Nagano to see the snow monkeys in the onsen baths. We could take a nudey dip and see if the monkeys joined us but thought against it. Although we went to an onsen the other day, relaxing and a tad bit odd!
Nara- Feeding tame deer and getting snapped by Japanese school children practicing their english on us.
Nagano Temple- we got up really early to be experience enlightenment from a bashing of rosary beads on our heads by a monk and monkess.
Tokyo- First stop the manic Akihabara; the electric city where market stalls are selling anything electrical that you can imagine. Then at night we checked out the area near Shinjuku station to see what it had to offer; seedy clubs and ladies bars! The lights were pretty though!
Tokyo- Had to check out the Harajuku district incase I saw any girls dressed like the groupies to Qwen Stefani's solo album. Ha! Lots of kids buying trendy stuff. Then the traditional toyko shopping stalls at Asakusa.
Yokohama- a newly developed port, very snazy and of course we had to visit every pokemon centre we were near.
Yokohama- Charles Wirgman East Meets West Exhibition. It was exciting to see the illustrations, prints and paintings of Harrys great great uncle. He reported for The Illustrated London News and created a satirical magazine called 'The Japan Punch.' http://ch.kanagawa-museum.jp/tenji/toku/toku.html
Bamboo paths, Moss gardens and Japanese gardens in the middle of Tokyo
Nara- Feeding tame deer and getting snapped by Japanese school children practicing their english on us.
Iga Eno- We went to a traditional Ninja's house and saw their secret hideouts and various cool ninja stylee things like these throwing stars. I wish we had seen a real Ninja.
Kyoto again- We explored some different parts and found out that there is a competition for the best geisha. I wonder if one of these girls is the sister of Millies friend on her Printmaking course...
Mt. fuji- it is so hard to navigate yourself around this area. We checked out 3 of the 5 lakes and went into an ice cave. It was soooo nice and cold once you descended. Pretty stuff.
Japan is a tricky place for a vegetarian. We tried the Japanese way, sober(cold) noodles but found an indian. mmmm
Theres some really interesting things around. Plants that don't need pots and are growing out of a mossy thing, hanging fabric monkeys, paper crafts and woven shoes around the temples.
Bits and bobs of japan
bags and umbrellas make for ingenious farming
nagoya is great for coffee houses; eric life offers you 'intelligent way', at mollys cafe your table number is a plastic animal, they had a photograph of brighton pier, brilliant!
gold fish hanging in trees at a firework festival!
graveyards here...different.
if in doubt you can point for your dinner at the plastic food display cabinets
crossroads; people are really polite, i still don't know who is supposed to give way first...
Our beautiful view from our balcony apartment.
Look whos in the local paper for attending a traditional tea ceremony. Yummy creamy green tea in a traditionally crafted bowl that you have to wait for one by one in a circle, turn it around 3 times to the right, eat a bean paste sweet and listen to a lady talk in japanese whilst sitting on your knees getting cramp.
Films i have been watching.
Lost in translation really sums alot up.
Gravity's Clown was a japanese dvd Anna, another international student from Germany, lent us to watch.(www.pinkmonkeee.livejournal.com) It was nice to practice what i had learnt in our japanese lessons; i could just about recognise the thank you's and hello's.
Uni things: Millies woodcut private view in the gallery and celebratory ramen meal!
There was a lecture on photography, i didnt get too much from it as it was all in Japanese, i got 'jew' 'holocaust' 'freud', he asked when i was born?! Some quite erotic images all in all....
The library is pretty hard to nagivate, not many english books but there is a good selection of magazines, read an article on how Lady Gaga is the new type of pop performance artist...
The Japanese are crafty- Cartoons on cars, smilies on houses, printmaking everything, handmade knives, decorating food, cutesie broach making, really beautiful ceramics; all rough and natural on the outside and glazed on the inside and 'lets find it much pleasure in life' chalk lessons!
Kindergarten- After playing parachute games, and farmyard animals, singing english nursery rhymes, Kira kira, hikaru/Twinkle, twinkle little star we made star stickers, then sticker charms for bracelets and headbands.
Experiments with book making for presentation of Exchange Zine- Carbon tracing paper hardback canvas book for making comments, B5 size japanese paper hardback book, A5 stapled paper book, Corrugated hardback book with holders
Shibori at Arimatsu- Traditional japanese craft of 'tie-dying' clothes. We walked around the old town seeing paintings using shibori technique and how they make the ruffles and dye the fabric.
Samurai demonstation with performances and parades and puppetry at Chukyo Keibajomae. We got stopped loads of times today so by people asking to have a picture of us, not with us, and there were some sly ones being taken, it was like that in China; i suppose they don't see many 'westerners'.
