Life in Japan: Shinzo Abe’s Assassination
On Friday, July 8, 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in the ancient city of Nara. This is my perspective.
When You’re A JET…: A New Blog Series Documenting My Life On The JET Program
How’s it going everyone? It’s been a few years since I last posted on my blog. I finished my university career and dealt with a global pandemic among other things. Now, I am a JET Program participant, ready to share my experiences with you! During my Senior Year at Chapman University, I applied for the…
Fuku-Ro-Shaka! pt.5: Back to Tokyo for The Last Time :(
Saturday, April 21 was just a travel day. After getting a comfortable night’s sleep at the Capsule Hotel ASTIL Dotombori, I packed my belongings, changed into my clothes, and checked out of the hotel. I boarded the Midosuji Line train for the last time for Shin-Osaka Station where I ordered Avocado Toast from Dean and…
Off to Osaka! pt 4: Photos of Osaka Castle and Dr. Yellow Himself
Monday, March 19 marked my last day in Osaka (for now). I checked out of my hotel (Hotel MyStays Shin-Osaka) at about 10 AM and went on some adventures during my six hours of free time. I first headed to Shin-Osaka Station, just a short walk away, and grabbed some more Avocado Toast from Dean…
Off to Osaka! pt 1: Chapman Reconnecting
March 16-21 was yet another Undergraduate Holiday at TUJ, or as I like to call it, “Spring Break.” Just like the other study abroad students, I decided to spend a couple days in Osaka, along with a day trip to Kyoto, the cultural center of Japan. I could’ve gone anywhere in Japan but I chose…
Nihon-Buyo and My Trip to Asakusa
This piece was originally written, and submitted, as a reflection assignment for my Practical Japanese class. No alterations were made this time. On Sunday, March 4, 2018, my Japanese class and I visited Asakusa to experience Nihon Buyo, Senso-Ji, and eat Okonomiyaki. The two most interesting things I experienced this trip were dancing and dressing…
Exploring Tokyo: Visiting Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku, and Kagurazaka
Sunday, February 18, 2018, was the kind of day I needed to experience while studying abroad in Japan. It’s been about a month since I’ve made a genuine effort to explore the vast metropolis that is Tokyo. In fact, many of the areas I explored today were areas that I actually commute by on a…
A Month in Japan: Some Photos from Week 5
The week of February 11-17 marks my fifth week of both classes and my time in Japan. I am currently studying for Midterms and working on some leadership applications back at Chapman. In the meantime, here are some photos taken within the last week. Tokyo is an amazing city to walk around in and I…
Celebrating Setsubun: My Trip to Zōjō-ji and Tokyo Tower
This post is a modified version of an assignment I wrote for my Practical Japanese class. This post is also written from the perspective of a dumb American who barely knows what Setsubun is, so please forgive me. I will update the post with corrections as I see fit. Saturday, February 3, 2018 was not…
An Observation As A Gaijin (Foreigner) in Japan
When landing in Japan, one of the first things you will probably notice is that Japan is… Japanese. According to data from the CIA world factbook (see citation), Japan is 98.5% Japanese, about 0.5% Chinese, 0.4% Korean, and the remainder “other”, although other consists of a considerable amount of Americans, Europeans, etc. Due to Japan’s…