So I’ve been in Tokyo now for a month. Today is my last Japanese class and then I’m free to be a bum and travel round the country. It’s going to be a very different experience from the last four weeks. It’s been pretty tough and there have been many times when I really didn’t [...]
Archive > October 2010
Things I find weird about Japan
1. Birdsong in tube stations (heard in Ikebukuro on the Yurakucho line). When I first heard it I thought there was actually a bird somewhere up above the platform but of course it’s underground. No birdies down there. So they have a recording of birds singing. Why? A Japanese friend told me the singing is [...]
Nihon wa dou desu ka?
Since arriving in Tokyo, several people have asked me this question: Nihon wa dou desu ka? How do I find Japan? A simple question, but one that until recently had been quite tricky to answer. At first I was excited to be here, of course: this is my first time travelling solo. Actually it’s my [...]