Makoto Shinkai English Fan Forum and Site

Laz · Laz Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 1073

Hi Folks,

I'm slowly getting ready for my trip to Japan in the next week Smile

I'll update this thread with pics and other interesting info as it occurs.

I fly from Baltimore to San Francisco and then to Tokyo and Fukuoka.

The plan is to go to a baseball game on Sunday night (go Softbank Hawks) and then a 2 day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. The rest of the time will be spent eating, drinking and taking pics at various temples around Fukuoka Smile

Yaaaaa

Laz

_________________
You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley

ここにいるよ. - Voices of a Distant Star

IsUa · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:26 am Post subject:

Awesome...

Enjoy, and drink one... may I say... for all of us in the forum... hehehe
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Junpei · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:35 am Post subject:

And we'll be drinking to you from here.

Enjoy your trip Laz. Smile

Laz · Laz Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 1073

Well .... yesterday was one of the longer days of my life ... for many reasons.

First, I was flying from East Coast USA to California ... 6 hours ... leaving at 7 am ... means getting up at 4 am. The week leading up to the trip was ridiculously busy at work so I was already worn out.

Second, the guy in front of my put his seat back all the way back so he was essentially in my lap ... not a very comfortable flight.

Face Mask Sightings = 0 (this will make sense as we move along Smile

)

So I get to San Francisco and it was an easy walk to the international terminal for my Tokyo flight. It was leaving pretty soon after I landed so no real time to think ... just getting on the 747 for a 10+ hour flight Sad

This flight wasn't so bad ... I had some space around me. I just can't sleep on planes. I try and try, but I can't do it. I end up sitting there with my eyes closed for 3 hours Sad

At least I got to watch some movies that I hadn't seen.

In california - face mask sightings increase.

Now for the fun ... after an eternity, we land in Tokyo and the Health Services run on the plan ... I mean "run" onto the plane. We were kind of warned about this from the planes crew but this was the first time they'd flown to Japan since the swing flu out break. They passed out face masks to us all and we sat for about a half hour while they thermo scanned people, I believe with some form of camera unit. We filled out forms and sat. meanwhile people are taking pictures and video taping the whole thing. I wouldn;t be surprised if it wound up on YouTube.

Im sitting in row 51 and they announce ... everyone from row 53 back needs to stay ... the rest can leave. So we all got off the plan as fast a we could. I think they had someone in the back of the plane who might have not been healthy. Anyway ....

Tokyo Narita airport is nice and clean and pretty easy to get around in. I did have some trouble understanding the English of some of the Japanese people working there. I attribute that to being very tired and not being used to hearing that before.

The airport was full of people with masks on but still lots of people without masks. I had a few "DOH!" moments trying to find my next connecting flight. I went where I thought I was supposed to go and it kind of dead-ended. I looked around confused and then, using one of the 5 or so words I know "sumimasen .... Gate E?". The poor woman looked at me like a deer in the headlights and just smiled. At that point I knew I was on my own Smile

Eventually I figured things out and got to my connecting flight. this is where the trip started to hit me. I was faling asleep in the terminal and was crashing card. I got on the plane (supremely clean) to Fukuoka and I think I slept for a little bit. I got off the plane and got my luggage (small airport in Fukuoka) and met my friend Shoko, and headed for the hotel.

Intersting Cab info ... they have automatic doors on the cabs ... so you don't need to open or close them.

My hotel room ... well .. it's bigger than a postage stamp ... I'll take some pictures. For about $109 USD a night it's about what I expected. Free internet access so ... amen to that.

I changed into some less stinky clothes and me and my friend walked around the giant Mall to which my hotel is attached. Got some dinner and I started trying to forget my life in Baltimore and focus on learning some basics of the language and to enjoy my time here.

I'll post some pics soon.

IT's still early today (Saturday). Going to the SoftBanks Hawks baseball game at 2 PM and then walking around town. Tomorrow is a 2 day trip to Hiroshima an Miyajima. Definitely google Miyajima and check it out. Lots of photo ops there.

Alright ... Ohayo from Fukuoka ... more later.

Laz
_________________
You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley

ここにいるよ. - Voices of a Distant Star

gleowine · Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: Getting here ... Day Zero

zitch · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject:

Have a good stay!

Shinka · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:50 pm Post subject:

Good luck Laz!

You are sure to have a good time Wink

Laz · Laz Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 1073

Sorry for missing a few days ... jet lag and a side trip have kept me from the laptop.

On Sunday, we walked to Tenjin from Canal City in Fukuoka and my friend (she's a saint) took me to a huge book store and we walked through the Manga section ... row after row after row ... it was like being in Heaven Smile

I think she was surprised at how much I knew Smile

Tenjin has a huge underground shopping area so we walked around that for a while and got some lunch. We then headed for the subway to Yahoo Stadium. We had to walk quite a bit and it got a bit warm ... and I have not been hydrating well at all. So we grabbed a few sodas in the stadium and got to our seats. The stadium wasn't as big as I expected ... compared to US baseball stadiums with upper decks ... so our seats were pretty good. the Softbank Hawks (Fukuoka's team) was playing the Chiba Lotte Marines. I've got some good video on my cell phone of the chants going on from both fan sections. Something that you don't see in US Baseball. We had a few beers and unfortunately the Hawks lost Sad

booooo.

I did get a pic with one of the Hawks Mascots (soon to be posted). After the game we walked to the beach a little around Fukuoka Tower. Then grabbed a street car back to Tenjin where we had sushi for dinner Smile

The sushi here is very very fresh Smile

Very good too Smile

I was pretty much exhausted after the flight and the long day so I went to bed almost as soon as I got to my hotel room. The next day we were leaving for Hiroshima on the Shinkansen and we had an early train.

More to follow ...

Laz
_________________
You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley

ここにいるよ. - Voices of a Distant Star

Laz · Laz Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 1073

In front of my hotel ...

Street in Tenjin ...

Outside the Yahoo Dome ...

More to come ...
Inside ... Center and Right Field ... Hawks Fans

Pic with Hank Hawk mascot ...

Left Field - Chiba Lotte fans ...

Hawks Fans Getting excited ..

Post game ..

_________________
You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley

ここにいるよ. - Voices of a Distant Star

Laz · Laz Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 1073

Waiting or Shinkansen ... my friend has some better pics of the train itself .. very cool ...

Under Hiroshima Station there was a lot going on ... the Carp (Hiroshima Baseball team) were playing and lots of red in the area. This "idol" was performing so I took a pic. I have another pic on my phone of the 4 otaku guys who were singing and dancing along with the girl. I wish I had video of them. My friend said "People in america will think we're all crazy otaku." I said "They already know the otaku are crazy they won't be surprised by that." As you can see this girls looks to be about 12 ... otaku age was about 20.

Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace park Photos ...

Hiroshima Castle ..

_________________
You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley

ここにいるよ. - Voices of a Distant Star