Shibuya Outing!

Last night in Tokyo:

-went to Shibuya
-had an awesome dinner
-drinks at a local bar with an open mic
-karaoke till 4 in the morning

Fun times!!! :)

Special 300

Ikarashi : I took these pictures amost one year ago and in about less than a month and in only 6 more visits I'll be saying "Good-bye!"

It's sad, I'm not leaving Japan but I am leaving a part of me behind at my three JHSs. Today was my last "Half-day"! Possibly my last "Half-day" for the rest of my working time in Japan. I thought it was kind of hard saying goodbye to my 3rd graders as they graduated in March, but having to say it to everyone else....

I know tons of ALTs have done this in the past and it's all part of the job. I'm just gonna really miss my students and the trust I've established with them. Why do I feel like I'm just REALLY understanding and TRULY clicking with them now when I have such a limited time left?

Anyways....it's not the end of the world.

On a happier note - THIS IS MY 300th POST!!!

Pictures borrowed (aka stolen) from Ros ....Thanks Hun!!!

Getting ready at Sakura Hotel in Tokyo.
Out and about on our last night in Tokyo for the re-contracting conference.
I find this picture hilarious. I'm in the middle, but I look totally lost in Shibuya- Nice!
"All up in the Club!" This has to be the BEST club picture I have seen so far. Ros caught us all at the best moment with the club lights all over the place!

Otsukari-sama deshita Ros!!!
Check out her Cute Blog in the ALT Blog list to the left or just click right here (http://kamoshi.spaces.msn.com/PersonalSpace.aspx) to see more of her fun creative pics.

Yasukuni Shrine & Yashukan War Museum

The Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Tokyo that commemorates Japan's war dead. The shrine was founded in 1869 as Tokyo Shokonsha, and was renamed Yasukuni Shrine in 1879. It was build in order to commemorate and worship those who have died in war for their country and sacrificed their lives to help build the fundament for a peaceful Japan (the meaning of Yasukuni is "peaceful country"). The deities of about 2.5 million people who died for Japan in the conflicts accompanying the Meiji Restoration, the Satsuma Rebellion and similar domestic conflicts, the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Manchurian Incident, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War are enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in form of written records, which note name, origin and date and place of death of everyone enshrined. A big political controversy surrounds the Yasukuni Shrine because since 1978, fourteen class A war criminals are among the 2.5 million people enshrined at Yasukuni. Furthermore, the visits by several Japanese prime ministers to the shrine since 1975 have been causing concerns regarding a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.
For some people, especially in the Asian countries which suffered most under past Japanese imperialism, the shrine has become a symbol for Japanese militarism and ultra-nationalism, and many are taking the prime ministers' visits as a sign hat Japan's political leaders are not looking critically enough at their country's history.
Attempts to remove the war criminals from the Yasukuni Shrine have failed due to the shrine's refusal. Other discussions to solve the problem center around plans to create a currently non-existent alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine for commemorating and worshipping Japan's war dead.

The Yushukan, a museum commemorating Japan's wars is located just next to the shrine's main buildings.

















http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/index.html

In a little over a month...

Fuji Rock !!!

GREEN STAGE
FIELD OF HEAVEN
GREEN STAGE
場内･河原
(c)Noriteru Ino

THE PALACE OF WONDER･vegasinMILK
(c)Noriteru Ino
場内
(c)Noriteru Ino
MOON CARAVAN
(c)Noriteru Ino
WORLD RESTAURANT
GREEN STAGE
(c)Noriteru Ino

Kids Land

http://fujirockfestival.com/archives/photogallery.asp?type=1&page=1&mainpage=57
Check it out!!!

築地市場 - Tsukiji fish market

The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, commonly known as Tsukiji fish market (Japanese: 築地市場, Tsukiji shijō) is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind.

It is said that "Uogashi" or a riverside fish market dates back to the 16th century, the beginning of the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and builder of Edo as is now Tokyo, invited fishermen from Tsukudajima, Osaka and gave them a privilege for fishing in order to let them supply seafood to Edo Castle. The fishermen purveyed fish to the Castle and sold the remains near the Nihonbashi bridge. It was the origin of Uogashi. Then, to meet the growing demand for fish with the increase in population, Nihonbashi Uogashi was reformed and developed into a market. The market was lead by wholesale merchants licensed by the Shogunate who bought fish from local ports, sold them to jobbers in the market and thus built up a large fortune, forming their own distributing network. Vegetables markets handling vegetables gathered in the suburbs of Edo were established in Kanda, Senju and Komagome: the Edo's three big vegetable markets. The markets attained prosperity led by wholesalers and jobbers like fish markets. During the Edo period the market price was determined chiefly by negotiated transactions between sellers and buyers. Public auction was hardly taken place except in vegetable markets. In the Meiji and Taisho eras, the privilege of wholesale merchants were abolished. In 1923 some 20 private markets in Tokyo were destroyed almost completely by the Great Kanto Earthquake. After the earthquake, Tokyo City as it then was undertook to construct a central wholesale market on the bases of the Central Wholesale Market Law which had been promulgated in the same year. As a result, the three markets of Tsukiji, Kanda and Koto were founded and the growing population then led to a succession of new markets.







You can also grab some great sashimi and sushi for breakfast around the area as well. Yummy!!!

TOA

The "Japanese Etiquette" Gang!
Watch out now!!!
Nice, ne?
p.s. My hair is darker too!!!
I wanted a "Serious looking/Japanese office" picture, but the guys kept grinning! Thanks!!!

Trying to look busy!
Brindley and Steph "working" on our Japanese Etiquette outline due before we left.


The Grace Room with everyone in thier small groups working away on different presentations. We just joked around most of the time, but got some good stuff finished as well! I'm actually pretty excited about presenting now!!!

PLUS - There was an earthquake for 5 seconds- (I think) a level 2 or 3 around 6:30 this morning in Tokyo. I don't remember feeling it, but I do remember waking up to a beeping sound in the Keio Hotel b/c the power almost when out. Weird, eh?

Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for the yummy goodies.
I've stocked up my Mexican pile again.
More Velveeta to make queso and chips to eat it with.
New Taco and Enchilada kits to use as well.
Plus, sliced jalapenos! Yeah!!!! :)


ALSO - FIVE new Magazines. And lots of other fun stuff!
Woo-hoo!!!