A Japanese Summer: Chapter Ten

Homestretch baby!

*grins*

Yes. This is the final post for the long and running, soon to be bored to death "A Japanese Summer" series.

Or is it?

Alrighties. From the mountains to the sea. We saw them all. No tour group could have let us see what we saw, go where we went, stay where we stayed, experience what we experienced, all around Japan, within two weeks. Oh, and on the budget we're on. Heh.

So here we were on our very last day in Japan. Our flight was scheduled for the evening which meant we still have half a day worth of sightseeing. Yes. Precious time must not be wasted. We packed our luggage the night before and took them all with us weee early in the morning and stuffed them in gigantic lockers at the train station and we took off to the beach!

We headed to Kanagawa prefecture, or personally to me, the land of Slam Dunk. If you know me, you'll know how much of a Slam Dunk fan I was back in high school. I dare not claim to be an avid anime/manga fan because I know I am not qualified to be one but there's no denying how invested I was in Slam Dunk when I was all teenage boppery boo.

Cubbie being more of a manga/anime/cosplay fan than I am, was even more eagered to head to where we were headed. To the 40th anniversary celebration grounds of Shonen Jump. Yes, that's the manga magazine that made it all happened. Sorta like the Kreko, Starz or whatsoever local manga magazine we have here in Malaysia, except like bigger, massively influential and probably one of the pioneers in the industry.

Oh my! Long intro. Sorry.

Behold the station that's gonna take us to our destination. You know you're on the right track (lame pun) because the entire train station was decorated with all things manga.



Hanging banners.



Panel boards.



Rounded posters? :P



And even gigantic sample pages of the actual manga!





Meet Mr Trainmaster at work.


Cik Datang commented that it's amazing how my shots tend to be tourists- and crowds-free. It's almost like I get them to make way for my photos. Well, would you believe me if I told you I'm standing right next to Mr Trainmaster then?

Watch Mr Trainmaster nagivate through the backlanes of houses. Yes. There's literally no walking space between the houses and the tracks. Imagine opening the window at the back of your house and have a train zooming across just like that. o_O






And from backlanes to the middle of the road.





Video!





And finally, we saw the beach! With itsy bitsy surfers. Took this shot specifically for Mr Skimmer Dude. Dude was impressed alright.







Video again for some real life action. *grins*






Eh?! Hawaii?


*grins*

The entire atmosphere of the area had a very "beach bummer" feel to it. Well-tanned dudes running along the beach. *blushes* Hahaha... bikini-clad ladies? Maybe. Wasn't paying too much attention. Forgive me, I was very much distracted okay?




Even the little cafe we entered was all aloha-ish.



I don't get this SPAM and GUM SYRUP.
Like woot?!? Gum Syrup? o_O



Naturally, food was not Japanese at all. Ice coffee and hotdog. Dude!

Double Dude!

"By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea...."
Excuse my ugly looking pouch.

And then, here's us being all dorky. :P

The Venue. Somewhere along the beach.

Hello Mr Dragonball. The entire setting was pretty small actually. It was a little disappointing as we were expecting something more grand for such an affair.

Anyhow, we still squeeze every good bit of it. Tried my luck and attempted a kaa-cha-pon here. Got myself an Ichigo. HAHAHA. Not bad I say. Of all the characters in there, I got myself the silly lead. Not bad at all. The perfect gift for my sister, an avid Bleach fan.

Another shot of the beach before we head back to Tokyo. *sobs*
Which meant it's almost time to go home.

My last meal in Japan. A treat from Yenyin! We met up with her again at the train station to say our goodbyes. Lots of hugs and farewell gifts. Yenyin got us each a pen and a flower. Aww... yes, that's the flower you see on the blog header right on top. Pretty and I might be bias about this but even flower from Japan seemed to last longer. ^^;; It totally stood fresh and pretty for over a week even after I got home.

That's me all sadface to go home. Hahaha... we took a shot of each other posing like that right in the middle of the airport. Memang sad to leave mah. We then got the idea of sending postcards! Totally random but that's just who we are. So we headed over to the airport post office, bought us some stamps and scribbled away on our postcards. Sent one to godmom and shared another with Cubbie to send our thanks back to Yenyin. *grins* I had previously sent one home while I was in Hokkaido.

Time for Departure.

And then we arrived at Changi Airport, Singapore in the middle of the night, about one in the morning. Our connecting flight back to Penang was at 8am. So we had the entire crowdless airport to ourselves for over 5 hours. Wondering around aimlessly, visiting the media / entertainment lounge and finally catch our fourty winks on the sofa while watching Everybody Loves Raymond. XD

Breakfast on board!

And we touch down homeland. *sobs* With that, I guess "A Japanese Summer" has finally come to an end. Remember what I've said about "No holiday plans till I had a proper closure for this"?
Well. It's about time. *winks*

A Japanese Summer: Chapter Nine

Oh boy! Two more posts to go. *sobs* I'm getting all emotional already. It's almost like I'm refusing to accept the fact that it's over. *sigh* Alright here we go!



Oh look! It's the Rainbow Bridge. Taken from the train while we were on our way to Comiket. Click here and then scroll down for a panoramic view of the entire bridge.



For the clueless folks, Comiket, short for Comic Market, is the world's largest comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. *cough cough* The below excerpt was 'stolen' from Wiki. Here goes.


"The first Comiket was first held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people. It is a grassroots, DIY effort for selling dōjinshi, self-published Japanese works."



Oh and they were not kidding about
the 'over a half million people' statement.


See! There were people are everywhere. Sitting, standing, waiting, etc. It's like an Otaku heaven. You wouldn't want to know how long we queued at the train station to leave this place after that.
LONG I tell you. Long!



See see! And this is just one of the many halls filled with doujinshi artists and their works.

Featuring all kinds of works. *cough cough*



And guess who we met there. Emma.

Alright. I admit I don't personally know Emma but Cubbie does. Emma is actually a cosplayer and quite a famous one at that. She's one of Cubbie's cosplay idols. So it was certainly an honour to meet her in person. I became the photographer here and took pictures of Cubbie and her together. Now I regret not taking one with her. At that time I was a bit shy and felt I was in no place to request to take a photo simply because I was not exactly a fan. *sad face* It would have been a photo to remember. =(

And then we headed out to where the cosplayers were. Hear me being all tour-guidey explaining stuff to Cubbie, macam I tau sangat. Truth to be told, I just happened to know the kanji words written on the board which were totally similar to Chinese words. It pays to know Chinese and a little Japanese. ;)



I don't even know whether they're Japanese or not. Cosplayers take cosplaying seriously, from the costumes to the hair, to the look and and to the character, how they speak and act are totally reflective of the character they're cosplaying.

Naruto!


Even motherhood does not stop one from cosplaying.



One Piece.
Is the cosplayer a boy or a girl? Hmm...


Prince of Tennis.


Talk about enthusiasm and dediciation. This guy is definitely a foreigner who came all the way from... America? I don't remember anymore.

This one's for the boys. *grins* Pretty Japanese girls. ;)

This is the only shot I took out of the bunch. Obviously I was the less of the two when it comes to cosplaying. These four were totally adorable and pretty in everyway that I actually lined up to take the shot. Yes, line up. Taking pictures of cosplayers calls for certain ethics you know. I mean everyone wants a picture, so wait for your turn and be respectful to the cosplayers since they are more than willing to pose for you.

On our way out of Odaiba, we passed the location of Johnny's Theatre where Hey!Say!JUMP was performing a stage play there. But alas, once again we didn't stopped over since I had no intention to catch the show and I think the show was not on that day since the site seemed awfully quiet.

We headed out instead to Shibuya, a well-known shopping and entertainment district. Shibuya is also best associated with the story of Hachiko, the loyal dog who waited at the train station for its master for many years even after the master had passed away. There's a statue of Hachiko near the station but I think we got off at the different side of the station and didn't see it. :(

Instead we were greeted by this! *grins* So not only do my guys endorse lipbalm, they endorse yummy candies too! And I did managed to buy myself a box of them at the airport the next day before we left Japan. I think I have to make a post on all the stuff I bought from Japan at the end of all these. Yay!

Behold! The famous Shibuya crossing!

The crossing is REALLY HUGE. Forgive me for all the capslock but the emphasis is called for. When the pedestrian light turns green, it's like a sea of people crossing the streets. Who cares about the cars? They mean nothing. Nothing. It's really an awesome experience. One must really cross the Shibuya crossing when one is in Japan. Remember that. And if you want the ultimate experience, do it during peak hours. Ours wasn't.

Shibuya turned out to be a little bit too shady for us. Lots of alleys with all kinds of people. We didn't feel safe there. This shot was taken from the first floor of McDonalds. Yup. We had our dinner at McDonalds again! *grins* I proudly declare my love for ebi burgers and bacon burgers. Yum!

I did bought myself a hat here though. And if you know me well enough you'll know that me and hat do not 'compute'. You see I have kinda what you would consider a 'big head'. =( I could rarely fit into a cap so it's pretty amazing that I managed to bought one here. Well, a girl's gotta buy herself some Shibuya fashion home right?

So after dinner, we figured it was too dangerous to hang around Shibuya anymore. We took the train back to Harajuku again. Harajuku at night is just as bustling as day if not less, you may even consider it a little more vibrant with the lights on. We stepped into one of the many Johnnys fanshop along the way.

Lookie at all the idol photos. Who buys these stuff? I wouldn't even know what to do with them, or maybe I'm just too old to be a fangirl anymore. :P It's was a doki-doki moment to take this shot as I was worried I would get caught by the store manager. I don't think they actually permit cameras since these are like unofficial merchandise, which legally are not exactly right to be sold. ^^;;

And that marks the end of our second last day in Japan which I guess was a day dedicated to fulfilling our fangirling needs, from comics, anime, cosplay, fashion to idols. *sigh in content*

Lookie What I Cookie for Lunchie This Sundie

Yakisoba.

The name is so not appealing at all by the way.
I mean "Yucky Soba?" Come on.

*shakes head*

My camera ran out of battery.
So the shot came from a mere camera phone.

*shakes head again*

I claim it as "my style" because I just make do with whatever we have in the kitchen. Don't think scallops were listed as part of the original ingredients. There's no meat in this as well. And and, the pretty yellow omelette is definitely not a norm.

So that was my Sunday morning / afternoon.
On a side note, a long post is coming up within the next week.
Yes it's long overdue. =P

A Japanese Summer: Chapter Eight (ii)

I know it's unbelievable that I'm still on this. HAHAHA! I guess I can't afford to fly anywhere else till I finish this. That will give me enough time to fill my biggy piggy bankie. Then again, there's still the Taiwan trip after this. Maybe we'll close an eye for that. I don't wanna jinx myself for not being able to travel thanks to my procastinating ways.

So, for a crazy old recap >> Click Here!

Now on with Day 12 of our 14-day-trip.

Breakfast! Now if you look at the picture closely, you'll see Cubbie dressed in her comfy off-to-the-hot-spring yukata. That's because we just came back from a dip at the hot spring wee early in the morning way before breakfast. We actually ventured to one of the furthest onsen from the guesthouse which was totally worth it because the hot bath was.... *jeng jeng jeng*

OPEN-AIRED!

Hahaha! Don't freak out mama. I didn't get naked in public. The "outdoor" part was facing towards the view of the sea. Wait. Does that mean fisherman out there might be spying on us. Yikes. I don't know that but I do know it was indeed an experience.

And of course when we got back to our room, our futons were once again miraculously gone and were replaced by a table full of yummies! Obviously obachan is at the top of her job which was why we kinda wanna hit ourselves on our heads for not remembering to take a picture with obachan. *sadface* How ungrateful of us. *double sadface*

"Dear obachan,

Your attentive service will always be remembered by these two silly Malaysian gals. How you kindly thought us to wear a yukata and after that offered to help take a photo of us while we were still all caught up with the excitement. *blushes*

How you came appearing while we went calling you down the hallway in need of water! HAHAHA. How you make us feel like princesses and not letting our hands get dirty, offering to break and peel the crab for us. *hearts*How you secretly lay our futons down while we were away soaking in the hot springs. And how you once again cleared them away to make way for breakfast preparation.

Honestly, we were totally spoiled by you obachan. For all that, honto ni arigatou gozaimasu.

From two wacky Malaysian gals."

After breakfast, we packed up and check-out of Tsutaya Guesthouse. Though we left our luggage there as we planned on exploring the place more before catching the train. The guesthouse will then transport our luggage to a luggage centre near the train station. How convenient! Oh right, so we actually rode a cable car up to the tip of Kinosaki hill. There's pretty much nothing up there except for a view. HAHAHA.

A view that stretches out to the cove. A view that actually sees the green and blue hues of the hills and mountains.



Hahaha. Guess who took this picture?

I DID!

Ya, so I sorta superimposed myself in there since we actually took this photo each, separately with the other face blank. Boo. Here's when Photoshop and sucky Photoshop skills come in handy. =P

Fishes in the river.
Oh how clear can it be?
In a public place nonetheless,
Where else can you see...
such a scene of beauty.

I know I took this shot vertically, I took this shot during the night and now I'm taking it again. But come on... so pretty! So unreal. So... picturesque. *hearts*

Lookie! Giant Fishie!

Wait!!! If you think that's big...

LOOKIE! GIANT CRABBIE!

HAHAHAHA.

My idols endorse lip balms. LOL. Saw this in the pharmacy while I was attempting to buy a bottle of "Yoko Yoko" for mama. Hahaha! It was her request for me to get one authentic bottle from Japan, it's really not much cheaper though. And yes I did bought the lip balm and am still using it till today. 290 yen is pretty reasonably priced no? That's within RM10 for one.

One last shot before we head off. This was taken right beside the train station. They're all kettas from the different guesthouses in Kinosaki. Pretty impressive no?

Alright! We actually just travelled one stop away from Kinosaki to check into this new and simple hotel. O Hotel Toyoka is really a very new hotel. It was so new that we couldn't booked it through the hotel booking service on the web and instead ended up emailing direct to the hotel for reservation. I emailed back and forth with a certain Ayumi-san for reservation. So it was such a nice surprise when we were greeted by the said Ayumi-san right at the front desk! A young and very pretty lady who was just as delighted to meet us. We were probably the first few foreign enquiries she attended to since its opening.

What's more, do you know how the check-in process took place? HAHAHA. Exactly like how you place your order in most food outlets in Japan... Yes. Vending Machine!

FREAKING VENDING MACHINE!

You choose the room type, the number of nights you intend to stay and pay the machine! Ka-ching! A ticket appears and you take that to the reception and they give you your key and a bunch of complimentary freebies.

WOoott?!

I Love Outrageous Japan!

So once again it's back to little compact hotel room... *sobs* Bye bye luxurious Japanese guesthouse. After a short rest, a small meal we bought from the departmental store and a necessary bath, we begin our attempt in wearing the yukata. We tie, retie, reretie, rereretie our obi until... well until we have to go. HAHAHA! That's the problem of having two Virgos on the job. Dang perfectionists!

When we got to the lobby, Ayumi-san was shocked to see us all dressed up and beamed happily commenting how pretty we look. *blushes* And yes, we actually walked all the way to the train station in our yukata complete with our geta aka traditional japanese slippers. I don't think we have ever been that lady-like in our then 24 years of life. *grins* Prim and proper, walking in short little steps. HAHAHA... and actually ride the train in such a state. *shakes head*

Cubbie in her blue yukata, blue obi and a blue "kinchaku". Yes, that's the cloth pouch thingy. There you go, another Japanese word learnt.



Me!

Our shared dinner. Dah lah have to understand these two gals were travelling on a budget. Our luxurious stay the day before means a much tighter budget for the remaining part of the trip. So we shared our very first "Zaru Soba" aka Chill Soba that was eaten by dipping it into sauce. Click here for some extra knowledge. =)

And the Celebration Begins!

It's definitely on a smaller scale compared to our Bon Odori here in Malaysia but because of that the entire event seemed so much more intimate, real and authentic.

Video Time!

Clap, wave, wave, clap.

HAHAHA!

Watch the cute little girl in her cute little yukata trying to dance along. Watch how Cubbie's endearing look at the said little girl.

HAHAHA.

And of course a celebaration has to end with fireworks.
Nothing as spectacular as Disney's but I guess all the more meaningful to the people. :)

And it was this night that Cubbie took this shot.
Come on... I mean how much more spiritual can it get?



My last shot of Kinosaki Onsen as we leave the town after the celebration. T__T

*teary eyes*

Next Up: Back to Tokyo! COMIKET! Yes, that means COSPLAY!