Life in Japan: 10 Images

This is perhaps one of the broadest titles I could have come up with for a blog post... In order to try and narrow down what could potentially become the longest, most incoherent post, I have decided to pick ten photos and talk about what is going on and why it means something to me on my year abroad. 

1:  

Ryogoku Kokugikan, 22/09/14 

Something I absolutely had to do when in Japan - see a sumo wrestling match! My friend and I woke up at 06:00 to get there for 08:00, in order to see as much as we could, and both of us had a very vague idea of what sumo wrestling entailed.. But as the day progressed, we gradually got more and more into the sport, and I learnt a lot about the sport, as well as having fun predicting who would win the next bout based on the stats of the previous days of the tournament. 

2: 

Mount Mitake, 15/11/14

Autumn leaves: along with the Sakura (cherry blossom) which bloom in Spring, the autumn reds and golds are one of Japan's natural highlights. A day trip away from Tokyo, Mount Mitake provided a wonderful escape from the city and seeing the sprawling city from above and just how far the urban landscape stretched was fascinating. 

3: 

Soukeisen, 02/11/14 

A baseball game: a sport which really doesn't exist in the UK, apart from in the form of primary school rounders. In the style of a varsity match, Waseda play Keio twice a year at baseball, and this is a big event which takes place in the Meiji Jingu stadium, one of the largest in Tokyo. This photo was taken at the end when the players are bowing to the fans to thank them for their support. 

4: 

 Okuma Garden and Tower, 18/11/14

This photo was taken from the brand new building number 3 on Waseda campus from a very high floor, and depicts the green oasis that the Okuma garden is, along with the iconic tower that features on almost all pictures of Waseda University. The autumn leaves still leave an impression.

5:

Omotesando, 02/02/15

I've noticed that the Japanese love queuing almost as much as the Brits. This is a queue which can be seen in many different places along Omotesando, and it is a queue for nothing less than a popcorn shop. The queues are almost always for some sort of food, however, and these trends come and go as quickly as the seasons change. For some reason, gourmet popcorn seems to be popular at the moment, and I particularly like how patiently everyone waits for almost an hour in some cases for a bucket of popcorn. 

6: 

Food, every day (18/02/15)

If there's something I won't ever tire of, it's the food. This meal was at a restaurant called Nabezou, which is a type of hotpot. A relatively normal custom in Japan is to have "tabehodai", which is all you can eat for a set price within a set time frame. More surprising, this exists in the form of "nomihodai" as well, which is the same concept but with alcohol. There are places with self-service nomihodai, an unimaginable phenomenon if directly transposed into London. 

7: 

Kiyomizudera, Kyoto (09/03/15)

The spring break in Japan lasted two months, as the year begins from April and so technically what we have as a summer holiday is over February and March. One of the highlights of this break was a spontaneous trip to the Kansai region and Shikoku, and Kiyomizudera illuminated at night in the rain is something that will stay with me for a while. 

8: 

Kawagoe, 18/04/15

Cherry blossom in Japan, one of the most anticipated periods of the year. Hanami (flower viewing) is a huge deal, with the Japanese turning it into an excuse to sit outside in the newly balmy weather and sit under cherry blossom and drink. This particular flower is called the Yaezakura, and is one of the latest blooming flowers. It is particularly fluffy and has many layers, hence its name (Yaezakura can be translated as eight-layered cherry blossom). 

9: 

Yamanashi-ken, (05/05/15) 

May 5th is Children's Day in Japan, and part of Golden Week, one of the only times in the year when Japanese get a few days of consecutive holiday. This picture is of Koinobori, the fish which are hoisted to celebrate children, boys in particular. 

10: 

Niji no Kai, 2014-2015

Finally, an incredibly important part of this experience has undoubtedly been the people I have met and grown close to. In particular, the international society Niji no Kai has been warm and welcoming, and I have appreciated this immensely.