Shool Clubs - Got that whole uchi and soto thang going on

I recently joined the Kansai Gaidai Karate Club, and thus far have been having a total blast. At first, there were a few other gaijin with me in the club, but I have since become the last man standing. It's a nice change of pace being the only foreigner for once. Being in the club has given me some insight on the whole uchi and soto business. Certainly, everyone has been extremely nice and friendly from the start, and lately I've become very good friends with everyone, but I'm not treated like a typical Japanese newcomer would be. In fact, a Japanese freshman just joined and gets everyone water and calls everyone by last name-sempai. Anytime I even attempt to help out a little, everyone makes like it's the nicest gesture in the world. Also, everyone insists that I call them by first name. Normally, clubs are pretty strict about coming to practice, but they tell me it's okay for study abroad students to come whenever they can. It's an interesting position to be in, I feel that I'm good friendly terms with the whole club, yet I'm still treated a bit differently than everyone else. I'm definitely not complaining, though.

Nomihoudai - Whaaaaaa?!

Wait, is this not the best thing since sliced bread?! All you can... all you can drink?! That's unheard of! Okay, I think I've calmed down now. But doesn't that sound like a dandy deal? The most I've ever seen for nomihoudai is about 3000 yen for about 2 hours. Still not a bad deal at all. It might be better for Gaijin though, since a lot of Japanese people seem to crash after 4-5 drinks tops. Way to break the balance of power, foreigners.

Trains - If Jesus had been an engineer, he would have invented it

In our third and final look on transportation in Japan, we'll have a go at talking about the ever elusive train. Trains are the life blood of transportation in Japan. They're fast, cheap, punctual, and clean. Don't go during rush hour though, because those things get packed! The shinkansen is real piece of work as well. It may not be the fastet train in the world, but my God, is that thing smooth.

The best part of transportation in Japan is the fact that you basically travel all over the country without ever needing to get into a car. It is quite the country.

Buses - Man Made, Holy Ghost Approved

Yeah, pretty much every country in the world has buses, but most of them kinda suck. I've waited for hours for a single bus a few times, when it should be coming every half hour (although perhaps they were running on Hawaiian time). Buses in Japan are rarely off schedule; and when they are, it is usually off by 30 seconds max. Fare is pretty standard at 220 yen, but if I had one gripe with the buses here, it would be the lack of free transfers... what's up with that, Japan?! Generally, though, you won't need to. Japan really is something else, you pay when you get off the bus rather than on it. There isn't much stopping someone from just jumping off the bus without paying, but that's Japan for you, God bless it.

In the third and final part of this expose on transportation, we'll be discussing the finer paints of trains.

Bicycles - God's Chosen Vehicle

Even in America I had a bicycle, but I sure as hell didn't use it to the extent that I do over here. After my oh so beautiful keitai, this has easily been one of the best investments I have ever made. From personal experience, I'd recommend getting a bike that isn't black or grey, because that is the color of almost every other bike in Japan. Not to mention just how sexy that shade of yellow is. 5000 yen for a sweet ride, no need for gas, and it's a great core exercise. In part two of this look on transportation; let's talk about buses, shall we?

Takoyaki

I won't lie, takoyaki is probably my favorite food of all time. Yes, I like it more than even borscht. Living near Osaka is a takoyaki lovers dream, there as many takoyaki vendors as there are stars multiplied by the square root of 4,815,162,342. Thank the gods that Hawaii sells takoyaki too, or I might just die from octowithdrawls (which is real by the way, check wikipedia). I've provided a recipe on how to make takoyaki. Really, all it is is fried octopus balls. It's gotta be the sauce...

1 2/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cup dashi soup
2 eggs
1/2 lb. boiled octopus, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup dried sakura ebi (red shrimp)
1/4 cup chopped pickled red ginger
*For toppings:
fried bonito flakes
aonori (green dried seaweed)
Worcestershire sauce or takoyaki sauce

Mix flour, dashi soup, and eggs in a bowl to make batter. Thickness of the batter should be like potage soup. Put oil inside cups of a takoyaki grill pan. Pour batter into the cups to the full. Put octopus, red ginger, and green onion in each hole. Grill takoyaki balls, turning with a pick. When takoyaki become rounds and brown, remove them from the pan and place in a plate. Put sauce and mayonnaise on takoyaki and sprinkle bonito flakes and aonori on the top.
*makes 4 servings

check out http://www.about.com/food/ for more recipes

I even made a song about takoyaki...

(To Tom Jones' "She's A Lady")

Chewing balls with my teeth, made with octopus meat.
Takoyaki! Whoa whoa whoa, Takoyaki!

Yodobashi Camera - So Big, it`s got a Sweets Museum Larger than Best Buy

Seriously, what is up with this store? It's gigantic! You have about six floors of amazing, along with two basement floors, to choose from; each floor dedicated to more specific items of orgasmic wonder, and all bigger than a Best Buy. Honestly, I've been to islands smaller than this place. There's also the same amount of floors designated to a clothing store within the building, not to mention the two floors with nothing but restraunts, one floor being dedicated entirely to desserts.
This store really does seem to be the prototypical Japanese department store, though. There's something about shopping in the same gigantic store with thousands of people, while workers shout out various news of interest, that Japanese people just seem to love.

Lesser men have died from how much awesome this place exudes.

Tokyo - Japanese for Giant Disappointment

I think anyone that's ever had an interest in Japan has had a dream of one day visiting Tokyo. I too used to have dreams... which were crushed by the twenty-seven ton force compactor known as reality. Perhaps it was living in Kansai for four months before traveling to Tokyo, but amidst a few interesting sites I found nothing but disappointment. Really, it wasn't that much different from Osaka; except that it was way more spread out and the atmosphere totally sucked in comparison.
It really isn't a bad place, I swear, but the expactations were just too high. By all means, take a trip to Tokyo, just don't go to Kansai first.