Cycling in Tokyo

Finals week has begun here at ICU and it has so far been surprisingly difficult.  However it is nothing I haven't encountered before at UCSB, and will simply equate to a week of isolation until a month long spring break.  

So until then take a look at my favorite way to de-stress and spend my free time here in Japan. cycling.  

Snow in Tokyo

Before I came to Japan I was told that if I were very lucky "it just might snow in Tokyo."  Fast forward 5 months and it has already snowed 3 times!  This most recent snow storm gave me the opportunity to enjoy snow photography on the campus of my university, ICU.

On another note, my volunteer trip to Tohoku was amazing!  I am in the process of creating a video for the trip and will post it on this blog when it is done.  In the meantime, please enjoy these photos.  

Recent Activities

I have just finished a fairly challenging 2 weeks of midterm examinations at ICU and have finally found some free time to update my blog!

Most recently I have met with some of the leaders of Youth for 3.11, a student-founded and student-run Tohoku volunteer youth group based in Tokyo.  I will provide photography and videography for this group in the future as I
join them on volunteer trips. We are also in talks about a video that I will produce to showcase their activities and even an update to their English webpage.

This group is actively seeking to reach out to international students living in Japan like myself, I highly support their cause and look forward to working with them!

Tomorrow I will be traveling with a Youth for 3.11 event similar to the one I had gone about two months ago (a post of this trip can be found on this blog).  The weather will be much colder this time and there will even be the possibility of snow!  Please look forward to my upcoming post on this trip!

(A video may even be created!)

A Day in Life of a Fukushima Orphan

My funding proposal to create a photo narrative to document the struggles of Fukushima orphans has been approved! 

It will be titled "A Day in Life of a Fukushima" and will focus on the lives of the children who live heavily restricted lives in the shadow of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.  I have met and worked with many of the children in this home through my internship with the Japan America Society of Southern California and look forward to the opportunity to share their story.  

It will be a long process to organize and plan for this project, but I will be sure to document my progress on this blog and keep you all up to date!  

Celebrating New Years in Japan

In place of returning to California to celebrate New Years with my family, I decided to save the 2,000$ plane ticket cost and tough out the holiday homesickness.  Fortunately, my host family and family friends in Anjo invited me to visit Anjo to celebrate the New Years with their family.

A New Years Feast with the Nobata Family.  

As good as it looks. 

Their beautiful Japanese-style home was designed by the late grandfather of the family.  

As the clock prepared to hit 12, we headed to a local shrine to make our first prayers of 2014.  This is a Japanese tradition done to renew one's relationship with the gods.  

Next to the shrine were booths handing out various Japanese New Years food and drinks to those who made their prayers.  Here volunteers are handing out sake donated to the shrine by the local community.

Azuki bean soup with mochi.  

We also went to visit a larger shrine in the area.  Here a large fire keeps people warm as they wait in line to make prayers.

The following morning I went to explore the city and was very happy to find that the JR Tokkaido Line runs right through Anjo.  

My obsessive love for bullet trains compelled me to spend the day following the track, climbing up apartment buildings, and bargaining my way onto station platforms for photo opportunities.  

A 5 Day trip on Shikoku with the ICU Cycling Club.

From November 29th - December 3rd, I traveled to Shikoku with the ICU Cycling club to join them on their annual Aki Run (Fall Run).  

Riding 50-80 beautiful kilometers a day, the ICU Cycling club and I rode across oceans, pushed through valleys, rolled through port cities, and glided along ocean-side roads. To have been able to ride in such a beautiful location with such good company captured the very essence of why I love cycling and why I love this country so much.   

This trip was absolutely incredible and to convey just how moved I was by this trip, I had decided to share this experience in a video format.  You can watch this video through the video player below or by following the video link provided.  Watch it in fullscreen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xroJoanfirA

Dinner with Youth for 311

As part of my continuing efforts to strengthen my involvement in Tohoku relief projects, I recently attended a dinner meeting with members of Youth for 311, the student-run organization that enabled me to travel to Ishinomaki just a few weeks earlier to volunteer.     

Here I was able to meet with fellow university students who led volunteer projects in Tohoku and hear about the work that they had done in the region.

It should also be noted that this event was conducted entirely in Japanese... which proved difficult. 

However, I was able to understand enough of the presentation to understand the work they were doing.  I was also excited to see and hear about future projects that I might be able to take part in!

I had a very interesting time negotiating my limited Japanese with the limited English of the students.  I find that it sometimes become necessary to laugh off situations where we simply cannot negotiate between the language barrier.  

However despite the language difficulties, I was able to make friend and contacts during this dinner.  I also look forward to the possibility of working alongside these individuals in Tohoku.

Dinner consisted of fresh seafood from Minami Sanriku.

As good as it looks (Amazing). 

It was great to see such dedication and enthusiasm about the recovery efforts of Tohoku even after 3 years.  This dinner was a gathering of individuals passionate about helping Tohoku.  I am sure that the opportunities and connection that I have made at this dinner will play out to something great, I cant wait!