Disney Sea

Two days ago I visited Disney Sea with my host sister and the 学主因International Club. After a day of learning how to navigate this sprawling ‘city’, I picked up some handy hints that can cut down your time spent in those long lines.

The first helpful hint is to arrive before the opening time, and pre-purchase your tickets. We arrived half an hour early and the lines were already massive – so I really recommend doing this. Plan your route and head off early to ensure you are able to spend the whole day at the theme park. And yes, it really is a full day experience. In addition to this, I recommend looking up which ride has been released the most recently, which will come in to play with my next trip.

Once you get in to the park, head straight to the most recently built ride. Instead of hopping in line, hold tight on to your entry ticket and find the fast pass line. Here you can scan your ticket and receive a fast pass – for free – that allows you to skip the line at a certain time. You can have up to two fast pass tickets at any time, and then you need to use one before scanning for another.




Currently at Disney Sea, the most recently released ride is the Toy Story themed one – and if you are heading there soon I seriously recommend lining up for the fast pass, because everyone in Japan is crazy for it! My personal recommendation for fast pass is the Journey to The Centre of the Earth ride, the line is usually around 100 minutes, and it is the number one ride in Disney Sea {set in a huge volcano}.

My third tip is to go as a single rider. I can understand that it is nice to ride with friends, but if you are limited for time going as a single is a really good idea. Often, the lines are really quick, and chances are you will be in the same cart as your friend anyway.  

There you have it, my top three tips for Disney in Japan. Even though waiting in lines can be tedious, sometimes it’s worth it for a good ride {Indiana Jones, anyone?}. My friends and I found it really useful to buy some food and chow down whilst shuffling along. A final note, it isn’t called Disney Sea just because of some small water features, it can get really windy! So bring a jacket in winter or face the cold.


-H

Japanese Language Apps

There are hundreds of Japanese Study tool apps on the market, but let’s be honest – some are a complete waste of time. Today I am going to review three apps that I have been trialling, in terms of their effectiveness as a study tool.

Language Perfect
So everybody who goes to the same school as me will have used this app in class. You need a subscription {$40 monthly if private, or $40 annually with a school} which is a kind of pricey, but the tools provided have helped me study a lot! Also, it is great for developing vocabulary. It definitely isn’t for everyone, my fellow classmates seldom use it, but if you are a auditory learner, then this language study tool is quite useful. However, I don’t recommend it if you are a kinaesthetic or visual learner.

Duolingo
Honestly, I found this app to be really unhelpful, due to the incredibly simple content. While it can be helpful to know how to say ‘hello’ and ‘good evening’, it doesn’t provide any means to go further than this basic level of knowledge. The app is free, and possibly worth downloading if you are only interested in having a very basic knowledge of a language. But to someone who has been studying a language for a prolonged period of time – the app is completely useless.

Japanese – more than a dictionary
Funnily enough, the above title is actually the name of the app, and its free. I really think that this app is incredibly helpful, especially for learning vocabulary or translating words you don’t know. You can type in English or Japanese, as well as using your finger or a stylus to draw Kanji. Each search will give you multiple definitions, and a guide as to how to read them. The best part, it doesn’t rely of WiFi to function, so you can use it anywhere! I seriously recommend downloading this dictionary app if you are learning Japanese or planning a trip to Japan!

There you have it, three language apps that I have been trialling recently. Duolingo is definitely going in the trash, but for some people it could be a useful app. I’ll keep language perfect for now, thanks to my school’s subscription, but in the future I can’t see myself forking out $40 a month for studying tools online. Really, the most useful app is ‘Japanese’, and I am excited to continue using it in Japan!


-H

How to wrap a bento {simple style}

A bento is pretty much a Japanese lunch box. Though in the past it only consisted of one large box divided in to sections, today it can be made up of pretty much anything! With the exception of some items, like large soup containers or drink bottles, any containers that hold your lunch are generally wrapped in a bento -  so its handy to know how to wrap one.

First you’ll need a bento wrap cloth, called furoshiki, as well as your lunch. Before even considering wrapping it, take a look at your lunch. What is it made up of? If the answer is along the lines of… an uncut apple / food without a container, I would suggest finding a small paper bag, about half the size of an A4 sheet of paper, and placing your lunch in there.

The next step is to assemble your containers – how many are there and how big are they? Its only lunch, so you should have around 1-2 small containers, or 1 large one. Place the containers in the middle of the furoshiki, with the smaller width facing towards two corners on the wrap. If you have more than one container, stack the smaller on the larger and you’ll be good to go.

Following this, take the corner of the furoshiki that doesn’t have a container pointing to it, and place it over the container/s, tucking the bottom underneath them. Repeat this with the other side, but don’t worry about tucking in the bottom. 

Next, grab the two remaining corners and bring them to the middle. You can choose to twist them before, or just tie them in a double knot. If you are bringing cutlery {which should be in a tiny case} slot it in-between the containers and the knot. Grab your bento and place it in your school bag ready for lunch!


CasaBento furoshiki


The finished product should look something like this photo above, taken from CasaBento. This shop sells bento boxes as well as furoshiki, in a variety of designs and colours.
　
Good luck!


-H

The Yutoku Inari Shrine

The Yutoku Inari Shrine is located in Saga, Kyushu, and is one of the three largest Inari shrines in Japan. It is made up of several beautiful parts all of which come together to create a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere. For those Ghibli lovers, visiting is like stepping in to the world of ‘Spirited Away’, complete with the large red bridge to hold your breath whilst you cross.






The location of the shrine is parallel to a river, and this is because it is believed that gods are present in natural monuments {animism}, and also that their spiritual presence is higher in this area. The Yutoku Inari Shrine’s god is kitsune, the fox. Large statues of foxes decorate the entrance gate, and off to the side is a place with flowing water. Here, you can wash your hands by pouring water over them, to purify them before entering the shrine. In the old days, people used to also wash their whole body in the nearby river, no matter the season.

The shrine has so much to try, but before checking out all of the amazing things you can do, watch your step! All of the pathways in the shrine are made up of several blocks. { I I I I I I }. You might not notice, but all of the columns of blocks are always an odd number. This is because it is believed that the Gods walk on the centre column, so make sure you walk to the left of it.

You might have seen Japanese people receiving fortunes at shrines, these are called omikuji. They can be bought at the shrine for around 100-200 円{$1-2AUD}, and there are several varieties. From your standard full coverage {health, love, studies, work}, you also have love omikujis, as well as ones which tell you what your lucky stone will be for the next year.

Also at the shrine is a special love spot. There, you can pray for good fortune in love and even write a message to the Gods on a piece of wood. This area is well-known in Japan as a famous comedian visited, and a year later he married a very beautiful woman.





Take a trip up the red stairs and you will be greeted with an amazing view, both inside and out. This area is the shrine’s main, well, shrine. Toss in a few coins, ring the bell and pray by bowing twice, clapping your hands twice and bowing once again once you have finished your prayer. If you are lucky you might be able to see a formal ceremony inside the shrine – consisting of music, dancing and prayer.

Near this large part of the shrine is a spot that most people miss. To the left of the stairs is a small stone path, leading to a water pool. The idea behind this pool is that you churn up the water with the ladle provided and look in. If you can see your face clearly in the agitated water then something terrible will happen to you. If not, you’re good to go!

By far my favourite part of the shrine is the walk up the mountain. It is so scenic and lovely and every step is accompanied by hundreds of smaller shrines. The view from the top is superb and though the climb up is a little steep, it is well worth it {though I don’t recommend wearing heels}.





Once you have descended the mountain, pay a visit to the traditional Japanese garden. It is particularly gorgeous in spring, when all of the cherry blossoms are blooming. The entrance fee is only $2AUD, and the delicate scenery is well worth this very small price.

The Yutoku Inari Shrine is really one of the wonders of Japan. It is well known in Asian society, particularly Thailand, but not as much in Western culture. Honestly, it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to see one of the oldest and largest Inari shrines in Japan, so if you are headed that way, make sure to visit!

Find out more info about the Shrine, as well as the museum across the road here!

-H

Why I love Japan

I think that Japan is often very misunderstood as a nation. Too often I hear people mocking parts of their culture, or just disregarding them, simply because they don’t understand. And it can be easy to do this, Japan is very much a mono-culture, but different doesn’t mean wrong. If we take a step back and look at stereotypical Japan we see hundreds of high rise buildings, a massive population, and a plethora of weird/cute/creepy things {such as プリクラ}. So let’s break it down, and you’ll see why I love this country a lot.

Sure, in the city, there are a lot of buildings, and sometimes you feel as if you are indeed in the maze runner – but Japan in unique is a really special way. Where I live, certain areas indicate certain entities; the city has tall building, but if you walk down the road a little bit there is a large park, etc. You would think that this rule would also apply in Japan, but I can assure you that this is not the case. Where else in the world could you find a truly incredible pond in the middle of the urban sprawl? Or an amazing shrine, right next to the 7/11. Japan is full of pockets of nature, if you look for them – and stumbling across one unexpectedly is always the highlight of my day. Look at the picture below, taken at 東大, 20 metres away there are buildings so tall you have to crane your neck to see the top.





So the second stereotype is that Japan has a massive population, which is somewhat true. In urban areas, there are millions of people – just try riding a train in the morning. But visiting Saga showed me that this population density does not stretch the whole nation, as one might assume. There is nothing more amazing than standing in a rice field with only four other people and watching the sunset. Look to the left and the next house is 2 km away. And I know, the same can go for other countries too, if you know where to look.

Finally, the weird factor. I guess this really is the result of Japanese mono-culture, but it is so fun to embrace. The fashion and entertainment is so obscure and crazy, that you just need to let go and roll with it. Sure, you might not like everything, but I think the real issue that people have with odd stuff in Japan is that it is so different from what they are used to. To those people, I ask, why escape your hometown if you aren't willing to embrace the difference {perhaps you shouldn’t have left!}?

The mix of tradition and future technology merges seamlessly in to everyday life, and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of it. If you accept the quirks with an open mind, you might find that someone else’s reality makes a lot of sense.

-H

Colloquial Japanese

The various different forms of Japanese can be incredibly confusing {think plain-past-negative}, and often in a classroom environment you will only be exposed to polite or formal Japanese. Though I had learnt about colloquial Japanese at school, I was never really given a chance to practise it, so coming to Japan and speaking in only colloquial terms has been slightly difficult – but I’ve picked up some tricks along the way to ensure that you can communicate effectively.






The most important thing is to know a lot of verbs, and learning them in formal Japanese is fine. Once you know verbs, you can figure out the stem, and you’ll be able to communicate in past, present, future, plain and many other tenses. An easy example of this is 食べます – tabemasu {to eat}, the verb stem is clearly ‘tabe’, so my tip is that if you are unsure of how to phrase something, just use the verb stem and it will most likely be understood. For example, if you want to say: I want to eat chicken, then you would phrase it like this: チキンを食べ… The correct verb ending in this case is たい {want to}, so if you say that you will be able to get your message across.

My next tip is directly related to the one above, which is that normally if you peter off, people will say the correct verb to themselves. So I guess you should just listen to what they say instead of tuning out. They are freely giving you the answer, so use it in your next conversation. Perhaps even confirm the correct sentence by saying it again.

If you are listening to instructions and have no idea what is going on, watch their hand movements. People can often mime an action without thinking, and this will give you a clue as to what they want you to do. Often, like in English, the same verb can apply to a number of situations, so take note of them and use your brain.

I hope this post has been a little helpful in teaching colloquial Japanese. It’s really important to initiate conversations and get involved, rather than sitting on the sidelines and contemplating how bad your language skills are. Even if you don’t know how to phrase something – give it a try! As it is not your mother tongue people will cut you a lot of slack, so don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself and leap in!

-H

佐賀

For the past half-week I visited my host mother’s family in Saga, Kyushu. I had never spared a thought for Kyushu before, considering it to be of less interest that other, more famous Japanese islands. Once there, I fell in love with the beautiful scenery and country charm – I definitely recommend stopping by if you are heading to Japan.

My day started early on the departure day, leaving at 6:50 for Haneda airport. The flight took around one and a half hours, and we hopped on a train to our destination. At the station, we were greeted by 恵子おねちゃん、my host mother’s older sister, and she kindly drove us around the area for the whole afternoon. We visited the beach, a mountain lookout, an old Japanese village as well as a Sake manufacturer. My favourite local spot was in the Japanese village, at the back of a Sake shop. There, we were greeted by a plethora of nick-knacks from the ‘20s onwards, as well as an incredibly Miyazaki-esque backyard.




Afterwards, we visited 夏帆 great grandmother, who is 99 at the moment. She is so charming and adorable, and lives on her family’s property – complete with a smaller shrine, rice field, two other houses and gates carved in the shape of their family crest. We then set off for dinner with the whole family. I was able to see 弘子 again, as well as meet her incredibly smart sister 直子. In addition to this, I was introduced to the whole family, and met 夏帆grandfather, the head of Yutoku Inari Shrine, and ともえせおにちゃん、next in line for this position {and son of the head}.

At the gates to the shrine


The next day we set off for the Shrine, which is one of the top three largest Inari shrines in Japan. The whole area is so beautiful with many activities and places to connect with spirituality, nature or friends. I really recommend visiting if you get the chance. As my host family is related to the Shrine head {the Shrine belongs to them} I was really fortunate to be received inside the Shrine.

Normally, you pray outside and look in – so this was a huge honour for me. After some food, we were lead up to a huge chamber, almost every inch decorated with gold. I participated in a praying ceremony {sorry, I can’t recall the formal name} which included spiritual dancers, musicians as well as an offering to the Shrine God {in this case, kitsune, the fox}.

Honestly, going to the shrine has been my favourite thing about Japan. If you are heading to Kyushu, or even just Japan, stop by and visit – you won’t be disappointed!

-H

Contact

hollyea@hotmail.com