今日新しいブログを作りました！是非見てみてください～！

Japan is warmer.

We met at Waseda and took the train to Mitaka station.

A nice view from the station…

As we walked away from the station, we came across this rather cute Ghibli bus for getting to and from the museum!

However … it was a very warm day, so we decided we would walk!  There was no risk of getting lost as Totoro was there to guide the way!

We eventually arrived at the gates, and I took lots of photos of the outside of the museum – you can’t actually take photos inside …

Next up … the classic photo that everyone takes who goes to the museum – I took lots of this chappie, but I guess you only need see one … here he is.

These two seemed to be enjoying it!

I thought this was interesting – it’s the drink I had in the restaurant, but the straw is made from actual real genuine straw!

Also I ordered what in Japanese was a ‘Vegetable’ sandwich … turned out to be a club sandwich.  Look at all the meat I rummaged out of it!

Yum!  Anyhow yes, after lunch – which meat aside was very yummy – we left the museum, and I found a cute drain on the way.

We strolled then, away from Ghibli, through Inokashiraonshi Park.

It was all pretty stunning actually, not been somewhere that nice for a long time!  This might be the last time I get to do proper sightseeing here, so I’m glad it was so lovely!

We took the train from Kichijouji along to Kudanshita, and went to the Yasukuni shrine where there was a huge festival going on!  I had some festival food, and Annie danced!  It was dark and so really hard to photograph – it was also PACKED!  However, this gives you SOME idea – basically these people were dancing in the middle, and people were dancing around them in circles, following them.  People including Annie!

Last but not least, my favourite Ghibli offering being Laputa, I bought a couple of cool things.

Fantastic day!  Thanks Natsuho for helping with the tickets and the festival and everything, and Ffion and Annie it’s been so great having you come!

Here are some photo highlights!

Firstly, here’s Takahiro’s house!

Some yummy food to welcome me!

So that was Friday night…  Oh there was a Ghibli film on TV…

Bright and early in the morning, Takahiro’s mum ushered me outside to see this!  They only come twice a year!  They go round every house, with this portable shrine.

There was also this little van, with lots of young traditional musicians in, toddling around!

After that original awakening, we went off for a bit of shopping.  One of Takahiro’s favourite shops was Humpty Dumpty, you can see the egg on top!

Starting in the early evening, we had a barbecue!  I am a veggie, but that wasn’t a problem at ALL, there were lots of vegetables and fish!  So yummy!

Here is Masahiro – Takahiro’s brother!

So that was the barbecue!  It carried on into the dark but … it was dark so I didn’t take any photos

Breakfast the next morning was yummy!!

Takahiro’s dad was making soba noodles from scratch out the back so I went and took photos – I tried not to be to obtrusive, I was tempted to ask to try but the knife was so big I decided it was just not safe!

… and the finished product!

Lots of really pretty dragonflies out in the garden!

This plant was in the garden – there were old coins on it, some of them really old!

Fujimaru-san the dog was as cute as ever!

Sunday afternoon we cycled to the park, it was all pretty idyllic although it did start to rain quite drastically!

Takahiro’s mum provided us with heaps of sushi before we set off back to Tokyo on Sunday evening!  Yumyum!

I bought a t-shirt – I love Tochigi!

So, look at this photo.

So, the middle two shelves on this bookcase, they are things I somehow need to get home.  We are ignoring the 4 boxes I already have lined up to take to the Post Office tomorrow!  I have designated the top and bottom shelf to put things on that I DON’T want to take home.  I need to try harder to put things on those shelves I think… Oh dearie, dearie me.

June 28th 2010 – I leave in exactly one month today – really really odd feeling!  I can’t quite imagine being back in the UK!

It’s like, traditionally actually meant for holding Japanese alcohol.  I will probably end up blaspheming slightly and putting drawing pins or something in it It’s cute though!!

It’s really really hot here now, I am just so so hot ALL the time.  I don’t really do anything apart from lectures, so it’s manageable – I will have sometimes three showers a day haha!  Seriously …

I leave for England in 1 month and 1 day.

An oasis in the sea of my lectures, the 17th of June 2010 was my 21st birthday!  I used to wonder when I was much younger where I would be when I was 21 – I’m so glad I ended up being in Tokyo!

I want to thank Adam, Eliza and Ella especially for an amazing dinner and purikura!  Thanks too mum and dad for continually paying for my shenanigans!  I had the best birthday ever!

So, firstly, we all set off to OIOI (Marui) in Shinjuku, and went to the buffet on the 8th floor.  It was really nice and there was lots of yummy food!

So yes, lots of foood!!  It was so so yummy!  Drinks bar too!

Ok so yes, oooh … here is the gang!!

… and here’s a picture of me all embarrassed with lots of people taking my photo

… something was clearly very amusing!

So yes, this is what the restaurant looked like

Then, we went outside … it was dark by then, it looked like this …

… and we went to purikura!  The result of which was … AWESOME

I also got some cool presents

Last, but not least … I bought myself a little something.  It’s a special edition!!

Thanks again everyone, I had an amazing day!

Douglas
17th June 2010, Tokyo

… so cool

Obviously I couldn’t take many photos but here are a couple!!  I got some good stuff for my dissertation!

Firstly the view up to the light-well from floor B8 …

We had to put on sexy shoe covers to protect the books … haha, my feet are the ones at the bottom I have really big feet.

and then … random cool sculpture outside!!

Oh and … this English in the station made me laugh … the idea of everyone yielding to each other … if you read the Japanese you understand how they came to that translation but still …