Today, I made a short trip to Akihabara. Contrary to what I've heard about Akihabara, nicknamed "Electric City," I discovered today that there is another face to it. Besides the billions of gadgets, wires, and computers, maid cafes, anime/manga/video games, and toy collections, there is a thriving sex industry hidden beneath all of this. Just the other day, I came to Akihabara with a couple of friends, looking for a mobile phone. I saw a lot of anime posters posted all over the buildings, and I remember going to a couple of shops, all of which had a bunch of electronics (wires, outlets, adapter, etc.), and a "hobby" store, selling parts for building models, etc. Today, though, I walked around the opposite side of the city and saw a land of porn. Throughout the street, there were girls dressed in maid uniforms, handing out flyers and advertising for their shop (mainly maid cafes). There were many manga/anime stores that, at first glance, seemed pretty normal. My friend and I entered one store just out of curiosity, thinking we would see the popular anime/manga these days. However, the first thing I noticed when I entered was that all the customers were male. The second thing were the giant posters of hentai anime hung throughout the store. When I came in with my camera in hand, all heads turned to look at me. Almost immediately after, all turned back around in embarrassment and hid whatever it was they were looking at. At that point, I decided it was time for me to leave since one, I felt out of place, and two, I was making everyone there uncomfortable. As we continued walking around the city, we came across this building called "m's." It is basically a seven story sex shop selling everything from lingerie to costumes to adult goods.
When we headed back to the train station, we saw the AKB48 cafe and Gundam Cafe. There was a hugggggee line and lotteries were being drawn. I don't really know what was going on, but everyone whose number was called received a stamp on the back of their hand, and then were permitted to go to the small service window where (I guess) things were sold. We were short on time, so I couldn't stay to investigate, but I will make a second trip back and update in the future.
Sophia University, as well as St. John's University, requires all exchange students to have a mobile phone. As for why, I can't quite understand. Frankly, buying a phone number, whether prepaid or contract, is just a waste of money because there are so many other means of communication, such as emailing and internet calling over some type of network. Since the majority of people have messaging applications that also allow you to call over wifi or 3G/4G, I feel that's all I really need. Now, for solving this cell phone issue, I have no choice but to comply with the regulations. In the handbook that Sophia gives you, it lists a couple of places where you can buy a cell phone. Around the campus, there is NTT Docomo and Softbank. What you will need is your student ID card, residence card, and credit card or bank passbook from Japan, not your home country. There will be a contract charge, as well as a monthly phone bill, which you can either arrange to have the funds automatically deducted or pay manually at any convenience store, bank, or post office. Well, I actually have no idea how mobile phones work, US or Japan. Before I came to Japan, someone told me that I cannot use American phones in Japan because they run on a different system. Therefore, I did not bring my cell phone. In the US, I use a SIM card for my phone, but to do that here, the minimum contract is two years. Since I'm only here for four months, there is no point in signing a two-year contract, which is why most people opt for prepaid phones. Lucky for me, though, I have a friend who lent me an old cellphone that he no longer uses, so unfortunately, I can't tell you from personal experience how to deal with this cell phone issue. I can, however, help you out with getting a data plan. The phone my friend lent me is outdated and cannot do anything except make and receive calls, and send SMS messages. I plan on traveling a lot while I am here, so I feel much safer with a navigator. So yesterday, I went to Akihabara and bought a smartphone and a b-mobile SIM card. There are several different cards that you can choose from; I bought a b-mobile 3G/4G Fair SIM card. What this allows me to do is access a 3G network at 1GB per month for 120 days. My other friend from New York brought his own smartphone and actually went to the Docomo company and enrolled in an actual plan with them because he wanted unlimited data. Since he's also only here for one semester, he didn't sign the contract. The downside to no contract plans is that its much more expensive (he's paying about 6000 yen per month). So, I feel this is quite a lot of information (especially for people like me, who have no idea about how phones operate), so I will make a few clarifications here:
For Sophia University students, a mobile phone with a working phone number is mandatory. The best thing to do for that is to buy a prepaid cell phone here (in Japan). As I mentioned before, my friend lent me his phone, so I don't really know much about it (regarding costs, etc), but I heard that you can buy the cheapest one (around 3000 yen), and if you need to make a voice call, have the other party call you instead because incoming calls are free. If you make an outgoing call, you, yourself will be paying for it.
For students who do not require voice and want data, bring your smartphone and then buy something called b-mobile. It's like a prepaid data card. I chose one that allows me to use up to 1GB per month for 120 days. In other words, once I use up 1GB, I won't be able to use any more data for the rest of the month. There are also other cards you can choose from (the amount of data, length of time, etc.).
If you want unlimited data, and are here for less than two years, it is much cheaper to pay a higher price per month with no contract than to sign a minimum two-year contract and have to pay monthly for two years, or the cancellation penalty.
I am quite disappointed at how unhelpful Sophia is regarding this cell phone issue. Seeing how extensive their exchange program is, you would think that there would be someone who could provide you with information on the options you have. Perhaps, it is partially my fault for not knowing enough about phone and data plans. After all, I have since become an adult and should do my own research. Still, I can't help but feel a bit of hostility towards the school. As a student, I feel that we deserve and should be provided this guidance.
Today was the meet and greet for youtubers Judy and Benji from itsjudystime/itsjudyslife! It was really such a coincidence. They live in Seattle, completely at the opposite end of the country from where I live, so if we didn't happen to both be in Tokyo at the same time, we probably would never have met. They were exactly like how they sound and appear in their videos; not only the obvious looks and appearances, but also their personalities, the way they talked, the way they were towards each other. It was such a strange feeling I can't describe in words; as Judy phrased it, "We're 3D!" It's really amazing how things turn out, how the paths of everyone we meet cross, and it's really funny how we would never meet while living in the same country, yet it's possible at the other side of the world. I just wanted to thank them for arranging this meeting. It was truly a great experience.
We talked about various things, from the introductions to what places to go, where to eat, and also some tips on vlogging, so I'm very thankful.
I was surprised to see Asahi-san at the meet and greet! I totally didn't expect it. I've been watching her videos for a looong time, way back when she had her old account. Though I knew she lived in Tokyo, I would have never imagined meeting her.
And finally, some people I met at the meet and greet. Everyone was really nice and some of them made videos, as well.
After the meeting ended, I met up with a couple of friends and went to eat at a restaurant that they recommended. The place is called CoCo壱番屋 (CoCo Ichibanya).
Eggplant, spinach, and mixed vegetable curry. SOOOO good!
The food was soooo delicious. I wouldn't mind going back a second time!
Hachiko, the faithful dog.
Once upon a time in 1924, a professor of Tokyo University took in Hachiko as a pet. Hachiko would always go to Shibuya Station to await his owner's return. One day, a year later, the owner suffered from a hemorrhage and died, thus never returning to the station where Hachiko was waiting. However, Hachiko was persistent, so for the next nine years (until the end of his life), Hachiko continued to wait at the station for his owner's return.
You must purchase and submit a "Certificate of Residence" to Sophia University if you are an exchange student. Today, I went to the government municipal office of Warabi to obtain this document, as well as enroll myself into a mandatory health insurance plan (I'll get to that shortly). Let me tell you, if you don't know Japanese, you're going to have a lot of trouble because the employees there don't speak a word of English. Fortunately for me, though, I was able to get by. But just a heads up for those that are planning on coming here: learn Japanese! or at least know how to form simple sentences, such as, "I need to buy x," or "I am here for x." And remember to bring the handbook for international students, since that book is in both English and Japanese, and tells you what you need. If worse comes to worse and you really can't learn Japanese, just show them the book.
By law (of Japan), anyone who stays in the country for longer than three months must join their health insurance system. There is a premium that must be paid, but according to the handbook, it states that if you declare you have no income, it will be deducted. At the office today, I checked (on the application) that I had no income, however, they said that I still needed to pay it. They didn't need me to pay for it immediately, but they did say that I would eventually need to some time before I leave the country. I will inquire more about it at the center for student affairs tomorrow. Well, paperwork aside, today was a beautiful day: clear skies, sunny, 70 degree weather with a gentle breeze--the weather can't get any better than this! During the walk to the municipal office, I had a nice tour of the neighborhood.
The sakura path was still beautiful as ever. Though a lot of the petals have already been washed away, many survived the rain!
We passed by this graveyard.
Sanzou-in
and also this garden, whose name I forgot.
I went to Zojoji Temple today in Roppongi Hills. The area was really nice and close by Keio University. Zojoji is where the other half of the Tokugawa shoguns are buried. I wasn't able to go inside the temple, though, because I got there too late. So I only have pictures of the surrounding areas. I am thinking of making a second trip there sometime in the future, though.
From the garden, you can see Tokyo Tower.
Of course, you must clean your hands before entering the temple.
"This tree was planted by the forty first president GEORGE H. W. BUSH of the United States in memory of his visit to Zojoji Temple in 1982 when he was a vice president."
As we wandered around the garden, we stumbled upon this strange pathway. The lighting was bad, so the pictures are unclear, but it was a path of hundreds of small statues, each with a name carved in the back. I later on learned that these statues represented the graves of unborn children, including the miscarried, the aborted, and the stillborn. They were decorated with small clothing, knit hats, etc. and toys. Japanese people believe in a deity known as Jizo, who is the guardian of unborn children. To ensure that their child is brought to the afterlife, the parents usually offer a small gift. Some of them have stones piled next to them, and it's a custom that is meant to shorten the amount of suffering the child has to go through on their way to the afterlife.
No two were exactly the same, but this one in particular stood out.
Tokugawa Family Mausoleum
After we left the temple, we searched for a place to eat. For some reason, finding a restaurant was not easy. Eventually, we stumbled upon a restaurant called 陳麻家.
I ordered a yakisoba (pan fried noodles). It was nice and spicy, but sooooo salty. I later asked one of my Japanese dorm mates about this and he said that the saltiness is what makes it yakisoba.
Spring Rolls The first time I've ever seen it served with ketchup, mustard, and pepper.
On my way back home, I got off Kanda Station for a transfer and roamed the streets a bit. Right outside the station is a busy shopping district, called Kanda Eki Shotenmachi (Kanda Station Shopping Street).
There were many clubs and pachinkos, guys in suits who just got off work, and girls wandering the streets. Well, tonight was not the night for that.
Today was the new student orientation for Sophia University International Exchange Students.
It was such a rainy day today, which meant train delays and cold weather! ><
I was reluctant to walk around because of the heavy rain, but from what I could see, the campus wasn't that big. There are twelve buildings, which are all numbered, a church, a library, a gym, a campus store.. and they're all pretty close together.
Upon arrival at the orientation room, we were given a bag full of booklets and pamphlets, including:
a planner
a bulletin of information for the faculty of liberal arts
Sophia University Central Library user's guide
Handbook for Enrollment of Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research
Counseling Center
the Handbook for International Students
the Catholic Center of Sophia University handbook
announcements from the center for student affairs
announcements for new exchange students
list of clubs and circles
earthquake response manual
course registration procedure
FLA course schedule Spring 2013
spring event calendar
Japanese Language Program
approval for use of the computer system
commuter's pass
student ID card
It was a bit overwhelming because of the huge . The entire two hours of orientation were just announcements, announcements, and more announcements. We went through the entire packet of information with the corresponding representative of each department, which didn't help much, since there was sort of a language barrier. For people who haven't been exposed to Japanese English, I think it might be quite hard to understand what they were saying, so I'll just go through everything here as I read them. Computer System The first thing you have to do is log in to the system and create an email address, as well as change the password. So to do that, you have to log in to the website: http://ccweb.cc.sophia.ac.jp
You can choose the English language on the top right corner. Then, click on the second link on the left, labeled 「パスワード-メールアドレス変更」.
When you do that, this screen will pop up. Enter the login ID and preset password assigned to you and login.
You will be brought to this page. Click on "Profile" (the second tab at the top).
and set your new password.
To set up your email, just click on "change email address" and choose a username.
Loyola
Loyola is basically the system that Sophia uses, kind of like UIS that St John's uses. Your schedule, your grades, notices, information, registration, etc. is all done here.
Immediately after logging in, you are prompted to choose a new password. Note that the password requires at least six characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Commuter Pass
Students are able to purchase commuter passes at a discount rate. To do so, you have to fill out a sticker they give you and stick it onto the back of your student ID card and buy it at the station.
From DK House Warabi, there are three routes that you could use:
Route A: JR Line from Nishi-kawaguchi to Yotsuya (via Shinjuku), ￥6,990 per month , ￥19,940/3months, ￥37,770/6months
Route B: JR Line from Nishi-kawaguchi to Yotsuya (via Akihabara), ￥7,260 per month , ￥20,680/3months, ￥39,190/6months Route C: JR Line from Nishi-Kawaguchi to Oji, Metro Nanboku-Line from Oji to Yotsuya, ￥8,080 per month, ￥23,050/3months, ￥43,660/6months
They all take about the same time (roughly an hour, including the ten-minute walk from the dorm to the station). So far, I've only taken the Akihabara route and I must say the trains are a bit crowded during the rush hours. But a friend of mine who did the exchange before suggested I take this route because it would give me the most bang for my buck, since all the stops in between this route would be "free."
Also, there are no parking facilities on campus, so neither driving nor biking are options. =\
Bank Accounts
In order to open a bank account, you need your residence card (issued upon arrival at the airport) and your passport. Each bank has their own regulations for opening accounts, like the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubish UFJ requires you to have stayed in Japan for at least six months in order to open an account. So I decided to open an account at the Japan Post Bank (post office). Just note that before you can open account, you need to get a seal from the municipal government office of the district that you reside in. For me, it's the Warabi Municipal Office. But even if you don't plan on opening a bank account, you still need to get the seal within two weeks of moving in.
Also, you cannot store foreign currencies in your account, so everything must be exchanged. There are many places to exchange currency, but I did mine at the bank. I read somewhere that the post office gives the best rate, though I haven't inquired myself, since the place where I opened my account did not offer this service. You would have to go to a bigger branch for that.
Clubs/Circles
Clubs are an essential part of university life in Japan. At Sophia, there are a ton of clubs and circles, ranging from sports to art to drama, music, media, studies, etc. I briefly looked through the list and saw a couple that were really funny, such as Wild at Sophia; the desciption reads, "We worship Arashi." Donkihote: "To make friends with children." Pokemon Lover's Circle: "Develop friendships through Pokemon." Ramen Bon Vivant: "We eat various types of ramen in Tokyo and give feedback on our original webpage."
While they sound funny, I don't have any negative feelings for them. Who knows, I might end up joining one of them.
I am thinking of joining one of the dance clubs, though, and maybe some other interest circles. I was disappointed that there wasn't a yoga club listed in the booklet, but I'm hoping that maybe the list is incomplete (since it was compiled in September 2012). Nonetheless, I will see next week during welcome week.
After orientation, we were broken up into groups of ten and assigned monitor students. My group had four monitors, who were obviously students at Sophia. They took us to the cafeteria, where we ate lunch and did a small self-introduction. I wasn't able to talk to them for long, since I needed take the Japanese placement exam, but those who didn't need to stayed with them and were able to get a tour of the campus and some paperwork done (such as buying the commuter pass).
The exam wasn't extremely difficult (the level of difficulty increased with each question), but it was really long! Everything was multiple choice, except for the composition. The first part of the exam was kanji. There were forty questions that needed to be completed within a twenty-minute time frame. After that was grammar, which consisted of about a hundred questions, and then a reading comprehension. By that time, I was already exhausted. The two long passages thrown at me just gave me a headache, so I skipped most of the questions and went on to the composition. -.-
After the exam, I attended the welcome reception for new international students. Sophia University is actually celebrating its 100th Anniversary of Foundation. This semester, there are about 107 international students studying at Sophia. I talked to a lot of them, but there were too many names to remember. There were people from all over the world and it was just fascinating thinking about how we all crossed paths by simply making the decision to come here.
