Setting off for Morioka in Style.

I got up super super early today!
Today went on the Shikansen! ( The Japanese Bullet Train ).
At first, the speed of the train didn’t really impress me, as my friends have been raving about. But, as we started to enter the outskirts of Tokyo, the train speed up to full speed.
I didn’t really come to realized how fast I was going, till I tried to take a picture.
That’s when I realized that the only things that weren’t blurry were considerably further away… I traveled 500+ km in only a few hours including stops.
As I traveled north, the weather changed a number of times including going thru 2 different snow storms…. Not sure how it worked but it was interesting none the less.

Hideo’s wife, Hiromi, was very nice at gave me some rice balls for my lunch on the train.
(Thanks Hiromi!! - It was very tasty!! )

As I stepped off the Shikansen, everything was different. The weather was biting cold and the station seemed fairly small with only a hand full of people.

Gladly I was meet by a teacher from Morioka College. Sannohei Sensei.

Where am I?

<-- Thats my Train!!!! Sexy An'it?

-Tom

Bye bye Hideo and Family!!

Hey everyone, It's my last day till I leave to Morioka.
I've got my train tickets costing about ¥15000 ($150 CDN). I still can't get over how much transportation cost in Japan.

Anyways, the family I was staying with have been so nice to me! I wanted to do something nice for them, so I took them out for Sushi! Sooo tasty!! I made sure that we all had our fill. (^______^)

<-- Ryosuke

I hope that I can see them again!!!

-Tom

Akihabara today!

HEY!! I when to Akihabara today!!
So Awesome!! Akihabara is in Tokyo and is well know for cheap electronics, anime, and Geeks!

Yeah! Geek power!! Woot!

There was so much stuff there!! And everything is really cheap!! Well... not really cheap, but "if" it exists you can find it here in 5 different colours.

I wasn’t able to stay there for very long, but I enjoyed my self.

My main purpose was to buy a Japanese-English Electronic dictionary. I’ve been having problems looking up Kanji’s and how to use different words with out having to log around 5 different books.

I found a store that was selling it for about ¥5000 ($50) cheaper then everywhere else.
Anyways, after finding the store I walked around a bit.

Akihabara is totally Geek Heaven! Everything from this hot girl handing out a flyer of Serial Numbers to Erotic Anime stores, you can find it here.

After walking around for a bit, I eyed this fairly hot girl in a black dress. She noticed me and walked over to me. I wasn’t really sure what to do, but then I realized that she was dressed in a French Maid Costume!! Still not completely sure what to do, she came up and handed me a flyer and smiled.
I thanked her and walked away. Looking at the flyer, it seemed to be for some Café run by a bunch of girls dressed in French maid costumes. So Japan!

I didn’t take a picture, but I found one on the net that gives you an idea of what she looked like.

<-- Cosplay Maid

Otaku Store Full of Wonders - "I made it bigger so you can see the stuff inside"
And No I didn't go in....

Anyways, That was my time in Akihabara, I’m totally going back there again!!!
Times up.

-Tom

News Flash

I've introduced the powerball to Japan..... and my top score as already been beaten...

Narita San - Morning

Hey everyones,

I when to a temple today called Narita-san. It was really cool!!! Monks and Smoke and everything ! I followed along with my friends and put my 10 yen into the coin box, clapped three times. I guess it was for praying to the gods at one time, but I think now it's just done for good luck. I was really busy here! But my friend told me that it's crazy busy on the Thirty First of December. ( New Years). I want to check it out......

I wasn't able to take pictures inside the temple.... It's rude and I've only been the country for less then a week. I don't want problems.

We when to a Mochisuki / Mountain Bike Party today. Hideo, my dad's friend whom I am staying at knows a lot of people!

Their were about 25 people, mostly friends getting together and eating a big meal which was all cooked outside by fire!!
Even the Rice was steam over open flame!! It was awesome!!

The meal was priceless! Everyone there was so friendly and kind! The Grandmother gave me 5 Huge Daikon (Japanese White Radish) So tasty! I fell into a different world

Rice Pounding

Mochi (Pounded Rice) .... Rolling??

Soup Making??? Then Adding Pounded Rice...

Hanging with the locals...So tasty!!..... "The soup, not the locals"....

Anyways, Remember I said that when to a Mochizuchi / Mountain Bike Party... Well, it seems that the kids of the farmers were bored, so they make a dirt track.....

Hmmmmm You can't beat a Good Ride in the Mud after eating a Bowl of Grandmas Home make Rice Pounded Soup....

Look at all the smiling faces..

-Tom

Day Two - Sushi

I went to a new style Sushi Bar today! I was great!! The Sushi is put on to different plates and then the plates travel around the room on long moving track like little trains. Then the different sushi's run around the room and you've got to catch them or wait another 5 min.till the same sushi comes back. ( That is if no one else catches it before you) ( Gotta Catch Them All Style)

So many different types of Sushi... I didn't want to ask what everything was.. but I ate it so, I don't really care now. I'm having a lot of fun for my second day here, I love the kids!! Their so full on energy!

The moving line of Sushi

OMG WE ATE SOO MUCH!!

-Tom

Hello Japan, My Name is Thomas.

I've arrived!!! Yeah!!!

I arrived in Narita, Japan on the 28 of December.
I meet some really really cool people while flying. It was a 10 hour flight and I can't sit still for that long without talking to at least 10 people.

I ended up talking with some guy named Gary, who was going on vacation to Japan and Korea for about 6 weeks. Man, he's a lucky guy. I wish I could do something like that. Just go somewhere for Vacation, but it seems that he was also trying to find work at a English teacher....

The other interesting person was some guy named David. He was coming back from Canada to Japan were he had been living for about 12 years!! He was hired about 10 years ago to start building wooden houses in Japan, and ended up getting married and having kids in Japan too. I later found out that he was from Victoria too, and his dad worked for Philbrooks in Sidney. Maybe my dad knows the family. (Dad, does Willy ring any bells? )

After a few beers, and a few hours, the washroom seem to be that hang out for those whom can't really sit for long travels.

Along with a few other people, the stewardess, and the guy sitting beside me who's english was terrible, the flight was a blast.

I arrive at the airport and was meet by my dad's friends family.

-Tom