Nara and Osaka-Namba Trip

For my last hurrah in Japan, I decided to go to Nara and Osaka!

It had always been my dream to go to Nara since I had learned about the significance of the area as the old capital and the adorable deer!
Also other foreign exchange students had told me that Nara was one of their favorite places in Japan.

I enjoyed my time in Nara to the fullest! I saw most of the temples there like Toudaiji Temple, ate matcha ice cream, feed senbei to deer, and ate a deer themed cupcake!

The friend I went to Nara with also lives in Kansai, so we went to Osaka-Namba to eat dinner.
I really loved Osaka-Namba the energy seemed so fun and lively, and it has actually been compared to New York City because of all the signs and light.

In Osaka-Namba I ate kushikatsu at a well-known restaurant there and Osaka famous, fluffy cheesecake! I also got to take picture of the Dōtonbori canal and in front of the Olympic runner bill board.

The Olympic runner billboard is a popular tourist spot to take photos. The billboard is actually for the confectionery company Glico, displaying the image of a runner crossing a finishing line.

I had no idea that this famous spot was in Osaka-Namba, and I was super excited my friend showed me the way there.

Please check out my photos below~

It also costed 500yen or 5$ to get into Toudaiji Temple!

Ocean Day! 海の日

Sorry I have not posted in a while! My email had suddenly gone down!

Sunday was 海の日 or Ocean Day! Nagoya has a huge festival down at the port where at least 39,000 people come every year.

https://www.aichi-now.jp/en/spots/detail/1076/

I took several pictures and videos of the dance and parade floats that were part of festivities!
At Western Carolina University, my previous Japanese professor, Megumi Otake had us learn the Bon Odori Dance. My friend told me that at this festival they were doing the So-odori dance! The performance was beautiful, especially since the sun was just going down.

Please check out my videos and pictures below!

Thank you!

Aubree

Ise Jingu

Last month, I was able to visit Mie Prefecture, which is the prefecture south of Aichi. Aichi prefecture is where I live in Nagoya! My friends and I actually were able to drive there because a friend had a car!

I had a wonderful experience at Ise Jingu, and also able to eat many famous Mie prefecture foods.
I also found out the previous President Obama had also visited this shrine for diplomatic reasons - he met Prime Minister Abe. As an International Studies and History major I thought this was fascinating.

Please check out my photos below of the Shrine and food!

Thank you,

Aubree 

ESS Short Skit Performance

Like I mentioned in a previous post, my friend is the leader of an ESS circle!
I myself am now a member in order to help them with their upcoming short skit.

On July 2, from 9:00am until 7:00pm,  the SPC (Short Skit Contest) will be held.
Various ESS circles will attend this contest, and they each compete with their own drama/skit.
The contest will be held in the フラッテンホール at Nanzan University!

This year Chukyo, Chubu, Nanzan, Nagoya, Nagoya Industrial and Nagoya Foreign University will attend!

The skits are supposed to be 15 mins each, and they are all in English!

The Chukyo ESS decided to do Annie as their skit.
For this performance, I am in charge of helping with the set, the costumes, and helping the performers with their English pronunciation. Sadly, however I will have to miss Chukyo's ESS skit because I have to take the JLPT...

Please see Chukyo's ESS Practice videos below! I also have a picture from rehearsal!

Thank you,

Aubree

Best Ramen so Far!

A few days ago I went to a ramen restaurant called Bakusho!

You could or 5 different types of ramen noodles, and you could also get several toppings.

For instance,  pork, bean sprouts, and garlic. You could even ask for extra bean sprouts and garlic!

I ended up getting the dragon noodles. (friend recommended to me - thick and textured type of noodle) It tasted really perfect with the extra bean sprouts and garlic I ordered.

This place was actually a chain restaurant, but it didn't feel like it! The restaurant gives off a very local ramen atmosphere, but actually there are  two of these restaurants just on my way to university.

I commonly see many people (but mostly students) waiting in a long line to get in.

This restaurant is also famous for being stinky! People say the best place to get ramen is the place that smells!

Please see my picture below of my ramen! Also for posting this image on facebook - I got 100 yen off my bill!

Thank you,

Aubree 

Matcha and Japanese tea

Sorry haven't posted in a while! Been a bit busy studying of quizzes and midterms.

Today, I went to a cafe in Nagoya station that served Matcha pancakes!
It was specifically called, Matcha Cream Pancakes.

I went with one of my Japanese friends from Chukyo University. We both love matcha, so we wanted to eat it together! There are many matcha flavored desserts and dishes in Japan. Pancakes are also very trendy not, and are usually topped heavily with ice cream, fruit, or whipped cream!

While we were waiting in line, my friend asked me if I knew about all the different types of Japanese tea. I though I had a pretty good grasp knowing, Matcha, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea.
I however did not realize how many types of tea there were in Japan really!

I found this one website that lists 28 different types of Japanese tea (mostly green tea).

http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-tea

I really hope I'm able to try all these different types, but so far I think Matcha is my favorite!

Please see my pictures below!

Thank you,

Aubree

Parent and Child Bowl

Monday, I went out to this great local restaurant in Nagoya! They have around 80 items on their menu, and they especially specialize in Donburi or rice bowl dishes.

My friends recommend me to get the Oyako donburi or the Parent and child bowl!
It is called the parent and child bowl because it is chicken (the parent) and egg (child) over rice.

The kanji for this dish also represents this - 親子丼.

I had actually heard about this dish before through a manga called Shokugeki no Soma that has a lot to do with cooking and Japanese dishes. So I was very excited to try this dish!
It might be one of my most favorite Japanese dish now, or at least in the realm of donburi it is the best!

Please see my picture below of the Parent-child bowl that my friend, Ayane and I got!

My friend Seth got the famous Miso-katsu donburi of Nagoya and udon. (So I also included a photo)

Golden Week

So last week was Golden week in Japan! My university only gave us May 4-7th off however.

ゴールデンウィーク - Golden week is a week that contain many holidays so in Japan everyone just takes those days off! Some holidays during that week for example are: Constitution Day, Greenery Day, Children's Day!

Children's Day or こどもの日 annually takes place on May 5! The holiday is easily recognizable because families on this day raise carp-shaped flags or Koinobori (鯉のぼり).

I myself saw many of these flags around Nagoya for several weeks!

I was lucky enough for this break to be able to go visit a good friend of mine in South Korea!
It was a bit difficult to get there because I actually had to take several buses and an airplane.
Golden Week is also one of the busiest weeks of travel in Japan, so most bus tickets were selling out fast. I was able to get back to Nagoya safely no problem however, and I had a great Golden Week!

Please see my pictures below of the flags for Childrens Day and my trip to Korea!

Owl Cafe

This weekend I went to Nagoya's only Owl Cafe!
The name of the cafe was　ふくろうのいる森カフェ。
It was a pretty small cafe, but I enjoyed it very much! All of the owls were adorable!
You were not allowed to touch them at all, but there were 8 owls that you could get really close to!
There was also a room with some bigger and more rare owls. (About 5 were in that room)

I spent most of my time either taking pictures or drinking my chocolate milk. The drinks came as part of a package, so there were two free vending machines. (Hot and cold drinks)

My two favorite owls were Koi and West! All of the owls had names.
Koi is shown in the first picture below, and he had no fear! He would stare you dead in the eye.
Other times he would pose or try to fall asleep (with one eye open)!

West was my utmost favorite because he was so small and cute! He would pose for me and ruffle his feathers. I wanted to touch him so bad! I did get to take a picture with him, and he sat on my hand.
The photo at the end with one owl was also part of the package!

The total price for one hour was 13$ or 1,300¥. To me it seemed quite reasonable!
If possible I would go back! There are also a few other animal cafes in the area I might check out first however. I have been to a Cat Cafe before in Tokyo though!

Finally please check out this cafe's instagram and website!
They post photos of their owls pretty much everyday.

https://www.instagram.com/ranmaru23/?hl=en   Ranmaru23

http://ameblo.jp/ten-69/ Website

                                                                   

West

Chukyo ESS Play

Today, I saw a play that was put on by the Chukyo ESS club (中京ESS)!
ESS means English speaking society, so the entire play was done in English.
The play I saw was a parody of the classic story, the Three Little Pigs.

I thoroughly enjoyed the play, and the narration done by Shota Okamoto was perfectly clear in English.
There were also many jokes, and/or slapstick moments in the play that I really enjoyed.
I will post some of the photos I took during the play. Note the cute pig hats!

I was invited by my good friend and classmate Tomone Kondo to see this show!
She also happens to also be the leader of the club!


Tomone Kondo gave me a short statement about her club:

"The ESS society just started this month, and are currently looking for more members!
They do not care if you are Japanese or a foreign exchange student.
Most importantly, you don't need to be an English major to join this club.
The club is open to everyone, but are purpose is to welcome people who want to try something with English!"

ESS Club is planning to put on another play in June! I myself am going to try to attend.
Please check out their Twitter account for more information.

https://twitter.com/ChukyoESS?s=06

Thank you,

Aubree

Fancy Omurice

So a few days ago, I had the best Omurice! (オムライス)

Omurice is basically an omlet that is full of rice. It is usually also topped with something like ketchup. The dish is commonly seen in anime as a meal in Japan! It is actually super simple to make, so I make it at home sometimes. However, at the mall near my university, I found the best Omurice of my life. In the food court, there is an Omurice restaurant that sells the omlet with some fancy toppings! You can get tomato sauce, cheese, and tomato sauce and cheese! (トマトとチーズ)

I ended up choosing the tomato and cheese omurice! It was the most delicious omurice I've ever had,and it was also very filling.

Please see my photo below! And please don't be afraid to try it sometime!

Thank you,

Aubree

Trash and Recycling in Nagoya

In Japan, the trash and recycling system is a bit different than other places!
(say the United States)

I have been to Tokyo before, but it was not until I came to Nagoya that I realized how extensive this system was. For the area I live in, I have to separate my trash and recycling a certain way. I also had to follow these rules while I was in Tokyo. It is a bit different having to separate them all myself, and there are also specific colored bags. (Please see the photos below for explanation)

I think I have got the hang of it now! At first however, I had trouble finding the right colored bags for trash. I had to go to a convenience store or (コンビニ) and buy these bags. 

I also freaked out at first because I thought I had to put the trash out at certain times during the week, depending on the type of trash. Luckily, for me the apartment I live in let's us put the trash out at anytime. We have a special shed that holds that trash.

I hope this will help other people in the future! The system can be a little complicated.

Thank you,

Aubree

Two specialites of Nagoya

Today, I was surprised to find a specialty of Nagoya by chance!
Taiwan Ramen! This ramen is known for it's spicy taste.
The top of this dish also features ground pork and chives, and a soy-sauce based soup!
It was amazingly delicious, and I would recommend anyone visiting Nagoya to try it.

Please see photo of mine below:

I've also tried another one of Nagoya's specialties called, Red-miso tonkatsu!

The red miso or aka-miso is famous in this area. Then putting it on top of tonkatsu just makes it even more amazing. 

Please see my photo below:

I am hoping to discover further delicious foods famous to Nagoya! So far everything has been good!

Thank you,

Aubree 

Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) Cafe

Today, I was able to meet up with a former Japanese exchange student and good friend who went to Western Carolina University!
We went to a Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name - 君の名は) Cafe in Nagoya.

Kimi no Na Wa or Your Name has become the highest grossing anime movie ever worldwide, and has become the second highest grossing anime movie in Japan's history!
The movie will be released in America this April, so if you have not watched it yet I really recommend you do!

The themed cafe featured food, sweets, drinks, and snacks that were actually seen in the movie or based off the background animation!

My main goal was to try the pancakes that were shown in the movie!
My friend tried one of the themed drinks and the pizza.

Please check out my photos below!

-Aubree

One Semester studying abroad in Japan

Hello! My name is Aubree, and I'm a student at Western Carolina University in the United States. 

I will be studying abroad in Japan for one semester! I will be at a sister school of my University called, Chukyo University (中京大学).

I have been in Nagoya for almost one week, and I'll be registering for classes on Friday.
My classes then start later next week.

I will be trying to post as much about Japanese culture and my experiences studying abroad as I can!

Please enjoy!

Chukyo University

Chukyo University (Toyota Campus)

Matcha Icecream Sundae (At Nagoya Castle)