JASC 75th Anniversary

Saturday November 7th, I went to the 75th Anniversary of the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) in Tokyo. There I met up with many former JASC alumni and friends. It was an incredible event with many respected, talented, and successful businessmen/women and politicians present. Of those who have participated in JASC in the past, many have risen to lofty positions as CEO’s and Chairmen/women, as well as successful politicians such as Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Both Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote letters to be read at this event. Most impressive to me was Princess Takamado’s speech. She stated that there are people that do things in life and there are those that sit at home and read about the things these people do. She continued to say that reading about those people is still much better than doing nothing at all. She then congratulated those who have participated in JASC as the doers. While I can say that many in JASC have accomplished great things, this is definitely not the case for me. I constantly feel that I am not doing enough. Despite this feeling, I continue to struggle forward and strive to achieve excellence in all I do. Hopefully someday I can look back and say, “I am a doer”. I do wonder how many of my senpai (seniors) have felt the same way in the past yet went on to accomplish the incredible things in which they have.

Matsuri:Traditional and . . .

Since I’ve arrived in Japan, I’ve been to a few festivals. I went to one in Meguro which was a traditional festival. They had miniature shrines (mikoshi) that large groups of people would carry through the streets as whistles blew and people shouted. Upon following the mikoshi, I wound up at a shrine where there was even a Noh (traditional Japanese theater) performance. There were booths set up serving various types of Japanese foods from okonomiyaki (fried noodle pancake) to takoyaki (squid and batter made into small balls) to beer (my favorite!). The other festivals I’ve been to have been of a similar fashion (minus the Noh performance). Today however, I was introduced to a different kind of festival.

I went to Jiyugaoka’s Megami (female god 女神) festival and it did not follow the traditional festivals I’ve seen in the past. No mikoshi being carried around. There were of course the vendors serving various Japanese foods and beer. There were various stages set up throughout the city. Coming out of the train station was the main stage. My girlfriend and I didn’t stick around there to long however and instead went exploring. As we walked we hit Hilo Street where we took a right. A little bit down the road was a Hawaii themed gathering. On the stage was a group of Japanese musicians playing Hawaiian music while a crowd of people sat on the ground drinking and having a good time. Flying high and proud was the Hawaiian flag with “Aloha” sprawled across one of the walls.

After departing the Hawaii festivities we continued to explore. We looked around the many shops that covered every acre of real estate. Along the way we encountered a couple of other themed areas. One was Halloween themed and at another a magician was performing to an enthralled crowd. Down the same road that the magician performed was what can only really be described as a median with table after table, bench after bench, Heineken umbrella after Heineken umbrella, and people taking every square inch drinking beer and wine, talking and laughing.

At this point I finally partook in my beverage of choice, a nice ice cold Heineken. Afterwards my girlfriend and I proceeded back to the main stage where “Nawii” performed. Before they took stage they were introduced as “hip pop”. This was a very suitable description. Nawaii consisted of two males and two females. I think two of each type to appeal to every possible audience. One of the males rocked designer shades, a vest, a Kango hat, and designer denim with the belt buckle cocked off to the side while the other a long sleeve t-shirt with denim and long hair. The females wore different outfits as well. One of the females portrayed the “very cute” image that many Japanese girls emulate. She wore a pink glitter mini skirt with a matching cowboy hat. The other female wore the clothing of a hip yet more mature woman. Together they put on a performance as they had the crowd waving their arms back and forth. The beats even forced my feet to start moving to their rhythm.

About an hour after this performance came the final performance, Aikawa Nanase. According to my girlfriend, a little over 10 years ago this girl was very popular. During the time that I was rocking out to groups like Rage Against the Machine and Korn, Japanese people were rocking out to this girl. The audience grew by hundreds and everyone waited in anticipation for Aikawa to take the stage. As she did, smoke came shooting from the stage and the lighting went off like some kind of alien space ship signaling another. The audience went nuts as they bounced in place to her music and pounded their fists in the air. If this concert took place in America, I could easily see a mosh-pit forming and crowd surfing taking place. The energy was intense. Aikawa’s vocals pierced the air as people in the surrounding high-rises viewed the show from their windows. My favorite however was the bass player. His energy was immeasurable. He bounced all over the stage in tune to the wicked thick lines he was throwing out of his amplifier. When it came time for his solo he went irate, slapping and popping the bass as he rolled backwards on the stage. I became an instant fan of Aikawa.

I've enjoyed every festival I've been to here and I very much like the traditional style festivals. There has got to be something said for the not-so-traditional though. I had a blast.

Hawaii in Japan

I don't think that I'll be given the opportunity to truly miss Hawaii while I'm here in Japan. The Japanese have really taken pieces of Hawaiian culture for their own. I witnessed this when I recently went to Yokohama for the Hawaii festival. As I entered the building where the festival was taking place, I witnessed shop after shop of local style goods. As I walked along the booths, I came to the stage where Hula performance after Hula performance took place. I decided to grab me some mochiko chicken, a Kona Brewing Co. Longboard Lager, and sit and enjoy the performances. After a bit I walked around trying to find a friend's family's booth. I found them and chatted with them for a while. I then proceeded outside where a band played Hawaiian music and several school aged children danced hula. I was very impressed with how even Japanese children have come to love hula. After a while a more mature female began to perform. After the performance, I went to speak with her and come to find out she dances back in Hawaii with a good friend of mine. She stated that there were several dancers out here to perform from Hawaii. While the ocean around the Tokyo area cannot come close to comparing to Hawaiian waters, at least every once and a while I can enjoy Hula, a plate lunch, and beer from the islands I love and call home.

Time Bomb

Ice cream in a balloon, the Japanese can think of some pretty creative things. You cut a small hole in the top of the balloon from which you suck the ice cream out. As the ice cream is in a solid state this is done with some level of difficulty. As time goes by however it becomes easier and easier and even begins to flow out on its own. It was at this phase when I took my last suck from the balloon. I removed the balloon from my mouth and as I did the time bomb went off. This white creamy liquid came screaming out of the balloon shooting me in the face. In the blink of an eye I changed the trajectory away from me and it shot ten feet down the side walk luckily avoiding innocent bystanders. As I now have ice cream all over my face I ask my girlfriend for a tissue. She proceeds to die with laughter and reaches instead for her camera.

Move to Tokyo

Let me tell you, I had a feeling it was going to be painful but I had no idea just how painful. It did not help that I left the arrangements up to my girlfriend.

I landed at Narita International Airport with my carry on (40 pounds), my duffel bag (40 pounds) and my suitcase (70 pounds). I thought this was fairly reasonable considering I will be living here in Japan for a year.My next step was finding my way from Narita to Tokyo. This step was easy enough. I left the baggage claim area and immediately found a place to buy a bus ticket. I purchase one to take me to Shinagawa which is close to where my apartment would be.

As I’m riding the bus, I text my girlfriend to tell her that I had landed and was on my way to Shinagawa. She texts back stating that I was supposed to meet her in Shinjuku. This should have been worked out previously but please do understand that our apartment is close to Shinagawa and not Shinjuku. I arrive in Shinagawa, take my bags from the bus and trek to the train station. At this point I’m still doing good. I’m excited about my trip and barely feel the weight bearing down on my shoulders. My girlfriend arrives at the station carrying just one simple suitcase. I ask here where her other bags are and she says she has mailed them to the apartment. Smart on her part, yes, but easier as well as she was moving from Hiroshima and not the US.

We then proceed to journey from Shinagawa to Shinjuku on the train. Not an easy task with all my bags but it gets worse. At Shinjuku she informs me that we have to make our way to yet another station where our hotel was reserved for our first night (we’d be moving into the apartment the next day). She did not tell me we were transferring to the subway. There are many stairs between the surface of the earth and the subway system. Carrying 150 pounds up and down them is not the easiest of tasks. My shoulders very soon began to feel gravity’s mighty hand shoving the weight of my bags deep into my shoulders. I could feel the sting of my shoulder being rubbed raw from my duffel.

Luckily after riding the subway, the hotel was not too far. As we arrived at the hotel, I could feel anger build up inside me as I thought about my girlfriends lack of consideration for me as she had to of known I’d have several bags with me and yet chose a hotel so far away. I sucked my anger back down and presented her with her birthday gift, an open heart necklace from Tiffany and Co. We then had a pleasant evening as we strolled though Shinjuku checking out the sites. The next day however, it was back to lugging all my bags back to Shinagawa and then to the apartment. As I drag my bags into the apartment, I go to the sliding glass door and look out. What do I see? Business Hotel Ripple* right on the other side of the street.



*Hotel’s with unique names such as Hotel Ripple are typically love hotels. Love hotels are typically more expensive but are incredible. They think of every amenity you could possibly need and provide it for you. There is anonymity to you staying in them as well as you simply pick the room from a computer screen. No human interaction required.

Tokyo Horizons

Growing up in Tennessee, I had a very narrow viewpoint. My horizons did not span that great of a distance. I knew little beyond my small home town. Joining the United States Marine Corps was the first step I took that helped open my eyes to the larger world. Now as I am a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I am seeking to once again open my eyes to yet a larger world. This academic year I will be studying at Tokyo's prestigious Keio University. I look to expand my horizons, my desires, knowledge, and interests. Please share this journey with me as we move through Tokyo Horizons.