Settling Down with the Relatives

So it's officially been a week since I left Japan...and I was thinking about just leaving my Japanese adventure blog posts with my Mount Fuji BANG! 

But....that just didn't feel quite right. After keeping up with my posts for over two months, I just had to complete my travels, if only for my own satisfaction, right?! 

So where was I...oh yes. July 31:
  I climbed Mount Fuji, took a lil' nap, and partied the night away in Roppongi with our Princeton friend, Spencer, returning back to Broido's apartment past sunrise. Fun stuff. 

But all good things must come to an end. 

And so, after resting up and gathering my life back into a suitcase, we walked to the Shibuya Station and said our goodbyes (and took one last picture at the Hachiko dog statue!).

Broido: We had a great run in Japan. We shall continue the party at Princeton!

I then met with my mom's cousin and her family, who live in Tokyo. 

I planned to round out my last few days in Japan with some quality family time!

Although they are relatives, I have only met them a few times before, so at first, I felt like I was staying with another host family! 

It was a bit strange for me, since I was so used to my Kanazawa host family's rules that didn't apply in this household. 

However, Yumi, my mom's cousin, is such an incredibly generous and kind person, that I quickly felt right at home. In fact, this household was much more Westernized and relaxed, since Yumi has three teenage kids in the house: Kota (19), Mariko (17), and Naoyuki (15). 

Yumi is also an amazing cook, so expect many photos of impressive food to come! 

For example: here was my first dinner at their home in Tokyo. 

Yumi was so casual about dinner, yet the feast that she produced seemed fit for fancy party! 

She cooked with European influences that night, including this sliced octopus salad marinated in lots of olive oil, garlic, parsley, and capers. Smiley faces all around.

But she didn't stop there! She also served (Clockwise from top left):

-a summer ratatouille with a wide variety of vegetables, including eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, celery, and red peppers

-an asparagus salad with raw slices of large, sweet scallops and small bits of tart umeboshi (I'd never had a salad like this, but it was one of my favorite things that night!)

-dry curry with ground beef on top of rice

-freshly bought french baguette slices served with a homemade dip of pureed fresh tomatoes, grated parmesan, basil, and olive oil

Ridiculous. Amazing. Spoil me silly. 

And she didn't even break a sweat!

But wait! There's more! A homemade cherry cobbler, made with fresh summer cherries. 

'

Wowzers. If that doesn't say welcome, well then I'll be darned...

After dinner, it was nice to settle down in a home again, but without ANY studying or homework necessary! I cannot describe what I great feeling it was to just sit. relax. sleep. breathe. 

August 1st:

The next day, Mariko and I took the subway to Odaiba, a commercialized artificial island developed in the Tokyo Bay.

It's a pretty weird place. Very...fake. Just a consumer mecca. 

Everything is so new and almost sterile, with huge shopping complexes lined up one after another. 

Oh yeah, it also includes a place called Tokyo Leisure Land, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, and this rainbow-rific Ferris Wheel. 

One perfect example of such artificiality: 

The Tokyo Trick Art Museum, filled with optical illusions and murals. 

As fake and corny as it seems, Mariko and I had a really fun time! 

In this interactive museum, there are different 2-D paintings to pose with. 

When viewed at the correct angle, the paintings look 3-D! It was pretty cool.

I've seen something like this at the Chalk Art Festival in Pasadena, but the museum was just filled with these murals. Impressive. 

Cray, ain't it jay?

In addition to improving my Japanese language skills these past two months, I also honed my Ninja talents. Look at me go.

 But actually...If you couldn't figure it out, I flipped this photo 180 degrees. 

I thought this one was pretty funny, since the bucket really does look 3-D! 

But it's just painted on the floor. 

For lunch, we had crepes! 

But to continue with the day's theme of deceptive appearances, this was not your ordinary banana and chocolate filled crepe that you would expect!

Oh no. This is Japan.

 So instead, we both got a savory crepe filled with rice, teriyaki chicken, kewpie mayo, and pickles! And it was surprisingly good! 

We walked around a bit more, shopping and talking the day away. 

I was actually really proud of myself for being able to chat with her in Japanese all day! 

 Although I studied a lot in PII, I was very doubtful that my speaking skills improved very much at all. However, after spending a day with Mariko, I realized that I actually did get a lot better! I would never have been able to get through the day with a native Japanese speaker a couple months ago!

In the afternoon, we returned home to relax and hide inside from the daytime heat. 

After a quick nap, dinner time! And what a dinner it was!

Yumi picked up her large order of fresh fish from her friend who works at the famous Tsukiji market, so we had a large spread of some of the best sashimi in the world! I have just hit the culinary jackpot. 

The seafood platter included squid, sauteed abalone, and the creamy delicacy called uni!

But being the extremely 上手 kitchen queen that she is, Yumi also made sauteed zucchini with sesame and chicken, fresh tofu with marinated and chopped cucumber, steamed edamame and tsukemono, and a variety of sauteed Japanese mushrooms in a sake soy sauce marinade!

After dinner, we just had another chill night watching the Olympics! 

However, all the coverage was in Japanese, showing all the Japanese athlete highlights, so it wasn't as much fun for me...oh well! All the Olympians, no matter what country or sport, are so inspiring! 

August 2nd: 

Oh man. I was settling in quite comfortably into this relaxed Tokyo lifestyle that Yumi provided me!

Her generosity was the most. 

Just look at this restaurant that she took Kota, Mariko, and me to! 

A tempura bar!

Almost like a sushi bar, but oilier, hotter, crunchier. 

The tempura chef fries the fresh ingredients of the day right in front of you, presenting a piece of each tempura battered joy one at a time. 

Some photos to give you an idea of the meal...

Clockwise from top left: 

-the basket of daily ingredients, sitting patiently to be dipped in batter before taking a bath in hot oil :)

-shrimp

-baby eggplant

-asparagus

The tempura chef: 

Look at his zen-master quality and skill. Pro. 

-A salad with bright carrot dressing

-the fried shrimp heads (from our shrimp tempura). They tasted like those bagged shrimp chips from the supermarket, only hotter and shrimp-ier! This was my favorite fried item of the day!

-various tsukemono to go with the hot bowl of rice and at the end of the meal

-red miso soup with clams

-

This lunch was such a rare treat! I've only eaten at a tempura bar once before in at a now closed restaurant in Los Angeles, so I really enjoyed this experience!

But Yumi didn't stop there! She not only spoils me with food, but with quality entertainment! 

After lunch, Yumi, Mariko, and I went to "Come Fly Away", an elaborate Broadway dance production directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, set to Frank Sinatra music!

I was really impressed with the strength and stamina of all the dancers. I could tell that the choreography was quite demanding and technically difficult, but the entire cast was so strong and energetic, frequently pulling off six pirouettes and complicated partner work! 

I was also impressed that there was a weekday matinee show in such a large theater! Even Broadway shows in New York City don't have Thursday matinee shows! 

After the show, we just had a quick drive home, since lunch and the theater were both in Shibuya. Then...More chillaxing time! 

After 8 weeks of zero "do-nothing" time, I was finally catching up! 

And it felt great. Life in the fast lane is great...until you crash. 

Soon enough, it was dinner! I realize that this post is at least about 50% food pictures. 

But these meals were just too beautiful and delicious to not document! You would too, right?!

Fresh seaweed and mackerel sashimi

Tomato Caprese salad, pan seared fish with a soy glaze and shiso leaves, sauteed celery with dried shrimp, and sauteed slices of beef. 

And to cap off the meal, a refreshing dessert of anmitsu in black sugar syrup. 

A sweet ending to these past three days, indeed. 

Mount Fuji: It's the Climb.

So I'll tell you about that time I climbed Mount Fuji...

That time began on Sunday, the 29th. 

Broido and I prepared the climb with a decent amount of party time excellency the night before, so I managed to sleep in until 1 pm. We put a little food (toast to be exact, for toast is a magical tabemono) and Pocari Sweat into our systems, then back to sleep for maximum energy storage on the climb.

 I planned on setting an alarm, but Broido thought we'd wake up in time, so the alarm plan went out the window. You can thus predict that we overslept, leaving us half an hour to prepare before we had to leave the apartment. 

At 5 pm, with the proper attire and 2 liters each of Pocari Sweat and water in our backpacks, Broido, his cousin and her boyfriend, and I took the subway to Shinjuku station to meet up with Emily and Frank (two other PII students) at 5:30 pm. While we waited for our 5:50 bus to leave, I ran to the conbini to get us some food, since we were lacking in both a proper meal for the day and food to sustain us on the mountain.

A conbini stop (including 9 onigiri, a liter of Aquarius, and two dinners) crossed off out check list, we were set to take on Mount Fuji! 

My pre-climb bento for maximum success: 

The bus ride took about 2 hours, taking us all the way to the Kawaguchigo 5th station, at the head of the Yoshida Trail. After the others bought some snacks and the popular walking stick (which you can get branded with a stamp at each station on the way up), we departed the station at 8:34 pm. 

Leggo!

I didn't really think about the whole "climbing Mount Fuji" thing very thoroughly. 

When Broido asked me on the side of the Kyoto river, I gave a brief "Yeah!" and that was that. I didn't even have pants until the day before we left for Tokyo. 

So, in theory, while I knew I was climbing a mountain, it didn't really hit me that I was climbing MOUNT FUJI, aka Japan's highest mountain aka NOT a little hike to the Hollywood sign...

until I hit the trail head. 

Ok. I can do this.  

I don't have a walking stick...or hiking boots, or a flashlight, or an oxygen canister, but no bigs, right?! 

RIGHT. I CAN DO IT.

That's what Dora the Explorer taught me, and she don't lie. 

So off we went!

From the start, we could see a cluster of bright lights speckling the mountain. I wasn't sure what they were, but I learned that they were the series of buildings making up the 8th station. 

Here is our group of champions!

Left to right: Frank, me, Broido, Emily, Broido's cousin, and her boyfriend. 

In just under an hour, we made it to the 6th station. 

Easy. This is fine. I'm good. Let's keep going. 

Also, notice that I'm wearing a tank top. Meaning, we were incredibly lucky with the weather. Despite the 70% chance of rain predicted by the weather forecast, it was quite warm from the 5th station. 

About another hour later, and we reached the 7th station! 

The 6th to the 7th station was actually pretty rough. 

I'd say it was the most physically demanding section. 

Because the trail was not crowded at that point and we were just getting started, we were climbing pretty quickly at a steady speed and a consistent incline. 

By the time we all arrived at the 7th station, we were dripping with sweat. 

The back of my tank top was wet. 

We took a little stop to eat a little and drink a lot to do our best to prevent altitude sickness. 

That was actually my main concern. Physical fitness has nothing to do with one's probability of getting altitude sickness, so even the strongest person could be sent down the mountain if the altitude gets to them. 

Scary thought, because I was DETERMINED to get to the top. I decided that even if I were to climb to the top on all fours, gasping for air, I would make it. 

Though naturally, I really didn't want to be dying when I saw the sunset. 

So after a short break, we continued up the mountain! 

It was very cool to see the light cluster get closer and closer, until TADA! We arrived at the 8th station by about midnight! 

Notice that the jackets have been put on. The weather got significantly colder from the 7th station.

 The climb from the 7th to the 8th station was also longer, steeper, and rockier, much akin to rock climbing.  

However, because the trail was starting to get pretty narrow and crowded at that point, the fairly frequent stops to wait made the ascent not too tiring. 

The head and flashlights carried by all the people made a colorful parade-like conga line all the way down the mountain! Ooohhhh. Shiny lights!!!!!

The trail from the 8th to the 9th station was long. 

We all kept getting tricked as well, because right when we thought we got to the 9th station, it was really just another little hut belonging to the 8th station or the "Original 8th Station" or the "8.5 Station." Really? 8.5? 

Do you have to do that to us? So many "Psych!" moments.

Oh well. 

I was still going strong, with no signs of altitude sickness and a continual intake of fluid and food! 

In fact, I wasn't concerned with my physical tiredness at all. 

BUT the whole bathroom situation gave me a little concern!

 I didn't want to pay 200 円 to wait in a long line to go to some dank bathroom! Lolz. 

Where are my priorities. 

Let's keep going, shall we?

Look at the cluster of lights now! 

It was so weird to see them so high up on the mountain at the 6th station, then see them so far down on the way to the 9th. We was gettin' HIGH.

At about 2:30 am, following a steady ascent with frequent short stops, we FINALLY got to the 9th station! 

Wait a minute...where is the 9th station? Where are the little huts? Where are the little benches? 

Oh! What is that collapsed hut? Ahhh...there ain't no real 9th station, homies! 

I sensed the Fuji gods laughing.

 It was very cold at that point, and with the wind, it felt about freezing temperatures.

So our solution to no interior to warm up: Cuddle Huddle. 

We plopped ourselves on the rocky dirt and just piled on top of each other, hoping the body heat would give us a little comfort. At this point, we were all thankful to be climbing the mountain together. Climbing Mount Fuji alone = a frozen booty. 

Although the route was very crowded, causing stop and go traffic, it was fun to interact and meet people along the way. 

Chris, who was from Utah and ended up climbing with us the whole way, sure was glad to have met us to share the body warmth! 

We also met this crazy talkative youngin' from the Netherlands, wearing a one of those fluffy stuffed animal-like hats. He was...something. 

One of my favorite moments on the way to the top: 

singing Lady Gaga and The Beatles with a large Japanese tour group. Good times. 

After taking an hour-ish cuddle break at the 9th station (if that's what you can call it), we got back up at 3:30 am for the last leg of the climb! To the top we go! 

As we got closer, the path got busier, and I got worried that we wouldn't make it to the top by sunrise at 4:30! 

The sun was emerging pretty fast! I need to get to the top by sunrise! 

No one can stop me!!! Not even a 40 person Japanese tour group!

Do you see the cluster of lights from the 8th Station?! 

Look how far below they are under the clouds!

And I made it! 12,388 feet high! Just in time for the sunrise at 4:30! 

And I felt GREAT. 

The wind a bit nippy, but I was super genki! 

Not sleepy, physically strong...YES. 

The shrine to the summit. 

According to the インターネット Japanese Buddhists believe that the mountain is a gateway to a different world. 

That sounds pretty sweet, so I'll go with it. 

I did indeed feel like I was in a different world above the clouds. Or at least on top of the world!

I was so happy that we all made it! Altitude sickness is so common, that I thought at least one of us would not make it. But here we are! Good work team!

The climb from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am for this beauty right here. 

Splen-di-culous. 

The view was constantly changing very quickly! 

So, to enjoy the sunrise without shivering, we created Cuddle Huddle #2!

いいね。

My jacket matches the sunrise! Nice work, Montbell. 

The Fuji Crater. Hello there. Please don't explode on me. 

PII on the Peak! Dou-zo!

I loved the layer of clouds that created a fluffy blanket above the trail that we climbed. 

I just wanted to jump into the cloud cotton field with my unicorn friends and sprinkle fairy dust below!

At the top, there were lots of little huts selling hot coffee, ramen, and all sorts of touristy omiyage. There were also these wooden blocks, called ema that people write their wishes on. 

More photos of the sunrise coming up. Just lots of photos. 

 Hey, they say that: 

"If you never climb Mt Fuji you are a fool, and if you climb it more than once you are a fool."

So...since I don't want to be a fool, I don't plan on climbing it again. 

Thus, I need to get as many photos as possible to not forget this experience!

The cloud blanket.

 Looks better than a Tempurpedic mattress to me!

So, after an hour of walking around the top and watching the sunrise, 

we started heading down at 5:30 am, just to make sure that we had enough time to catch our bus back to Tokyo at 11 am. 

The Japanese hiking gettup. So colorful. So intense. Just head to toe, covered in gear. 

While it was about just above freezing temperatures at the top, it quickly got warm as we made our descent back down. 

Look at the tiny people way up the mountain! Can you spot them? That was me at one point! 

I also realized that the top of Fuji is pretty ugly. 

It's too high to have anything else besides volcanic rock and dust. It also made the trek down a bit difficult, slipping, sliding, and falling from all the loose gravel. 

However, the trail started looking pretty awesome and RED as we got lower. 

Time for an outfit change: Lost the scarf and the jackets. 

Time to do swag. 

It was so neat to actually see what we climbed during the night! I had no idea that the mountain looked like this. 

My mind was blown: So THIS is what I climbed last night! Alrighty then!

I liked looking far far down below the clouds as proof that we were still super duper high. 

I actually had quite a bit of fun on the way down! I blasted some music on my iPhone and just bounced down the mountain to the beat!

Attention: If anyone in disiac is reading this:

I danced to Carlo/Gilby's Magician piece on the side of the mountain :)

The trek down was pretty tedious because the trail just kept winding and winding...

Time to start using my imagination. 

I channeled my inner samurai and HAI YA! Slayed the rest of the hike down. 

Once we starting nearing the bottom, the scenery became really beautiful! 

It made the last leg of the climb that much easier to get through. 

We also took short stops on the way down to make sure that we didn't pass out! 

We had been climbing pretty straight through since 8:30 pm, meaning almost 12 hours! 

We were prepared very well in terms of supplies, so we still had plenty of food and drinks to sustain us throughout the hike!

One important thing I learned on Mount Fuji: 

Aquarius and Pocari Sweat are NOT the same. 

We had a 2 Liter of Pocari and 1 Liter of Aquarius for a prime comparing conditions. 

Experimental result:

Aquarius has quite the advantage in terms of taste. I now understand Broido's obsession with it. 

It also has the better packaging. Aesthetics matter when choosing Japanese drinks. 

ALMOST THERE!

I remembered this tunnel from the way up, but I had no idea it looked like this. 

And now...going for the win. 

The final stretch!

Broido and I started jogging down in zig zags, then I did a little Hussein Bolt open-palm run just to make sure we went out with a bang. 

AND WE'RE BACK! 

勝つ　pose. 

Mount Fuji: Done and done. 

We arrived around 9 am, so we had been climbing for a little over 12 hours at that point! 

That's a power walk. 

My feet felt fine and my energy was still pretty high when we got to the bottom though, so I walked around to look at the gift shops while we waited for our 11 am bus back to Tokyo!

After a little walking, shopping, and munching, Broido and I perched ourselves on a ledge and conked out for an hour before taking another 2 hour nap on our bus ride back to Tokyo!

What an experience. 

Post-Tokyo rage Mount Fuji climb. 

I think the Milk Peanuts put it best:

I'm very happy to get to the Mt. Fuji. 

Now, a little bit more resting at the apartment before round 2 of the Tokyo party!!!!

I don't stop for no one. Hoo-rah.