Middle of May

Things have been going by so fast lately. I cannot believe that we are nearly halfway through May. Wow. It has been a while since I have updated, so here I go. Recently I have done a lot and been to many different parts of Tokyo. The above picture is taken of me in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices in the Observatory. I was researching Shinjuku and had to do a presentation for one of my classes and thought it would be nice/appropriate to get some skyline shots.

Enjoy coffee after running around Shinjuku.

Can't get away from the Anchor. I saw this lit up in Yokohama and immediately thought of Hope. I was in Yokohama for the day with some friends. (Kei, Hirokazu, Mariko, Yu - all have been to Hope before and Kei is coming back for an entire year, starting in the fall.)




Sunset in Yokohama

The view over the city skyline from the Yokohama Bay Port was amazing. I had no idea that I was going to see a sunset like this one. Really, these pictures do not o it any justice at all. In the pictures you can see Landmark Tower (the tallest standing building, not structure, in Japan (I went up into the observatory at night to see the lights and view of the city), the famous sky wheel, and Yokohama Bay. It was the perfect end to the day.

At Karaoke (we needed to take a break from walking) and a view of China Town, Yokohama.

I am absolutely in love with this picture. To start, Yokohama is a very diverse place. They are celebrate 150 years to the end of national isolationism this year. Yokohama was the first port to open up to the outside world. So, as you can imagine, there are many different cultures in the area. On one block, next to the boardwalk, there was this line of different shops and restaurants. Some were 50's and 60's American Diners, some were Dutch, some French, and then there was a Hawaiian Restaurant. And this dog was out in front of the shop. He lived there and had a little door to go back into the storage unit right next tot he shop entrance. We watched him for a bit and he would just relax and watch the people stroll on by. I decided to stop and give him some attention and pet him and snapped a few shots. He was quite interested in the Icee's that we had. His face was priceless.


Earlier in the day, we went out into Yokohama Bay in Paddle Boats. And yes, they even make their paddle boats smaller in Japan. My knees were to my chest.



So, those are the most recent pictures that I have taken here in Japan. I have been really busy with school. Just this week, I had two presentations, two essays in Japanese, and so much more busy work. I am getting used to it all, but it is still a little overwhelming at times. It is so hard for me to believe that this week is almost over. Here I am, at the start of Friday, and I can remember the start of the week like it was yesterday. It is all blending together.

On Wednesday night, I play basketball with a club team here. This past Wednesday was my first time going. And as soon as I walked in, I noticed that I was the only non-native Japanese speaker there. I stood out like a sore thumb. Nonetheless, I was thrown onto a team and proceeded to play 5 games on basketball (from 4-7 pm). It was a long night. I was really surprised at how skilled most of the players were. And fast. And since we all know that I am not fast (not at all) I had to introduce some of my game to them. They were quickly acclamated to the way that I set screens, boxed out, and rebounded. After knocking a few people down, I think that I earned my place on the court as "that slow, strong kid." I had some good assists and some points up on the board so it was nice to not leave the court empty-handed. Actually, the team that I was on one the majority of our games. I had a blast!

More to come later!

Love and Peace from Tokyo,
Seth