Yasumi means a rest or break, which exactly what we get 5 days of this week. From Wednesday through Sunday we have no classes, which means everyone is basically expected to vacate and go sightseeing. Some folks are going to Kyoto and Nara, and a large group is going to Korea. I am part of the faction which is leaving large journeys like these (Kyoto and Nara for me) until the end of the program in December. So, I will be spending this week making smaller trips each day with some friends. Here’s my schedule so far:
First to Happabashidori, where they make all the plastic food. Bit of backstory necessary for that I suppose. Almost every restaurant in Japan, from fast food to coffee shops to sit-down establishments, has wax models of its main dishes stationed right outside the door with prices. This is apparently so you can peruse and decide where you’d like to eat more easily, or perhaps make up your mind about what you want before you go in and crowd the place up. Not sure why exactly, but they’re there alright, and some of them are pretty realistic models. Anyhow this is where they make that stuff I guess. We are only stopping here on our way to Asakusa, a popular tourist area. Asakusa is a really old part of Tokyo with temples and such. Maybe not the most interesting spot but something everyone who visits Tokyo needs to go to.
The Ghibli Museum. An institution dedicated to master of animation Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Totoro, and most recently Spirited Away). Should be fun. Not sure how long this will take, but it’s somewhat distant so we’re leaving the whole day for now.
Tokyo Disney Land! Need I say more? Well, I guess I should mention that we’re going on the first day of their Christmas celebratory stuff, so that should be cool.
Yokohama. An awesome-I’ve-heard city about an hour from Tokyo. The exploration and fun-having cup overfloweth.
Ginza. This doesn’t sound so great but apparently on Sundays they shut down the streets and turn it into a massive pedestrian shopping zone. Also we will check out the much-anticipated Apple Store and hopefully catch a sight of the new iPod that everyone here wants. Probably do some shopping too if I can afford anything.
