Yushima Tenmangu Shrine

These wish cards were tied up outside of the Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. Each card contains a student's wish. Many have very unique drawings and wishes for academic success.

More pictures from this beautiful shrine.

Sketches inspired by Japanese Children's Book Catalogue

Senso-ji Temple

On Saturday Joust-bananna and I visited Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, which has a more traditionally Japanese atmosphere than many other parts of Tokyo. The streets were packed. In the short blocks between the train station and the temple there were many small shops and vendors selling foods and traditional Japanese gifts.

Inside the temple we each bought an omikuji (fortune). After dropping 100 yen in a slot, you shake a metal box full of sticks and pull out one stick. Each stick has a number scratched on it that corresponds to a drawer containing the fortune. You match your selected stick with the drawer and there's your fortune! Mine was pretty good, in fact 'THE BEST FORTUNE". It says I will gradually become famous and peaceful.

Unfortunately Javelin-Slama's wasn't so good. In keeping with tradition, she tied her fortune to a rack so that the bad luck could be dispersed.

東京のスケッチ

On Friday I did some sketching at a small park outside of the Imperial Palace. The only people that would sit long enough to be sketched were either sleeping or reading, so that's why you can't see anyone's eyeballs!

Imperial Palace

iCamp Party

On Thursday night we celebrated the gathering of all iCamp members (a production division at TBS) with fine food and drink at a nearby French restaurant. I had to give a speech in Japanese. I think I said something like "The food was delicious. I'm learning Japanese. I'm not very good. I'm sorry." I definitely sounded like doofus but it got a laugh at least. Photos courtesy of Jovanna.

Maid Café

Just one last post from the Saturday trip to Akihabara. There were indeed many maid cafes and many maids handing out brochures to go to the maid cafes. From what I have heard second hand, the cafes are places where men go to be pampered essentially. You can get your ears cleaned or just have a maid sit on your lap. I didn't go to a maid cafe but we accidently caught a glimpse when the elevator we were taking to a figurine ship unexpectedly opened and we saw the whole thing!

Typhoooono

Today we were let out of work early so we could get home before a powerful typhoon hit. Named Guchol, the tyhpoon brought heavy rains to Tokyo, while causing flight delays and evacuations in other parts of Japan.

It has been raining lightly all day, but really started getting heavy around 7pm and hasn't let up since. I just looked outside and there's a micro-river gushing down the sidewalk!

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Just like all the tokyo guidebooks generically say, this is a city of polar opposites. Right in the middle of the most Western-feeling area of Tokyo I've seen so far, the outdoor shopping mall area of Harujuku, there is the beautiful Meiji Jingu Shrine.

The Torii, the main entrance to the shrine.

Barrels of Sake that were donated. I love the simple and beautiful graphic designs on these.

 Despite trying many settings, I couldn't capture the lighting quite like it was here. 

Seeeegaaaaaaa!

Gundam Cafe

Tokyo Towaaaaa

Finally made it out for some heavy duty touristing with my classmate Jovanna at Tokyo Tower. At 333 meters tall it is the tallest self supporting steel tower in the world. Take that Eiffel Tower!

K-on!

This is one of the bigger shows on TBS and I think their most popular anime.

I'm not completely sure how the animation production works at TBS but I hope to get a tour soon.
The opening really gets you PUMPED!

スーパーファミコン!

My share house fully equipped with a Super Famicom and Super Mario Kart. I will be testing this out tonight.

One of the other flat renters informed me that you can play Mario Kart in an actual Kart at the arcades here. The weekend plans are already starting to take shape.

Cat Chat

I started my internship at TBS yesterday. For the first three weeks I will be assisting with Flash animation on the program Cat Chat. The show teaches Japanese children English through skits and dancing and animated sections. It was hard to find many images of the show online, but here is Chat's face on a bag that I received as a gift from TBS last night.

猫チャット!

Medama Oyaji

I swear I didn't know about this guy when I designed my logo!

But everyone at TBS instantly recognized him in my business card at the welcome party tonight. Medama Oyaji (Old Man eyeball) is a wildly popular character in the Manga GeGeGe no Kitaro. I'm guessing that the clip below is an origin story of sorts, based on this quote "Once an undead mummy, he awakened for the post-mortem birth of his son but had only one body part whole enough to house his spirit. Fortunately, Kitarou has only a single eye of his own - leaving the other socket free for hisdear old dad to travel in."

Balcony Garden

Not much of a view from my balcony... except for this nice little garden.

I'm Here!

I'm in Japan. I'm in Tokyo. The flight was like time travel. I took at least 5 trains this morning. I got to my room and used the futuristic space bathroom. I was guided by very generous hosts. I can't wait to see TBS soon!