Seven Year Itch

Today would have been my seven years in Japan.

I wished I didn't leave earlier. In the time I have come back, I haven't found a job.  I applied for many kinds of work. I even applied for a position at a famous computer company (yeah, the fruit one), but I didn't get called back for a second interview.

Getting used to living back in Australia wasn't so hard, but I still feel a massive disconnect. After so many years of waking up at midday it's hard to shake THAT habit. To be honest I'm missing Japan a lot.

Since I left Australia there has been an explosion of sushi shops here. I realised very quickly though that sushi pales in comparison to even the worst I tasted in Japan. Most places sell only the sushi rolls which are actually uncommon in Japan, forcing you to rather use your fingers than chopsticks. The fish is often dry and tiny, and the maguro (tuna) is usually the cooked variety. Having said that the best alternative that managed to evoke memories of "home" is Sushi Izu in Woolworths. A little bit pricey, but they're onto a good thing here.

I managed to find green tea ice-cream which thankfully wasn't too bad. It looks like Haagen Dazs closed shop in Australia a few years ago, so no more weird and wonderful flavours from them. Anko or anpan sweets are nowhere to be found.

I was thrilled when I saw that the Japanese dollar shop, Daiso was here, but instantly disappointed when I found out they marked up the prices to $2.80 for everything. Not so much of a bargain anymore. Uniqlo recently opened their first store in Melbourne but looking over the Australian pricing, it seems to be close to double the price.

I don't want this post to wallow in my self pity, so I'm happy to say I have been accepted in an intensive month long uni course that will allow me to teach foreigners English in Australia. Unfortunately that doesn't begin until August, but it is something I am excited and very nervous about.

I was getting a little bored so I decided to get my motorcycle license at the end of February. In Queensland it's pretty easy, and I was licensed in only two days!

Next step was a bike. I had my sights set on a Harley-style cruiser, so I did the next best thing and got myself a new Yamaha 650cc beast. Although it's quite heavy, along with my (temporary?) beard, I look the part.

I've joined some meetup groups which have given me a great opportunity to go for some fun rides and socialise. I kind of regret that I didn't get the licence BEFORE I went to Japan. I even talked with a Japanese expat that is in the same position as I was. He thought Japanese food was expensive here and not as good too! He is also thinking whether it's the right time for him to go back.

Looking back over my blog, it feels like Japan was a dream. As more time passes I am reminiscing the good times. Life was pretty good. What's next for me?

SAYONARA - FUQ

I don't know if I forgot to tell you, but as of the 21st of January, 2014 I left Japan. Anyway I thought it'd be nice to leave you with a FUQ, or Frequently Unasked Questions.

SO WHY ARE YOU LEAVING JAPAN?

Well as you know from reading my blog (you've been reading it? WOW), I've been here close to seven years, and things have been plateauing for a few years. I'm getting older. Over the years a few of my relatives have passed away, and I value the time I have with my immediate family. Recent events have also fast-tracked my planned departure date.

WERE YOU EVER HOMESICK?

No, not at all! With amazing technologies like Skype, it felt like friends and family were in my room at any time. There are also heaps of free wifi hotspots. It's much better than the bad old days of phone cards and Internet cafes.

ANY REGRETS?

Yeah, of course. I'd like to have had more opportunities to advance in the company. I applied for management/training positions and I wasn't considered. I wish I really learnt Japanese. I should've persued my music dreams harder. I'd like if some people were kinder. That'll do. Can't stop 'dem regrets you know!

WHAT DIDN'T YOU LIKE ABOUT JAPAN?

The SMOKING. I am not a smoker. Japan has it backwards. You can smoke in bars and restaurants but outside you can't. WTF? Tax the f**k out of those cigarettes too!

OLD PEOPLE - Now don't get me wrong I don't hate them per sé. It's just that I think old people generally don't like foreigners "changing" Japan. This goes for a**hole police officers, and is it a coincidence all the taxi drivers are senior citizens? I rest my case. Actually they often leave seats beside me free on the train. I guess it's not all bad.

SPITTING - Is it so hard to f**king swallow? It's worse in winter when your footpath gunk doesn't evaporate. It just stays there forever. Gross.

BLOCKING FOOTPATHS - Do you have to walk/stand in a "wall of stupid" making it difficult to walk or ride past? I used to use my bad squealing brakes to make people sh*t themselves. Hilarious.

BANKS & PHONE COMPANIES - Now I'm sure there were other so-called businesses, but these two really annoyed me. SIM locked phones? docomo changed tack when they got the iPhone. Shame shame shame. Banks charging after hours and transfer fees really sucked. OH, and piss poor bank interest. Thanks for nothing UFJ.

SHOGANAI - This means "it can't be helped". To me this means Japanese people compromise too much so that the above companies and more get what their greedy minds want. Sure, packed trains can't be helped. I'll let you have that one.

WOW! SO WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE PLACE THEN?

Well, it's going to sound horribly cliché but the food is awesome; I hate flowers, but the cherry blossoms "affect" me; the Japanese girls are super pretty and more approachable (gonna miss the bikini girls of Summer); the plentiful cheap and accessible alcohol, and drinking in public; the wonderful music shops with beautiful instruments (new and used). I'm really going to miss my friends AND my best friend :(

SHOULD I COME TO JAPAN?

YEAH! As a tourist, Japan is unlike any other country I've been to. Actually it's like another planet. Japanese people are very friendly and accommodating to tourists. You'll feel very welcome.

SHOULD I WORK IN JAPAN?

Now this one is harder to answer. WHY do you want to work in Japan? I had someone tell me, "I don't know". Now THAT I see as the wrong reason.  Life will seem better when you are arrive, but it will progressively get worse. Anything that is wrong with your life will be amplified. You'll be looking for substitutes of all the good stuff you'll miss. I say YES if you can speak Japanese or have a very strong will to learn the language. Use the visa to do something BETTER.

Japanese people will treat you differently, or you'll see them differently when you've been here a while too.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAVE JAPAN?

I wish I knew, then I might have left earlier! For me, the right time is to go before you end up hating the place.  It's when you realise that you have a job here, not a career. It's before you get "stuck" here either through marriage or being too lax to go. Once the roots start growing it gets harder to cut down the tree.

OH, HOW SHOULD I SEND MONEY BACK TO AUSTRALIA?

In the past I think I suggested using Go Lloyds.  GoRemit (Shinsei Bank) took over their services, and should be the equivalent. I actually used Japan Post Bank this time. You can take out cash from your account and do a 口座あて送金 telegraphic transfer (2,500 yen for any amount), which takes a week to get in your account.  Just don't mess up the information! Don't bring lots of cash on the plane. Banks don't like dealing with paper money.

WHAT WILL YOU DO POST-JAPAN?

I'm not sure. I wouldn't mind teaching English here but I don't know if my time actually counts for much. I could go back to my old job. I could be a rockstar. LOL. Right now I'm in a bit of limbo. Getting over my "lost weekend" and trying to join the real world.

Well that's all the questions I can think of right now. I want to thank all the people that have stuck with me all these years with my blog. It's nice that it wasn't for nothing. If you have any other questions or want to say hi leave a comment. I'm not dead yet.

I hope I gave you a good FUQ

SAYONARA :(

Resident Card

Since July 2012, Japan changed their residency management system. Instead of the Alien Registration Card ("gaijin" card), new arrivals would be issued with a new Resident Card. Generally speaking some details are not directly written on the card itself but on an IC chip. Also, things like re-entry permit stamps are going to be a thing of the past.

Now I don't actually need to do this until my visa renewal, but considering what I'll be doing shortly I've decided to take the fun trip down to Shinagawa to get dat card! I arrived at the immigration office at about 11am. I was thinking I was getting there late but surprisingly it only took about 40 minutes! Maybe because it was a day predicted to snow everyone stayed away *booya!*

 You can pick up a form for the new card at the information desk as you walk in. They are actually in a tray so you don't even really need to line up. (If you LOSE your card you have to ask for another kind of form though). Around the corner you can take your photo at a photo booth for 700 yen. I did the photo myself in photoshop and printed it out for 30 yen instead :) Oh, bring a pen when you go. I had a hell of a time asking people to lend me a pen. No one helped me out ^$*#^!!

Once that's done go to the 2nd level D line which you can use the easy to follow guide line on the floor! If you leave Japan you don't have to pretend you lost it to keep the card. They'll actually let you keep it as a present but they punch a hole in the card to invalidate it. YAY!

Two Towers Part 2 - Tokyo Tower

After the Skytree I knew the Tokyo Tower would pale in comparison.

The Tokyo Tower's highest "special" observatory (+600 yen) is still only 250m high. The main observatory (820 yen) is 150m. Even at the top height it's only marginally higher than the nearby Midtown Tower. Unlike the Skytree it's essential to go to the top level.

Built in 1958, the tower is definitely showing its age. The windows look "fuzzy". Taking the best photos was more of a challenge. I was really spoilt by the Skytree's newness :( Still there are some good views out to Odaiba, and like the Skytree you'll be able to see Mt Fuji at sunset.

If you have a choice go to the Tokyo Skytree. The view is MUCH better. Heck, even go to the Metropolitan Government building. It's free! The Tokyo Tower really needs a renewal renovation, a complete makeover.

BUT to say something good about it, the Tokyo Tower is more beautiful than the Skytree even though it ripped off the Eiffel Tower's good looks. It's also substantially brighter lit. Maybe being more residential out in Oshiage they didn't want a "Christmas tree" shining in their windows every night. I kind of wish the Skytree was a bit more central rather than out where it is. They should've knocked this one down ("jokingu").

Gut's Soul

I eat shabu shabu more often, but I think I really like yakinuku better.

Back in the old days I'd go to Gyukaku, but unfortunately a lot of the ones around Tokyo didn't do an "all you can eat" menu, or the cost would be kind of pricey. One of the other teachers once mentioned a place called Gut's Soul in Yoyogi that was incredibly cheap.

I'm a bit wary of yakiniku being too cheap after we went to one in Shinjuku ni-chome that had the worst fattiest pieces of meat you could imagine. Thankfully that little s*thole has closed down.

I'm happy to say that this place was MUCH better. The cheapest all you can eat is 1,280 yen for 90 minutes. Pretty amazing huh? This course didn't include beef so we "sized up" for the 1,580 yen one. Be careful not to over order though as you will be charged extra for the meat you can't eat!

My first impression was that the beef pieces were a little anaemic compared to other places I've tried but it tasted good. You can get salty or sauce flavoured meat. The pork and chicken also tasted real nice.

We went to the Yoyogi one. Make sure not to sit facing the window. The Yamanote line is very close to the window and passes by every few minutes. Seeing it speed past a million times gave me a bad sense of vertigo I didn't need.

It is a chain restaurant so you can also find Gut's Soul in Nakano, Koenji, and Takodanobaba. Yoyogi is easiest if you're in Shinjuku. It's only a stone's throw away.

Two Towers Part I - Going Up The Skytree

When it was being built I was sadly thinking I wasn't going to still be in Tokyo when it would be completed. For a Christmas present, I was gifted a ticket to finally go up and I have to say I was kind of excited!

Unfortunately you can't use a FOREIGN credit card to book a ticket. While I'd love to say this is because Japanese people are inherently racist, it's probably to stop tourists from booking it completely out every day. On this weekday it wasn't too long. It took about 40 minutes to get in. A ticket to the 350m level costs 2,000 yen. To go to the 450m level is an additional 1,000 yen and can only be purchased on the first observation deck.

So how was the view?

Pretty damn spectacular! From this height you are far above the city. While the 450m is nice, I don't think it's really worth the extra cost. The view is not so different. I was surprised to see Shinjuku almost in the dark. You can easily see Mt Fuji in the distance as the sun sets. Amazing!

The closest station to the Skytree is Tokyo Skytree Station or Oshiage station. I got off at Kinshicho station which was the cheapest way, but there's a bit of walk from there. Overall if you come to Tokyo you HAVE to come here.

The 2nd Happiest Place On Earth?

Did you know there are TWO Disneylands in Tokyo? Although it's called collectively Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland and Disney Sea feel like completely different theme parks.

After whetting my appetite with Disneyland I had to try out Disney Sea a short time later.

It's been said that Disney Sea is the "adult" Disneyland. The rides are faster and more appealing to older "kids". To me it actually didn't feel like a Disneyland. The Disney characters are not as overtly in your face, and it looks really picturesque! Also it feels quite a bit larger than Disneyland. From the first walk around I was drained.

To get to the entrance from Maihama station you have to get the Mickey train. It's Disney-fied well with Mickey-shaped windows and grab handles.

As soon as you enter the park it's hard to miss the Tower of Terror. I was nervous about riding it. On arrival we got our first fast pass for Journey To The Center Of The Earth. While waiting we tried out 20 Thousand Leagues Under The Sea as there wasn't a line at all. I quite enjoyed it! The illusion of being underwater was really effective.

From there we went on Aquatopia. Looking at it I thought it would be enjoyable. It features a similar trackless system to Pooh's Hunny Hunt, but riding it felt pretty pointless.

The nearby Stormrider bears a resemblance to Star Tours being another simulation ride, but it was just so-so. Getting wet wasn't really necessary as it didn't make it any more believable to me.

The Indiana Jones ride was maybe too intentionally jerky for my tastes, but it was fairly memorable.

From here I was to face my fears of the Tower of Terror. This ride is pretty cool. The buildup story was excellent. Even without understanding much Japanese the storyline was fantastic giving the looming dread of what awaited us. The ride felt like it actually pulls you down faster than gravity. On the third drop I'm pretty sure I said "Not again", but I kind of regret not going on it one more time before leaving.

One thing that stands out here is Duffy. Do you know it? The Mickey-faced bear that it seemed every Japanese girl had. I got so sick of seeing them that I wanted to throw them on the ground and stomp on their faces. But seeing that I'm not a violent person I relented.

Anywhoo where was I?

Oh yes.. By now it was time for the "Journey" ride. Again, lots of animatronics. Not bad. The fast thrill at the end of ride was unexpected. Nice. Later on in the day we'd ride it again. Unfortunately repeated riding actually made me rate it less. YMMV

At this point I have to mention the big gyoza sausage bun. It's around this area so we gave it a try. For 420 yen it's a little pricey but not bad for a hungry stomach. Speaking of food, I got the curry popcorn again. I saw the mickey popcorn bucket that I couldn't find in Disneyland. Bit overpriced too, but it's cute. Handy for popcorn nights at home I suppose. Later I bought strawberry popcorn. The least favourite to me. Kind of wished I got black pepper instead.

The Arabian Coast was a little boring (but pretty!). We rode the Flying Carpets and Caravan Carousel.

Next fast pass was Raging Spirits. Some people don't like it much. I think it's because it's all over too soon. I didn't mind it and I liked the 360 loop. Fun.

Mermaid Lagoon is what Toontown is to Disneyland. This is where the younger kids rides are. Jumpin' Jellyfish was so short it felt like it finished before it began. The teacups-like Whirlpool would've been better if it didn't hit the groove on the track so hard on the centre of the figure 8 so much.

The longest wait of the day was easily Toy Story Mania. This was the best ride of the day for me. The 3D, the shooting game, the movement. Lots of fun. A close tie would be the Tower of Terror simply for the great storyline.

To end the day we took the Transit Steamer Line back to the Meditteranean Coast, and rode on the last gondolas of the day. Funny that it was my first time on one even though I'd been to Venice.

So which is better, Disneyland or Disney Sea?

Now that I've been to Disneyland I'd have to say Disney Sea. It just has more overall enjoyment (for adults). BUT like I said it doesn't feel like Disneyland. It mostly misses what Disneyland is about - the characters!