Disneysea!

      Last February 8, me and my friend went to Tokyo Disneysea as a birthday celebration for my friend. It was both our first time to go, and we didn't know anything about it. So we just went with the flow. We met 7am, took the local train to JR station Maihama, and started our wonderful experience.

        Going down the station, we transferred to Disney Resort's private line. Apparently Disneysea was on the last stop (Resort Station-Disneyland-Bayside Area-Disneysea-Resort Station), so we had to wait longer. Everything was in a Mickey design (obviously). Passing by Disneyland, we were shocked to see a LOT of people waiting in line. By a lot I mean that if I were a politician, this would be the place for me to do campaigning. And to think it was a Friday. Seeing the crowd, I wished that Disneysea would have lesser people, but to no luck. It was still crowded, but I guess you can say its not as many compared to Disneyland. Luckily, we arrived just in time for the gates to open, so we didn't have to wait long. 

        Upon entering the park, a huge fountain with a globe at the center and Mickey's Fantasia scene will greet you. People wait in line to have their pictures taken at the fountain. But the rest of the people just rushed in to the rides so that they wouldn't have to wait long. So yeah, we took our time taking pictures and then went to the park's main attraction, the Tower of Terror.

        The line was really long. We waited at most 2 hours just to get to ride it. It was also dissapointing that most of the Japanese people are inserting in lines, or having friends reserving for them. I mean come on, everyone falls in line fair and square, everyone wants to get a ride, and somebody just slips in the line just because a friend fell in line for them. That is so unfair. Anyways, as we got in, we were already tired from waiting, but the first part of the attraction made us excited again. I can't describe the whole event because it might make my post too long. Anyway here's a video of the whole attraction.

Link: Tower of Terror Tokyo Disneysea

        Yes, the freefall was frightening as hell. As we got our seatbelts secured and seated properly, the lady assistant looks at us with fear as she starts to close the door as she says "Please come back" in Japanese. Then hell broke loose. I thought that it was only going to be a one long free fall. But then it was 4 scary, trolling free falls. After the ride, my legs were shaking bad, my organs felt as if they were now crammed in the place where my lungs are supposed to be.  ever riding that again.

        We decided to buy popcorns then went to the second ride, Toy Story Mania. The entrance was the  mouth of Woody. Luckily we only waited for about an hour, so it wasn't that tiring. The place was like you shrank down to the size of a toy. The ride is a competition for 2 people, shooting balloons, boards, and stuff for points. And I won! Haha enjoyed this ride.

        We then went and had some picture taking, then took a rest while eating pork ribs. After we got our energy back, we rode the attraction for Waterworld. As the title suggested, it was underwater and exploration on the species under the sea. It was also nice that we only waited for around 30-40 minutes. But the ride was quick too. So not that entertaining. 

        Next, we went out again to have a picture at the fountain before sunset would come. Luckily the gang of mascots was there, so we were able to take pictures with Minnie and Pluto. There was also a band playing disney music. We did a bit of shopping, then went back for another ride.

        We went to Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull. It was a short wait. The ride was a jeepney like ride, the one used in explorations. It was the best ride for me. The route was so fun, turning and making you sway with the car. And the fire and the boulder as we neared the end, amazing!

        Lastly, we went to watch Aladin's Magic Lamp Theatre. It was in Japanese, so it wasn't that entertaining at first. But the show with 3D glasses and the magic show was fun! Too bad it had to end quickly.

        There was supposed to be the Fantasmic, DisneySea's main attraction for the night. But we were too exhausted to wait for another hour and a half, so we decided to go home. Slept on the train. And were groggy by the time we arrived to the school. But it was a lot of fun! One unforgettable experience!

         Some pictures during the trip. Enjoy!

Disney's route

As expected from Disney

Your first sight in Entering the park

Mickey's Fantasia

The Tower of Terror

Me and Tatenda before losing our souls to the Tower of Terror

Creepy atmosphere

The elevator where the owner died, and so was our souls

On the process of losing our souls

Toy Story Mania and Woody's Mouth

On the attraction's entrance

We are toy size!

I expected this to run. 

In the middle of the park

Are there pirates?

Back to old times

Waterworld!

This was under maintenance. :(

Me and Tatenda resting. Look at my pirate Mickey Hat!

With Pluto

We wanted Mickey, but had no choice. haha

Band and their Disney songs

Found this while shopping.

Safari time!

Indiana Jones and the temple of the crystal skull!

You gotta hand it to them, they put a lot of details for the atmosphere

Before we hit the Boulder

Now to the place of magic

Magic Lamp theatre

Beautiful Scene of the park :)

Not Japan-ish

Roppongi, Tokyo Tower, Azabujuban, Minato

        Last October 27, our ramune the class went to Roponggi to look at its historical places. We had to meet at Azabujuban station in the afternoon. I also had to go to the Philippine Embassy to register as an absentee voter. Coincidentally, the embassy was also in Roponggi, so I was killing two birds with one stone. So I met with my fellow filipino friends and registered in the morning, and since we still had time before the class trip would start, we decided to take our own tour before meeting the class.

      On our way to Azabujuban station, we noticed that almost all of the embassies were situated in Roponggi. So since it really got me curious, I researched over it after the tour. According to Cybriwsky in his book “Roponggi Crossing,” I learned that foreign occupation in Roponggi dates back to the final days on the shogunate era, as the Zempukuji and the U.S. Forces occupied the place uninvited. Since then, Roponggi has been one of the most concentrated places of foreign residents and employments. He also mentioned that of the 146 embassies in Japan, 79 is in Minato ward in Roponggi, which is about half of it. We then proceeded to the direction of Tokyo Tower to look for something to eat for lunch. As we arrived in Tokyo Tower, I felt nostalgic in the view. It was just as the scene in the movie “Otogizoshi” has shown during the screening during class. There was the cemetery, the park and the view. It was true that it was a bit creepy of having a cemetery below a great monument like the Tokyo Tower. We also noticed a monument of dogs at the base of the statue. We asked some of the people who were working at the site, and they told us that that monument was about the story of the survival of 13 dogs chained in Antartica (good thing my friend was fluent in Japanese!). The story was so great that it was considered very important in the Nation, and many statues are all over Japan. For those who still dont know them, they were made into a movie by Disney, entitled “Eight feet Below.”

       We then ate and met with the class. We started by looking at a soba shop that dates back from the Edo period. I was amazed of how they were able to stay that long. We then went to the playground where scenes from Sailor moon can be seen here. I was really happy to be in that place, I've seen the anime and I still recall the scenes in the swings and the park. And since I was doing a personal research of visiting places that were depicted in the anime, it was another great addition to my research.

       We then proceeded to Zempukuji Temple. As I mentioned earlier, it was one of the first foreign things that came in Japan. The temple was quite very historical because of the things present there. In the temple, there was the monument of Townsend Harris, who propagated the first american legation last July 07, 1859 under the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which opened Japan to the world. Fukuzawa Yukichi, the founder of Keio University was also buried there. There was also the huge Ginkgo tree that dates back to 824, one of the oldest standing trees in Japan. I was able to know its history because of the description was in English. There I learned that the temple was founded by Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Legend has it that Shinran Shonin, founder of the Jodo-Shinshu Sect, put down his staff which then started to sprout leaves and thus became the ginkgo tree. In the back of the tree there were burn marks that were scars from the war.

       We then went to other places, we passed by a shop famous for its Taiyaki, paste with red beans. The professor said that it was so famous that you had to wait for around 30 minutes to get an order. I wanted to try it, but we didn't had the time. We also passed by a shrine that had frog statues in it. It was said that the frog put out a fire before. There was also the small statue of the seven deities of fortune in a boat. As we walked further, we went in TV Asahi and looked around. Just beside the station was a beautiful garden, right below Mori Tower, one of the tallest building in Japan. The garden was also important because of its history. It was a garden of a former daimyo. More than that, it was also the spot where some of the 47 ronin committed suicide. Then we went to other places as well, such as the Stars and Stripes, a newspaper company for the US armed forces. We also passed by the National Art museum of Tokyo. We also passed by Tokyo Midtown. I was so happy that we passed by that place since Konami Headquarters was there. In the end of the tour, we were able to witness a real traditional wedding. It gave me an additional understanding of Japan's culture.

        What was really interesting was my trip to Tokyo Tower and Zempukuji temple. I liked the Zempukuji Temple because it was filled with a lot of very significant events from the early history of Japan. The most interesting was the Tokyo Tower. It was because I can relate to the scenes in the movies “Always Sanchome no Yuhi” (a must watch! A very nice movie!) and “Otogizoshi”, where Tokyo Tower served as the main point in those movies. Just the sight of the Tokyo Tower left me astounded, and gave me hope, just as it served as hope for Japan after the war.

Some pictures from our trip! Enjoy! :)

Sailor Moon! :D

Tokyo Tower :D

The Philippine Embassy in all its glory

Taking a rest from the trip

One of Mr Mori's architectural achievements

TV Asahi!

Links:

Cybriwsky, R.A., “Roponggi Crossing: The Demise of a Tokyo Nightclub District and the Reshaping of a Global City.” University of Georgia Press. Athens, Georgia. 2011.

Asakusa Tour: Kiminarimon & Sensoji

        Last October 06, the class went to Asakusa to look around Sensoji Temple and have a discussion with a Mr. Shimizu, a head in the temple. The class met at the Kiminarimon gate, the entrance to Sensoji. This week, we went to discuss on the significance and history of sensoji and the pagoda and the place in general (since we had a previous tour in Asakusa but on the other side).

       I was amazed in seeing the Kiminarimon gate. It was so big, and the place was so crowded. As professor started the tour, he discussed the history of Sensoji. I learned that Asakusa is one of the centers of traditional culture here in Japan, where buildings and temples that have survived the air raids from the world war are still present. About Sensoji, there was supposed to be a legend that two fishermen found a statue of the goddess Kannon (known as the goddess of mercy) along the bank of Sumida river. It was only a few inches tall. They threw it away but was able to fish it again. So they brought it to the head of the village and thought that it was sacred that the statue was found twice. So they built a temple for the people to worship it. The Sensoji temple is one of the oldest temples in Japan that was able to survive the air raids.

        Kaminarimon was also as old as the sensoji temple. I learned that the gate was in someplace else, then it was moved in Asakusa. It was burned and destroyed many times from the war and air raids, but it was reconstructed on 1960. It still stands today from that time. Looking at its details, there are obvious things you can notice in the gate: the two huge statues on the side and the huge lantern in the middle. I learned that the two statues on the side were the gods Raijin and Fujin, the lightning and the wind gods, respectively. The huge lantern in the middle has the writings of the word Kiminarimon carved in it. We would never have noticed the dragon carving beneath the bell if the professor did not mention it. It was supposed to be a golden dragon. I also learned that the temple's building was funded by Panasonic.

We then proceeded to approach the temple. We passed by Nakamise-dori, a line of shops all the way to the temple. These shops were already present during the Edo period with a lot of commercial activity. It flourished in the pre-war period but was burned during the war then was rebuilt. There were a lot of shops selling souvenirs and food, but the professor pointed out a shop that sold obi and fans, but it was closed.

        We then went to see the asakusa bell afterwards. I learned that the sound of the bell can be heard in far places like ueno. A great poet named Basho, made the bell popular by quoting:

“Sounding through clouds of flower. Is the bell in Ueno or Asakusa?”

we then proceeded to the Hozomon gate, a gate larger than the Kaminarimon. The professor pointed out symbols in the lanterns. It was a Buddhist swastika. It is similar to the nazi swastika, only that the buddhist version has round or curved edges on its side.

        The professor then introduced us to father Shimizu, a priest in Sensoji temple. Mr. Shimizu then described the interiors of the temple as we went in. In the ceiling, he pointed out the images and described them. The center was the picture of the golden dragon that depicted the temple. He also said that the original statues are kept underground for safe keeping, as there are over 30 million visitors in the temple every year. The giant lantern in the main temple was donated by the geisha community.

        As we proceeded for the pagoda, the professor pointed a carnival over the back of the temple. It was named Hanayashiki amusement park, founded 1853 (after the Edo period) and is the oldest amusement park in Japan. We then proceeded to the pagoda, as we were nearing it, I felt a wave of nausea, because something about it looked very familiar, even though it was my first time seeing one of those kinds. Father Shimizu described the pagoda as a 5-story building that was devoted for the goddess Kannon. It was burned by the war, but then it was rebuilt years after. After hearing its history, I realized that for me, it was the same temple as shown in the pokemon game. It was also described in the game that the pagoda was devoted for a great creature, but then it burned down because of an incident some years ago. We went in the pagoda and saw paintings depicting different situations.

        We also went to look at the garden at the back of the pagoda. The scene was breathtaking. It was designed for the purpose that it was supposed to be beautiful in any angle. After the tour ended, me and my friends went around to look on more shops and places. We found quite an old shop near the asakusa bell that was selling bread and ice cream. Judging from the pictures in the front of the store, it must have been pretty old. We talked a bit with the owner, since he told me that he visited once in my home country. And I learned that his shop was famous before for their fresh bread even during the 1960s.

       In the whole tour, the most interesting place for me was the interior of the temple where we sat in front of the shrine while father Shimizu discussed to us the temple's history and people. Nothing beats a discussion beside the gold-covered and sacred shrine. I also loved it because it was where I learned a lot of things. From the precious items being stored underneath and coin offerings having a chute directly leading underground, to the explanation of the drums, shrine, and place.

More pictures from the trip. Enjoy! :)

Nakamise

A shrine beside Sensoji

Gates of Sensoji

What are these for? 

Closer view of the gates

Sensoji

A 5-Story Pagoda

What we need after a hot trip!

Links:

http://www.hanayashiki.net/e/index.html

“Asakusa Bell of Time.” June 29, 2011. http://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/asakusa- bell-time

Asakusa Tour: Mukojima

        Last September 30, professor Ted led a tour to Mukojima, the other side of Asakusa. We were just few, with only 2 students and the rest were colleagues of the professor, but that made the tour easier to keep up. We met at Kaminarimon gate, then proceeded to cross the sumida river and to the old neighborhoods that predates itself to the Edo period.

       Before we crossed the river, the professor pointed us a bar that was named Kamiya Bar. It was built in 1921. Though very old, it survived the great Kanto Earthquake and the war and air raids, so it was historic in a sense. Then, the professor pointed to the Matsuya Department store. I learned that the store was opened around the 1930s, so it was one of the oldest stores in japan. Now it houses the station to Tokyo Skytree. We then proceeded to crossing the bridge. While crossing, we got a nice view of the Asahi Company Building. It was interesting because there was a monument that looks like a sake cup with a flame on the top. And the taller building looked like a beer mug with foam on top. The architecture was really impressive. As we crossed the bridge, we stopped at the statue of Katsu Kaishu. The professor described him as one of the most important persons in history. It was because he was one of the people who peacefully transcended the nation from the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Resotration. He was also a great writer and the founder of the Japanese Navy. We then passed by Sumida park, which was supposed to be one of the best places during spring, when the cherry blossoms would bloom. Then we went to Ushijima Shrine, where its famous for the cow statue with the red cloth. The professor explained that the cow was sacred that people there touch the parts of the cow where they have ailments in it, hoping to get cured. There was also a sundial beside the statue.

        We then explored the places in Kenban Dori. Kenban dori has a lot of interesting places in it. First, it was the place of the geisha headquarters. When I heard about the geisha, I was really interested and excited about it, since one of my aims in coming to Japan is to experience its tradition and culture, and what better way to experience it than to see a geisha? But then I was a bit disappointed since there were no geishas around because it was a sunday. But then I promised to myself that I would maybe save enough money and have dinner with one. Or I could just go to Kyoto and see one. Moving on, Kenban Dori was also the place where Sata Ineko, a very important person who contributed to women's empowerment and proletarian literature in Japan, stayed. It was also the place where Memuguri Jinja is located. According to Waley's “Tokyo Now and Then,” it was the shrine of 2 out of the 7 deities of good luck. Also, legend has it that during an intense drought where people were desperately praying for rain, Takarai Kikaku, a famous poet, passed by and helped by composing a poem about the situation. On the next day, rain poured down. Thus, his poem can be seen in a large stone beside the shrine with the poem inscribed in it. We then took a break and ate at Kototoi Dango, a dango shop that was around 1890s and very famous for the very delicious dangos. Its symbol was a bird. After the snacks, we passed by Sumida Baseball field, famous for where Oh Sadaharu practiced.

        After that, we met with Mr. Fuji, a known tour guide and expert in Mukojima district. I was lucky that my fellow 'tourists' knew how to speak Japanese, so I didn't have a hard time in understanding Mr. Fuji's sayings. We toured around the residences around Mukojima. After seeing them especially Bokutei street, I was really surprised by the look of the neighborhood, and this was the most interesting part of the tour for me. Narrow alleys, wooden and crammed houses, it was back to the pre war period. It was great to see these kinds of places because the professor said that every year a bit of the old houses are destroyed and renovated to a more concrete house. So I guess I felt lucky to have seen it. The neighborhood was the same as an ordinary neighborhood in my country, only that that is the kind of neighborhood in my country today. So it just goes to show how Japan has quickly progressed and developed through the years. We passed by brothel buildings still standing, and buildings with the “Off Limits” sign. There were signs like those to prevent the americans from going to the brothel. There were also shops and apartments or bedspaces that had architectural styles from the pre war period. The whole place was like traveling in time to the old days of Tokyo. It was splendid.

       After we bade our farewell and expressed our gratitude to Mr. Fuji, we then went to the Mukojima park. It was very beautiful, with all the different kinds of flowers and plants. It was supposed to be a garden for scholars before, even now maybe.

       Though the whole tour was really tiring, it was definitely worth it. It was great looking back at the history of Tokyo from another perspective.

      More Pictures! Enjoy! :))

Kaminarimon Gate

The professor and Asahi Beer and Tokyo Skytree

Ferry through the Sumida River

Skytree from afar

Dangos whose recipe dates back from the Edo period

A dog at Mukojima :D

Links:

Waley, Paul. “Tokyo Now and Then.”

New Holland Publishers. 1984.