Update: not going back to Tokyo now

Hello there,

just to give an update about my situation, for those of you who haven't heard from me through email or facebook: i am not going back to Japan from Seoul, but home to Europe.
I am very worried about the situation in Japan right now and my friends there. I hope for the best and closely follow the news.

So, in short, instead of going back to Japan on Tuesday i will go back to Europe on Wednesday. With Aeroflot through Moscow (i am no fan of Aeroflot after my flights with them in 2010, but well, they are reliable enough, nevermind the bad food and i hope even the long flight will be bearable in their seats).

Keep safe,

Cheers (?)
CGA


ps: Oh, and a side note: Seoul is a very interesting city and i enjoy my sightseeing here. More about it later.

I'm OK, not in Japan at the moment.

Hi,
today the biggest earthquake in more than 100 years hit Japan. 8.9 magnitude. More than the 1995 one and the one in the 1920ies.
Usually i don't post my current position here in the blog, but this is a good reason: i am in Seoul, South Korea, since Tuesday and will stay here till next Tuesday.
Thank you for all the concerned emails, facebook posts etc. I will answer them, right now i am trying to find out how my friends in Japan are doing and what's happening there.
The ones i reached so far are ok, all trains in Tokyo are not operating, mobile network is down (antenna masts broken etc.). A friend walked home from university, a way that usually takes one hour by train... and the Japanese were as scared as the foreigners when the earthquake hit.

Still many that i need to reach.

When the quake happened, i was sightseeing in Seoul. The whole day i couldn't find free WLAN, hadn't heard anything unusual. We only were a bit confused because a friend received two mails on his mobile from family in Europe asking if he was ok after the quake. We assumed this was about the 7.2 quake that happened the day before where we had already informed them that we're ok. Only in the evening we saw this shocking tsunami images on a tv and realised that something bigger is happening. And now i am finally online with my phone.
And watching CNN in the hostel. With some quite moronic commentators who didn't even know what timezone Japan is in. But at least they've shown the NHK videos several times, so i saw that.

I wish all the best for my friends and everyone in Japan right now.

So much so far, i will go write some emails now.

Seoul, out.

Boso-no-Mura - Samurai Posing and Tea Ceremony

Yesterday i went on a bus tour organised by the foreign student office of the civil engineers at Todai. Very nice. They took us to Bosa-no-Mura in Chiba prefecture, a kind of open-air museum of traditional Japanese houses. Less reading, more pictures:

Traditional merchant street. The guys in kimonos are actors - they were shooting an episode of a Japanese serial that'll be aired sometime in April.

Traditional roof, made from rice plants.
The tiles look like metal but are made from clay just like traditional red ones in Europe.

Raincoats at the local farm,
also made from rice plant.

Guess what kind of shop that is: a woodwork factory, NOT a shoe shop :-)

 After looking around a bit we proceeded to the house of a samurai. They had the right to be a bit more separate, having their own hedge around their houses. There we started the first tourist activity of the day: dressing up in traditional samurai armour and kimono. Here we go, guess what follows are classic Japanese tourist pics.

Instructions on how to dress up as a samurai. Back in the days these guys were dressing up all alone.
I also got this instruction sheet in Japanese...

The lady helping everyone into the different parts of samurai gear.
Looked liky mummy dressing up her warrior boys :D

Receiving my katana and instructions on how to use it.

The result: two samurai bodyguards for a beautiful lady in kimono.

Profile pic-to-be.
Well, a bit too serious.

A little less serious.
"Ain't it funny, now i will cut all your heads of with one swift cut."

We tried to get them to look like fearsome warriors, didn't work.
And one of them was smiling permanently :-)

Also funny:
Everyone in costume became a living statue for tourists to take pics with.

We also had a warrior queen who made those two stop fighting.
The power of intimidation ;-)

Mixed pic: people from three different continents.

So, that was fun. But the day was not over yet, we just reached lunchtime. I guess getting up early really pays off!

Yummy tempura lunch.
Everything except the fried shrimp is vegetables.

Check: doesn't smell like Sakura yet...
we had wonderful sunny but very windy and bit cold weather.
(and that's actually no cherry tree, i think)

After lunch we went to a tea ceremony - for tourists. Was interesting to see. Follow the link for details. The ceremony takes place in a separate house, in a room that has tatami mats on the floor and some seasonal flower arrangement and other things in the corner. Who sits where is all an important part of the ritual. Some pics:

Ritually taking the shoes off and putting them in line when entering.

One of the two tea masters closing the door after everyone's in.

If you're an old ojiisan like myself and cannot sit on your knees,
they can provide you with a little stool and table.

First thing we got was seasonal candy.
This is spring candy made from mostly sugar and some part of rice.

Preparing the tea from powder with that bamboo-brush-thingie.
I was fortunate and sat next to the tea masters, got a close look.

This is how you use it.

The tools: hot water pot with bamboo ladle, it's lid with hanky to grab it, tea bowl,
bamboo-brush-thingie, can with green tea powder and the tool to take tea out of it.

Receiving tea, one by one. You should drink the whole cup in three sips.

After we all finished our tea, we walked out of the room, one by one, in the same order as when entering (first-in, first-out). Taking care not to step on the black lines between the tatami mats and using exactly three or six steps for each mat, depending on if you move along the short or long side.
So, tea ceremony, i can check that off my list ;-)

I'll leave you with two more pics of this wonderful day. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Nevermind the cold weather: there was soy ice cream!
Kampai!

One of the two main organisers of the Association of European Students at Todai for Hongo Mayfestival 2011 (the biggest student festival in Japan!), practising for the three crazy days in May when he'll be running around, carrying a lot of stuff :-)