everyone having the same hair cut, we should try the same at Kinran :)


I am sorry, but fat Asian kids are hilarious :)


During my last hours in Tokyo I rode to Shinjuku station, the busiest train station in the world (serving an average of 3.64 million people per day) and walked through Shinjuku and apparently its red light district.

My Japanese Beer Party

Before I post about my second day in Tokyo, I have to tell about the last night :) I was invited to a Japanese Beer Party of the department, an event only occurring 3 times a year. 70 members (professors, doctors, laboratory staff, nurses etc.) of the department jointed the party in a restaurant, where we were served a wide variety of Japanese dishes (sashimi – raw fish, soba – a sort of noodle etc.) and endless beer pitchers. So the party went the usual Japanese party way: Food and beer until everyone reached his or her personal drunk level. At this point a lot of people started to speak English quite fluently (or at least the local Japenglish) and Dr. Satoh, an assistant professor, introduced me to a 25-year old nurse, who spoke not a word English but still thought I was cute and obviously liked my nose, what she was showing by touching it (my nose!) frequently. Later Dr. Satoh (who took an obvious interest in getting me home with a Japanese woman and mentioned several times that “life is only one time”) introduced me to another single nurse, this time 23 and with basic English skills. Even though the conversation was bumpy we became the main attraction for the nurses table behind us and were surrounded by male and female nurses with uncertain motives (conversation, making fun, curiosity) a few minutes later. Around 11 p.m. the event at the restaurant ended and I joined a party of doctors and nurses who were heading to another pub nearby. It was a nice, relatively small bar/restaurant and I was invited to more food (yakitori – chicken skin/liver/legs on a wooden stick, sashimi, octopus and more), sake and Shōchū (a kind of Japanese whisky). Around 1 a.m. I left the restaurant quite drunk with two doctors and another medical student (all even more drunk than me) to head to a ramen (spaghetti like noodles) shop to eat again :)
Around 2 a.m. I had found my way home to my youth hostel, recognizing that it was closed during night time. I had to stay next to my bike in the bicycle shed for 5 hours, than got 1 hour of sleep in my bed (in a room with 7 other men...) before I had my breakfast, took a shower and had to leave the youth hostel for work.
Quite a party experience.

My first day in Tokyo

So, this is my report about my 2-day trip to Tokyo. I got there after a 2 h Shinkansen (Bullet train/ICE) ride, which was quite relaxing because here my fellow passengers are actually quite.


After arriving in Tokyo I went to the Tourist Information Center (Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan Bldg., 10 Fl., I highly recommend it!) were a volunteer with good English skills (regularly occupied as a wine importer) basically planed my complet stay in Tokyo, explaining where, how and why I should get to certain attractions and provided me with all sorts of maps of Tokyo, its districts and the subway system. Simply a perfect service.

After that I went to the Sony Bldg. where they have an outside salt water aquarium with some kind of small shark in it… Inside are a lot of new Sony gadgets displayed (there will be a Vaio netbook series soon), and, as already mentioned, I need one of these 350cm 3D-Flatscreens.

Some impressions, while I was wandering around Tokyo...


I was lucky to hit the weekend of a festival where a huge firework is displayed at a riverside. It seems to be very popular and gave me the possibility to experience a real Tokyo subway ride at the heavily overcrowded Sinjunku line on a weekend day :)


To experience some nightlife I went to Shibuya, obviously a tourist magnet, nowhere else did I see more non-Asians.


I spend my night in a manga kissa, with 1200 yen by far the cheapest place to stay. And it had internet :)


So much about my first day in Tokyo, next time I will post the pictures of the second day.
Greetz

Rockin` Tokyo

I finaly made my trip to Tokyo. Big city, a lot of Japanese people here :) You will get the full story tomorrow or monday, with the best pic`s and videos. Still, I can already tell you: I am saving my money from now on for a new gadget I saw at the Sony Bldg., a 350 cm 3D Flat screen incl. the 3D Movie "42nd Sony Aquarium". Further, I got the original Tokyo-feeling riding an insanly overcrowded metro train to the longest and biggest firework I have ever seen (again, big celebration and as usual I do not know why:). Right now, I am writhing you from a manga kissa were I will spend my night for only 1200 yen (about 15 Euro). I will tell you tomorrow, if my back survived sleeping in an apparently comfy chair.