Joshua-san no Taipoukendan

Joshua’s journey to Japan

Photo commentary

1. Last Bag

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See my post on the San Francisco airport.

2. Inside the Kansai International Airport terminal

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3. I had to take a picture of the toilet sign… It was just begging to be photographed!

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4. My friend Danny

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5. The first “jidouhanbaiki,” a.k.a. “vending machine.” These things are absolutely EVERYWHERE, sometimes in the most random places, like side streets and back alleys. You can’t go two blocks without walking past one. They’ve got the usual beverage ones, but also ones that sell hot or cold drinks together, soups, cigarettes, toiletries, pet seamonkeys, whatever. It’s insane! One guy informed me that it’s his goal to catalogue all of the ones he sees while he’s here. Goooood luck, buddy. You’re gonna need it.

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6. The ubiquitous green public telephone.

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7. Boku! (Me!) Yes, Deborah, I promise I’ll put up an eyebrow pic soon. I’ve just been too tired.

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8. Coke is in English.

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9. More jidouhanbaiki…

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10. Get a load of this restaurant! We have no idea what kind of food they serve…

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11. “Doraggu sutoa – Akakabe” (Drug store – Akakabe) We have no idea what “Akakabe” means, but apparently it’s the name of the cute first aid kit that serves as the store’s mascot. Japanese people are weird…

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12. “Goo Bike”. The name says it all…

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13. “Well come to Japan.” Supposedly, this place has the cheapest drinks of anyplace in town, and you can drink all night long if you want. It’s a popular hangout for the exchange students and natives alike.

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14. Dinner and the stove that gave me so much trouble.

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15. Kittchin!

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16. We share a fridge with our neighbor.

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17. Each room has its own food pantry.

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18. The dining area.

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19. This is the small entry area of the dorm room where you have to remove your slippers and place them in a cubby hole.

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20. My room, the first morning.

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21. My desk

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22. The high-tech toilet!

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23. Ahead warp factor two, Mr. Sulu. I’m sorry, I just cannot stop chuckling at the “flushing noise” button. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll get around to it.

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24. Otearai no kutzu, a.k.a. toilet shoes. You put them on when you go to the bathroom and take them off when you leave.

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25. A small shrine we saw on our outing this afternoon.

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26. A wet wipe and disposable hashi at our lunch.

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27. Manga is Japan, and Japan is manga. Manga is basically Japanese comics, but it’s taken to a whole other level than the U.S. There are too many manga to count, and many different series are published simultaneously in weekly or monthly magazines. People just pick their favorites and buy the new issues. It’s dirt cheap, too. Here’s the manga rack at the local convenience store:

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28. Some Japanese money. Bills:  Sen yen, ju hyaku yen; coins: LtoR, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100. I had a 500 earlier today but used it to buy an umbrella. As a trade-off, I got a 50-yen coin back. *shrug*

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5 Comments »

  1. Your blog is awesome! It’s really almost as good as being there. Specific comments:

    1. That is the ugliest green (phone) I have ever seen. Does the ISDN mean it’s an internet phone or that the net is available at the terminal?

    2. I loved the toilet, especially the little picture of the “cheeks” getting sprayed. Are the toilets silent unless you want sound? We are definitely way behind the Japanese in toilet technology.

    3. The whole place is so clean it could be a hospital surgical suite. Is that just because it’s the beginning of the semester?

    We had fried oysters at Mimi’s house last night. Held hands during the prayer so no one could snatch an oyster while eyes were closed. Prayed for and celebrated your amazing adventure.

    Must be uber-redundant by now, but…we love you.

    Comment by Dad | January 21, 2007

  2. so you’re essentially required to have about three pairs of shoes per day…one for outside, one for in the “house,” and one for the bathroom? That’s rather unique, but very Asian.=-)

    Comment by BJoyful | January 22, 2007

  3. I am enjoying it all. Love your interesting descriptions and pictures. How about that toilet!

    Comment by Mimi | January 22, 2007

  4. did you see the comment from my dad on the toilet picture on Facebook?

    Comment by Bee's Sister | January 23, 2007

  5. Wow, Joshua. Those are so cool pics. I think that those toilets need to make there way over seas to the US and soon!! lol.

    Comment by Crystal | January 23, 2007


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