FUKUOKA PART II

Last year, when I was working as an English tutor, I met with many clients on a weekly basis. Not only were they my "students"...but they also became my friends. Now that I live in Japan, I've been able to see a few of them who have moved back or have returned on vacation and it has been one of my favorite parts of living here! 

When Mina mentioned Fukuoka...I looked it up on a map and noticed it was in Kyushu aka southern Japan...which triggered a memory in my mind and I had one of those lightbulb moments, you know... when something clicks in your brain...and I remembered my former student Keigo who briefly mentioned that he was from Fukuoka. 

I messaged Keigo, to ask for recommendations around his hometown (fully expecting him to answer from where he was living in Torrance) and he messaged me back, "oh you are coming to Fukuoka? I am here right now!" Turns out he had moved back at the end of last year to take over his family business (a toy store) and get knee surgery (when I last saw him he was on crutches).

He was just as surprised that I was going to Fukuoka of all places as much as I was surprised that he moved back there! haha. Anyway, after our first morning in town, Taka drove us to the mall where Keigo's family owns a toy shop. 

Tsumikiya is the name of his store and it is so stylish! His father started the business many years ago and imports most of the toys from Europe. 

So cute right?! And the store is located in a big shopping mall right near Tenjin station, which is a main station right in the heart of the city... so it is in a great location.  

Worlds collide! Times like this, I am just in awe of how cool God is in connecting us to friends in all places. 

The best part of all of this was connecting Keigo and Taka...who are the same age, have both lived in the states, both speak English very well, both are from Fukuoka, and both moved back home to take over their family business. What are the odds of that? I told them both to stay in touch and come visit Steph and I in Tokyo area! 

So, after a really fun and full morning connecting friends and seeing all the sights in Fukuoka...Taka dropped us off at our hotel and bid us farewell. We thanked him for his incredible hospitality and kindness. We quickly dumped off our stuff and headed out for DINNER!!

Dinner spot : Motsu Nabe restaurant! Motsu nabe AKA COW INTESTINES! This is a popular dish in this area so we knew we had to try. We went to this really traditional style Japanese restaurant which had a cool vibe. 

Simple dish: Pork, motsu, cabbage, green onions...all in a chicken broth. 3 animals in one haha 

 The motsu was super chewy (as expected) but it was good! The real kicker though, was the SAUCE!!! Oh my goodness, if I could bottle any sauce to use on everything for the rest of my life it would be whatever mad concoction they created at that restaurant. Something like shoyu and vinegar... and magic! haha. 

One of my favorite parts of eating Nabe is what comes after you eat all the meat and cabbage...the noodle (or rice) second meal!! We ordered thick noodles that came and soaked up the rest of the broth and tasted amazing. 

After dinner, we were all craving something sweet and a few places we wanted to go were closed so we opted for the next best option (and forever favorite)...drumroll...

...Mister Donut! The old fashioned donut is my all time fav. 

After dessert...we decided to go check out the YATAI...or street food stalls! I was stoked for this, as I knew it would be a good look into the awesome Japanese street food scene. 

The stalls open around 7pm and lines quickly form for the most popular booths. This was one of my favorite sights I've seen thus far in Japan...it was just so rad to see all the amazing chefs tucked behind the counters serving some world class dishes all under a rickety wood food stand.

Most stalls could fit around 10 people...and they were all sitting there with no complaint...just chillen and enjoying their drinks and food. Definitely a natural thing for Japanese people and something Americans would probably have a tough time with haha. 

The stalls are right by the water which makes for a cool vibe! 

By this time, it was around 9:30pm and after walking around a bit, we called it a night and went back to the hotel. What a day! 

The next morning we woke up and headed to get coffee. We had a few hours in town before our flight at 4pm.

On the way to get coffee we stopped by the ACROS building which won a bunch of awards when it was built because of it's cool design...trees on every level! I'm sure it looks even more beautiful in the spring or summer! Funny story, I believe this building is called ACROS beacuse it holds a variety of government offices that "go across" many countries...haha. 

RADICAL!! 

We walked to a coffee shop called Manu where they have a lot of latte options!

I ordered the cinnamon honey latte and it was SOOO GOOD! 

next stop...ramen! Pork broth yummm

I ordered the set...which came with the old style ramen on the left and the new style on the right. Although they were both really good, the new style had a thicker broth which I really loved. 

We cruised around a little (it was pretty cold out) and did some shopping...and then walked to Hakata station!

Doraemon is probably the most famous character in Japan...and apparently he has a new movie out so there were statues of him all around the station.

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Growing up...the hot spot for ramen in Torrance was (and still is) Hakata ramen shinsengumi...so it was fun to actually be at Hakata station, which is just a stop over from Fukuoka station.

The top of Hakata station has a rooftop deck with a nice view of the city. 

Alas...it was time to head back to the airport. We made sure to arrive early in order to have enough time to shop, because Japanese airports are LOADED with omiage (souvenirs)! The most popular item was definitely the sweet potato manju which I bought $40 worth of haha! (to give to coworkes and the students in the Saturday class I teach). My mom always told us growing up "never go anywhere empty handed!" and that saying could not be more true in Japan. Omiage is definitely a huge part of Japanese culture. 

Also a hot item...MENTAIKO...aka fish eggs. Mentaiko was everywhere. It is a bit expensive, with a small box of 4 pieces going for $10 and the really nice big boxes going for $50.

At 4pm we boarded the plane and headed back to Tokyo. It was a really quick trip to Fukuoka, but we managed to do a lot with out limited time there. 

Because we flew back at 4pm...I was able to watch the sunset from the plane. Seeing the sunset/sunrise from an airplane might be one of the most radical and incredible views we could be offered on this earth. It always reminds me of God in all His glory, all His splendor, all His creative beauty and the incredible design He has put in everything. 

I love how life is an adventure with God and He breathes so much purpose and fun into everything...every place...and every person you meet. 

I'll end with one last photo I took on my phone of what I like to call GLORY RAYS. SERIOUSLY. HOW COOL IS GOD?!!

FUKUOKA PART I

About a month ago, my friend Mina asked if I wanted to join her (along with her mom and Steph) to Fukuoka. I immediately said YES for two reasons:
1. Mina is awesome and I knew traveling with her would be a blast
2. Any chance to see more of Japan - and I'll take it!

After agreeing to the trip, we all pulled out our calendars and found two days that worked for all of us and quickly booked our $150 flight! Not bad! 

We flew on PEACH airline which sounds silly but it was actually a nice, easy, and cheap flight.

Steph had a friend in Fukuoka named Taka, whom she met a few years back at a Bible study in Irvine! It just so happened that he had Thursday off (the day we flew in) so he picked us up from the airport and drove us to a well known shrine in Fukuoka; Dazaifu Tenmangu! 

Apparently this shrine is famous because students go there to pray for a successful school year or to pass a certain test. Sure enough, there were maaany many students there.

Really cool starbs.

I noticed all these people waiting in line and thought "Whatever it is I need it"....this happens a lot in Japan because Japanese people are all about the "hot popular item" and will wait in line for hours for something. Good thing this one was quick...and it was for MOCHI!!! 

This was some of the best mochi I have ever had. stuffed with sweet read bean (the perfect amount) with soft mochi surrounding it and a nice toasted crust. AHHHH!!

We had lunch at this traditional noodle shop...where I had green tea soba. DECLICIOUS! 

Everyone else ordered pink noodles! I believe they were Umeboshi flavor? 

This walkway led to the main shrine. It was a little rainy, but overall a nice day!

CUTE. CUTE. CUTE.

There are a few statues that you rub for good luck. Apparently you rub the bull's head and then your head...but the best part was watching that boy in the blue jacket... who was rubbing the inside on the bull's nose and then picking his nose HAHAHAA. Needless to say, I didn't touch that part of the bull. 

The trees in Japan are incredible. 

Steph, me, Mina, and Mina's mom Yoko. They're like family to us! 

Beautiful ladies inside and out! Mina and her family have hosted many students from Torrance and have taken Steph and I in under their wing from day one! They have helped me set up my phone, helped me book flights (Mina works for Asiana), driven me to pick up a TV, taken me shopping, fed me home cooked food, you name it they have helped me with it and I am so thankful for their generous and joyful hearts!!

Another group shot. Taka is hiding behind me ! haha

Monkey man with his performing Monkey. It was really entertaining (Japanese people are funny) but I couldn't help but feel sad for little monkey having to walk like a human!

Grilled Chicken everywhere! Smelled amazing. 

I couldn't stop staring at this tree!

Have you ever waned to eat fish eggs that you could squeeze out of a tube? 

After eating snacks, good noodles, shopping, and seeing the temple...we loaded back in the car and Taka took us to another well known place in town...Fukuoka Dome!

Home of the Softbank Hawks baseball team.

As well as a bunch of famous peoples' hands you can "shake" haha!

Next to the dome there is the Hilton hotel which had this amazing wedding chapel!

We went up to the 35th floor for a nice view of the city. 

Retractable roof! How cool would it be to have your hotel room on this side of the building when the roof retracts and being able to watch what happening down there...awesome. 

By this point...the day was just getting started! I couldn't believe how fortunate we were that Taka happened to be off that day and was kind enough to drive us around and show us all these amazing places. It is really amazing how God connects us to people at different places in our lives and works all things out in His perfect timing! 

Part two coming next. 

GRADUATION 2016

"Dress formal. Don't wear bright colors. Actually don't even wear blue. And don't laugh too much. This is a serious day!" - My Japanese teacher Nakano sensei (whom I love dearly and laugh often with) giving me advice before attending my high school's graduation ceremony. 

On Graduation day I made sure to dress as professionally as I could and headed to school excited to experienced my first Japanese graduation. I walked into the morning teachers meeting and noticed how lovely all my coworkers looked in their dresses and suits. There was manju (rice cakes stuffed with sweet beans) with our school mascot Eagle Cap printed on top waiting for us on our desks. The manji were "red and white" which are symbolic colors in Japan for celebration. 

When Kawamoto walked through the doors of the English office my mouth dropped!! STUNNING. I didn't know this before, but all of the female teachers who have senior homeroom classes dress in Kimonos to celebrate and honor their graduates! Kawamoto sensei said she went to the salon at 5am to get her hair done and to get her Kimono properly wrapped (usually the putting on of the Kimono can take more than 1 hour!) 

"Graduation" in Japanese is a looooong word...7 kanji that basically reads "Sotsugyoushiki" try saying that 5 times fast! 

For some reason, Graduation is held on a Tuesday morning. It is held in in the school arena where a red carpet is rolled out and chairs are perfectly lined up for the students as well as the parents to sit behind them. Usually only the parents come to the graduation ceremony (no extended family) .

Some of the mothers came dressed in their lovely Kimonos! 

The ALWAYS impressive Brass band did an incredible job playing music for the ceremony. 

The event started off with the Principal walking in with a bunch of special guest following behind him such as Kashiwa International Relations board members (KIRA) and Principals of other schools.

The first year students sat in the bleachers on the second floor with their teachers while the second year students and graduates sat down on the floor. The third year teachers all sat in those chair on the left...and lucky for me I was able to roam around freely upstairs taking photos. I say lucky for me because if you sit in those chairs down there you have to have extremely good posture for 2 hours and stand up and bow accordingly!

Next, all of the homerooms walked in with their teachers leading the way. Homeroom classes are important in Japanese school systems and they are labeled in alphabetical order from 3A, 3B, 3D...3I...skipping a few letters and then eventually ending with 3S which is called "S class" because they are all the sports students! 10 homerooms in total. 

Once all the homerooms walked in, each class teacher went to the mic and announced each student's name. When their name was called, the students would shout out "HAI! (YES!)" and stand up. 

What really impressed me the most about the graduation ceremony was the bowing. I knew bowing was a part of Japanese culture (aka every time you meet a new person or are introduced to a large audience) but never have I seen it to this extent! The students would all stand up on command, bow in perfect unison, and then sit down on command. They bowed for every speaker, every award given, every class welcomed, etc. It was incredible! 

Also, there was NO clapping. Literally, ZERO clapping the entire event. I had to stop myself a few times from almost throwing my hands together in applause! *once again another reason why I was glad to roam around and not sit in the teacher section*

Our gym was a great place for the ceremony and everything came together nicely! 

Included in this 2 hour ceremony were a lot of speeches. One speech was given by a student where he started crying and almost made me cry when he said (I'll paraphrase) "thank you to all our mothers who made our bento everyday!" AWWWWW. At that moment I saw all the moms pull out their handkerchiefs and pat their tears away. 

Finally...the students were announced by class and exited with excitement. The third year teachers stood towards the back and gave them high fives as they walked out. 

After the ceremony, the students all headed back to their designated homerooms where they had one last talk with their homeroom teacher and spent the rest of the day signing yearbooks and each others' uniform shirts!! (What a rebellious move against the system!)

I really had an amazing experience witnessing my first Japanese Graduation ceremony. After most of the students left and things settled down, I had a good conversation with my coworkers about the differences between Japanese and American high school graduations. I showed them photos of my high school grad with a stack of leis around my neck and a blue gown on. They looked at it in disbelief! They were shocked at the freedom and cheering style of American graduations, as well as our caps and gowns. I laughed thinking how my world seemed so interesting and foreign to them, exactly how their world seemed so interesting and foreign to me. 

And that, my friends, is the beauty and amazement that comes when you immerse yourself in the culture of another country. 

TOKYO WEEKEND

Welcome to Ginza: the Beverly Hills of Japan. 

Ginza is a glamorous place full of the world's most expensive and fabulous stores...but in my opinion, the best part of going to Ginza is what you get to experience for free. 

Every weekend, the streets are closed off to cars (in the afternoon only I believe) and people are able to just walk all over the main streets of Ginza. They literally call this event "Hokousha Tengoku" or "Pedestrian Heaven" and I am obsessed with it! People watching galore. 

My friend Yuki and I were walking through the streets when I spotted this man in deep meditation...ringing a bell and walking very slowly through the street. It could have been his striking appearance, or slow pace in the midst of chaos, or the ringing of the bell, but I couldn't stop looking at him. He looked like moving artwork...and I knew I had to get a shot of it. This might be one of my favorite photos of Japan this far, and I just wish I had my camera instead of my phone!

Ginza should win an award (Omotesando too) for the world's most amazing store fronts. I feel like they care more about the exterior of the stores than what is actually sold inside haha. 

Yuki and I were waiting to eat at Quil Fait Bon, which is a really popular fruit tart cafe...and the wait time was literally 2 HOURS! WHAT?? Luckily we could put our name down and then return later in the day, so with the time we had we walked a few blocks over to the ever popular: Tsukiji fish market. First stop, this man cutting a giant tuna with a SWORD. WHAT THE.

Happy oyster man serving all the tourists. 

Thing (singular) to eat in Tsukiji when you do not eat seafood : TAMAGO!!! (Egg) For 100 yen you can get a slice of egg heaven. Yuki got herself a 400 yen oyster that she said was amazing!

One thing about Japanese people, they love waiting in line. Or rather, they don't mind waiting in line. We turned the corner and saw this long line of people waiting for some type of fried corn...turns out it was a variety of fried kamaboko (fish cake) on sticks. The corn one looked so good, and even though it was held together by kamaboko I was okay with it. The edemame one on the other hand - very fishy! 

2 hours later...we went back to the cafe and got seated. I have a decided to do a informative blog post later on cafes' in Tokyo because they are extremely popular and vary in price and taste.

Anyway, for Quil Fait Bon my personal opinion is:
pros - beautiful fruit tarts, really good cafe au lait
cons- no one should wait 2 hour for a fruit tart, tiny portions, banana tart was OK *but I prefer Marie Calendars banana cream pie lol.  

Tokyo International forum.

Dover Street Market Ginza...probably the coolest store I have ever been in. Immediately upon stepping into the building I felt not cool enough to be there haha. Its pretty much a museum for the hippest clothes in the world. One day... I will save up money and treat myself to buying something from there *I can probably only afford a keychain lets be real* 

Aoyama Flower Market! This was the next day...when I found myself back in Tokyo (this time Gainmae/Omotesando area) again with Steph and our coworker/friend Chihiro. We ate shake shack (see below) and then had fancy tea at Aoyama Flower Market which is a flower store with an adorable cafe in the back. Very hip, felt very LA. 

NOTE TO SELF: SUNDAY 4pm THE LINE FOR SHAKE SHACK IS ONLY 20 MINUTES...HALLELUJAH! I got the smoke burger this time. really good. 

Chihiro is so fun. I love hanging out with this girl. She is the school nurse at Ichikashi but sadly she is transferring to a different school at the start of the new term in April (in Japan, teachers and nurses switch schools all of the time!). The good news is she lives in Kashiwa so we will definitely still keep in touch! 

Tokyo, I love you. 

THIS WEEK

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."
- Cecil Beaton, English photographer and designer. 

A few weeks ago the English department went bowling together. My coworker Mr. Ikeda brought his 8 year old son Kai to hang out with us and he stole all of our hearts (such an adorable kid). After that, Mr. Ikeda invited Steph and I over to his house for dinner and to hang out with Kai. So this past Saturday, his wife and mother-in-law cooked the most amazing Kimchi Nabe for us and we spent the night playing games, watching baby videos of Kai, eating cookies, and enjoying a nice cozy night inside. I loved it. I can't tell you how nice it was to sit around a table with a family and enjoy a meal together. Food for the soul. Not to mention Mr. Ikeda has the most incredible house! Him and his wife designed it themselves (a popular thing in Japan) and I was just in awe of the exposed wood everywhere and Kai's awesome (and clean) play room! 

I think I've shared this before, but I met Caroline in the church elevator during my first week of life in Japan. The crazy part of this story is that, if I didn't say hi to Caroline, or if she didn't help me as kindly as she did that first day...I might not have assimilated so quickly to the church body...therefore I might not have enjoyed my first few months in Japan as much...and who knows how I would be holding up now. This week we hung out one last time before she left and I was just reminded of God's faithfulness is blessing us with people in our lives at the exact time we need them. 

Other random updates:
-I picked up a new hobby thanks to Kai...Kendama! (Japanese toy, similar to a yoyo) Watch THIS VIDEO...it will make you want to go out and buy one. 
-Dad comes in 1 month!!
-Mornings here are still bitter cold (in the 30s) and although winter hasn't been as bad as I imagined I am still counting down the days till summer comes back into my life!!