This youtube introduction of Royal Milk is pretty good, and the host actually speaks Japanese which is a plus.

Have any of you been to maid cafes? Any recommendations?

Also while we’re on the subject, if you are going to go to Akihabara as a tourist I strongly recommend also visiting NAKANO BROADWAY Shopping Arcade. It’s like Akihabara but with more focus on the anime/maid/figure side of otaku culture rather than the electronics. I haven’t been there forever… and I can’t believe I didn’t blog about it when I did go… but it was great, and my tweeps assure me that it does indeed still exist. Danny Choo has a great piece on Nakano Broadway here you can check out.

Back to the subject of maid cafes, I went to e-maid cafe in Osaka back in 2006 with a quite otaku Japanese buddy and had a fun time. You can read that old school JapanNewbie e-maid cafe blog post here, and you can check out e-maid cafe official site here.

e-maid cafe in Osaka circa 2006

Let me know if you have any maid cafe recommendations!

Hello JapanNewbies! We’ve got another interview for you. This time, with @jyemenai, who has recently returned from his first trip to Japan, which also happens to be his first trip overseas!

Let’s get right into it.

Could you tell us briefly what the KCP program is all about, and why
you decided to participate in it?

KCP International is a school in Shinjuku Tokyo that uses total immersion to teach Japanese to its students. The class is taught entirely in Japanese, with English-support available after classes if needed. It’s for people from all over the world. There are Americans, but each class normally doesn’t have more than five or so, some with only one. The rest of the student body is comprised of Chinese and Koreans, meaning you can’t always rely on English to get through the class.

It was pretty random as to why I decided to participate. My university offered basic-level Japanese courses and I decided to take them, even though I already knew 80% or so of the content. This was a good thing, as in order to qualify for the special program I was a part of, I needed to take the language for two semesters. During the beginning of my second semester taking Japanese, a few of my classmates and I got an email from an office at my school and they told us that we had been offered a chance to study abroad. I jumped at the chance, not really sure of what or how it was going to happen. A friend of mine and I were accepted, and that’s when we were told about KCP and given details of the school.

So how long were you in Japan on KCP? What places did you visit? How many others were you traveling with?

I was in Japan for about 7 weeks, from late June until the middle of August (2010) — KCP’s “Summer Short Term,” which is only available for Americans. I stayed in a male-dormitory-like building with other Americans who were attending KCP, as well as native Japanese college students at other universities, and even a few older males. The female friend from my university I came with stayed in a female dorm not too far away from us.

We went all over Tokyo: Shinjuku, Harajuku, Roppongi, Akihabara, etc. You name it, we probably went. The only place outside of Tokyo that I went to was Aizu, which was a part of a school trip we had. It was beautiful there. We got to experience a lot of things, like seeing “Japan” being made (it’s similar to the Chinese ceramics called “china”), as well as eating negisoba and locust (the actual name for this escapes me right now)!

A pic @jyemenai took in Aizu

Another Aizu pic

Was this your first time to Japan? What was your Japanese level like when you left?

Yup, first time in Japan. Not to mention, it was my first time out of the country as well (I think I know how to handle my next 13+ hour flight now, too!).

After learning basic Japanese I never had actual classes. In high school I slacked off until the end (then realized I actually liked Japanese), so I only retained the ability to read hiragana and katakana, as well as some vocabulary and grammar points.

My university didn’t offer Japanese until recently, so I was “self studying” and learned a bit more. I would assume my level at the time of arrival in Japan was simply “basic.” I could understand bits and pieces However, after having been to KCP and living in Japan, I’d say I learned a lot more.

They shove kanji down your throat there, but since it’s all around you, it becomes a lot easier to learn. The grammar I picked up was useful, some of which I already knew and got a refresher on, and other parts were totally knew. We had a lot of opportunity to speak, in and out of class, so I feel a bit more comfortable with that. I could go on and on about what we did and learned. Lol.

How has this opportunity immediately impacted your life in relation to your Japan studies?

Studying abroad with KCP has changed my life. I’m pretty lazy, so a part of me thinks I’ll never actually be able to become fluent. But after returning, I know that I’m going to keep trying, lazy or not. I have a drive now that won’t let me quit.

Soon, I’m going to start studying hard so when I do return to Japan and KCP, I’ll hopefully be able to skip a level (out of the 6 or so levels, I tested in to Level 2). I also want to try to take the JLPT next year; I’m shooting for N3, but I’ll take N4 if I don’t feel ready. I want to become fluent even more now than ever before.

Was it expensive to participate in this program? And, was it worth it? Many people put off going to Japan because it’s costly. Any advice for them?

Not at all, actually. The office that sent out the invitations to study abroad — the IC-CAE — paid for EVERYTHING. The plane tickets, the schooling, the housing, and even gave us a stipend. The only thing I had to pay for was my passport and shipping a few papers overseas, which is nothing compared to what it could have been. I got extremely lucky with that opportunity. My advice for anyone looking to study abroad is to research different venues that might enable them to go cheaper, if not free.

You mentioned “when I do return to Japan and KCP.” Is this a given already? You’re certain to be heading back to Japan?

It’s a given in the sense that there’s no way I just can’t go back. I’m going to see if the program that sent me before can send me again. I’ll do whatever it takes.

Many other people may feel “stuck” at the basic level. Do you have any advice that might help people get out of that rut?

Hmm… The only advice I can think of is to just enjoy it. The more you actually enjoy studying, the more you will grasp the things they’re trying to learn. When I had to self-study, I didn’t really know what to do. I knew I shouldn’t cram too much down my throat at once, because I knew I would just give up if it got too tough, since I didn’t have anyone forcing me to keep going. So instead I simply watched anything that interested me in Japanese, making sure to pay attention to the words they were saying and not just reading the subtitles; listened and tried to translate Japanese songs, where a lot of vocabulary and even some grammar can be found; and recently began playing some Japanese games.

Kanji Sonomama for DS

Essential… Hmm, well it’s not exactly a textbook but it is a dictionary, Kanji Sonomama. If you have a DS, it’s a godsend.

For actual books, though, I’m not sure. When I was self-studying, I pretty much picked up anything that could’ve been useful.

I really liked “501
Essential Japanese Verbs,” even though it doesn’t have any kana in it. It’s pretty much a dictionary that provides (pretty much) ALL the different forms of those 501 verbs. It really helped when I was starting out and didn’t know what a particular form a verb meant.

Another book, “Basic Japanese Idioms,” is also pretty interesting. Like in any language, we have phrases we say that don’t exactly mean what we’re saying; this book goes into the Japanese ones. And of course, “Remembering the Kanji.” And, I loooove Tae Kim’s grammar guide.

A pic @jyemenai took in Akihabara

Your first time overseas! So tell us, your #1 positive and #1 negative surprise upon arrival in Japan. Also, what will you never forget about Japan in general…

I guess my most negative surprise would be that everything seems more expensive when compared to America. This might have been because I was constantly taking out money from my American saving accounts, so I always encountered the ever-changing exchange rate. But things just tended to cost more. And the with the fact that 100 yen was a coin and not a paper dollar, I continued to equate them to American quarters and spend them as such (those capsule machines got a looot of my money!).

The #1 positive surprise… Probably the food. I’m used to eating a lot of normal American foods, and I’m pretty picky even with those. So, when I initially got to Japan, I stayed away from certain things. Somehow, in my 21 years of life, I had never eaten curry before, so I had my first taste in Japan. I believe curry (from Japan) has officially made my top five favorite foods list; it’s just that amazing. Not to mention Japan made me overcome my dislike for most seafood.

I’ll never forget the constant walking I did in Japan. For a good reason, that sticks out in my mind the most. I wasn’t used to walking that much, so when I got there I had to get accustomed to the lengths I would be taking to simply get to a vending machine that served a soda I liked (from my dorm, the Pepsi machine was about five minutes away). Not to mention the walk to the train station, then to the connecting station, then the walk to the school in Shinjuku. Needless to say, when I weighed myself back in America, I found out I lost 15 pounds. :)

So what do you want to do with your Japanese in the future? I see in your twitter profile that you are a future profile. Could you elaborate a bit on that and what you’re doing to prepare for that now?

I really want to be a translator. I’m not exactly sure of what I want to translate yet, but I know I want it to be interesting (like maybe games, manga, anime). To help prepare for that, since I’m still in school with a lot of things to do, I’m just attempting to translate songs I listen to and things I find on the internet to help me get used to the entire process, which is tedious! But I know with enough time, I’ll get used to it and love everything about it.

OK That’s a wrap! Thanks so much for sharing all of that @jyemenai. I’m sure it will inspire JapanNewbies around the world. If anyone would like to subject @jyemenai to further questioning, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll be sure to drag him back over here to answer it. Until next time!

- Harvey

Related Links:
Interview with @Durf!
Interview with @sandkatt!
Interview with a new JET!

Japan is fun like that. There are certain areas in Tokyo that you can go to see tons of shops serving the exact same dish, though done in their own special way. I’ve seen places like this for gyoza, okonomiyaki, ramen, oden, chicken wings, and many other things.

Monjyayaki is kind of like a sloppy-half-done-lazy-messed-up okonomiyaki. Most people from Kansai will say that monjyayaki is interesting, but okonomiyaki tastes much better. I’ve never eaten monjyayaki in Osaka, but I’m sure there is a store somewhere offering it. Monjya tastes best when burnt. It’s also best to chose monjya with mochi in it.

Monjya Hazama

The place we went to was called Hazama. Our friends made reservations in advance, so I guess it’s considered to be one of the better monjya places in Tsukishima – I wouldn’t know. I’m an okonomiyaki man myself.

Hazama Menu

Basically to make monjya you mix up the ingredients, spill just the ingredients and not the soup onto the hot plate, mix it all up and stuff, make it into a circle, ad then pour the soup inside. The goal is to cook the soupy stuff until its a bit viscous. Then, mix it all together and chop it up.

Monjya phase 1

Here’s a video I took that night so you can see how it’s done.

More of our videos on Monjya and other romps around Asia can be found on our YouTube channel here!

Here’s a picture of the environment inside the restaurant.

Fun at Hazama

Related Links:
Monjyayaki in Tsukishima
Tsukishima: Home of Monjyayaki

Monjya Monjya!

It’s designed by a Korean graphic designer who does maps of other cities as well.

Notice that the Tokyo Map looks like the Japanese flag.

Designer Tokyo Map available from White Rabbit Press

It’s available in the following sizes from White Rabbit Press:

Tokyo Railway Handy Map – 375 x 260 mm

Tokyo Railway Map/Calendar – 610 x 880 mm

Tokyo Railway Portable Map – 518 x 370 mm

Check out this other post on Tokyo.JapanTimes.co.jp on the same maps.

Also check out the designers website.

Goodies galore!

- Harvey

Wayne Lionel Aponte, the author of the recently published The Year of No Money in Tokyo, sent me a copy of his book to read and review. This was my first casual summer vacation read, and it was an interesting ride. This book did not strike me as a masterpiece, but Wayne’s experience and personal transformation throughout his “year of no money” was indeed interesting…

Interesting in the way witnessing a train wreck would be… You’re glad you’re not on the train… You feel sorry for whoever *is* on the train… but you just can’t take your eyes off it. I guess it’s a train wreck with a twist, because some how this disaster manages to get itself back together and running smoothly again. And that is quite a feat.

From what I understand, Wayne is still based in Japan, and now has been there for some twenty years. I’m going to send Wayne some questions over email that I will put together and post later if I get answers. Let me know if you have any questions you would like me to ask Wayne in the comments! It might be tough for those who haven’t actually read the book, but give it a shot anyway.

The first half of “The Year of No Money in Tokyo” struck me as yet another bitter gaijin rant written by someone who had brought themselves to Japan, gotten into trouble, and was too proud to admit defeat and leave. Wayne gets caught up in everything and everyone wrong it seems. He’s mixed up in multiple relationships, seems to take everything that happens to foreigners in Japan personally, gets thrown in jail for fighting, and of course, completely runs out of money. Eventually he is surviving on cash handouts from his girlfriends. Let me emphasize the jail and no money part. I could never imagine myself in this position in Japan, or in any country for that matter. The chapter which includes the jail scene is aptly titled, “A Fifty-Two Week Low”. JapanNewbies, if you’re going to Japan, don’t do what Wayne did. Not a role model (not at this point in the book anyway).

The book connects Wayne’s personal year of no money with the Japanese recession (specifically 1995), but the connection is weak and doesn’t quite come through. This is mostly due to the author’s attitude at this point in the book. Far more attention is drawn to the discriminatory practices of Japanese employers, and the “system” working to hold him back. One restaurant refused to hire him because they only hire “foreigners married to natives”, and he relates stories of other people who were denied jobs because of their race. The book never directly address why or why not Wayne was unable to find work, but I felt that the narrative goes out of its way to illustrate that though he was working as hard as he could to try to get back on his feet, Japan was working against him and holding him down. In my opinion, its the author’s attitude that is really holding him back. I think that by the end of the book the author comes to realize this as well.

The entire tone of this first chunk of the book is so negative that I almost put the book down and quit reading. I suspect that Wayne must have actually been writing these chapters as it was happening. The book does in fact mention that Wayne is writing during this entire ordeal, and even alludes to the book:

I, too, need to “meet inspiration halfway,” I mumble to myself. Even when I’m tired and lethargic. I have to write these Tokyo adventures down. Maybe I can help someone avoid my mistakes. p.82

An interesting thing about this entire situation is that Wayne is no slouch. He went to college in Paris and at one point had money in Tokyo. He is a voracious reader and makes many references to relevant things that he has read throughout this book, including Japanese authors such as Kenzaburo Oe. Wayne first went to Japan after accepting a good job in the city. He decided to quit that job on his own volition, expecting that he would be able to easily find other work (whoops). Obviously things didn’t go according to plan. He has been published in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Nation at various times before this book was published. Now he teaches English at a Japanese university and various domestic companies, and does some proofing at a translation company. Not to mention that he saw this book project through to completion… So as you can see, he is certainly a capable person, which is what makes the crazy mess he got himself into all the more interesting.

The redeeming aspect of this story is that Wayne manages to pull himself out of this whole mess before the end of the book. He literally comes out of doing time in a Japanese jail (just five days) and lands two jobs teaching English at the upper end of the English teaching salary curve. He makes a conscious effort to work extra hours when possible, and completely changes his outlook on life. He mends his broken relationships, giving back to those that helped him when he was poor, and quits his womanizing ways. He even gets religious, quoting scriptures from the Bible and using them as a base for his newfound values. The transformation is incredible.

“The Year of No Money in Tokyo” is a story that could have happened to anyone in any country. In my opinion there is little “Japan specific” about this story, though it is more interesting if you know something about Japan as it will give you something to relate to. The value of this book is in the personal transformation that Wayne undergoes. His determination really shines through, and by the end of the book he really seems to be a completely different person. Hopefully by hearing Wayne’s story other people will be able to skip the whole destitution and imprisonment thing and get right into leading productive and healthy lives wherever they may live.

And, one last thing before anyone asks… Here is one answer to the burning question. Why didn’t he just go home!? – from Readerviews.com

Tyler: Why did you remain in Japan? Did you consider returning to the United States?

Wayne: Well, I felt that I had a principle to prove. Returning to the U.S. poorer than I was before I had left wasn’t in line with how I perceived myself at the time. A return home would have been read as a failure and I wanted to regard my time abroad as a success story.

And there you have it.

- Harvey [post updated 05/12/2009 to fix some factual errors]

Links:
Official Website of A Year of No Money in Tokyo
An informative interview with Wayne on readerviews.com