Golden Week Adventures! May 1st: Roppongi

         It's Golden Week! A week of homework ignorance and many travels. Yesterday, May 1st, was my first time to Roppongi where I met up with some of the members of the art club at the university I'm currently studying abroad at. While in Roppongi we went to Mori tower where the art museum was having an exhibit. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that day so hopefully you can deal with the so-so quality of the PS Vita I had with me.

          
          If you take exit 1c after getting to Roppongi by Hibya line you will end up right next to Mori Tower along with some other cool things to see. Although it was a cloudy day, the weather itself was pretty nice and it didn't actually start to rain until later so it made for a good day.

       

          Even though I hadn't planned on buying anything that day at the gift shop I did end up buying a few things that were pretty cool. The exhibit displayed artworks made by an artist whose signature was "Mucha" I believe (ashamed to admit I can't remember his full name at the moment) and his artworks dated back from the late 1800s till the 1930s and were quite amazing. He was from the Czech republic and some of his artwork is considered to be a national treasure.
          There were paintings in that exhibit that took up entire walls and it seemed like he had the gift to design practically anything from posters and stained glass windows down to silver boxes. It was all really inspiring and since naturally no pictures are allowed in museums I've decided to upload some here that I took of the merchandise I bought. I basically just bought a couple folders and postcards that had designs that he named the stars.
          He was really creative with his work as he gave the seasons (i.e. Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall) human forms of his own design as well as the stars and moon (i.e. Morning Star, Polar Star, Moon, etc.).

          And of course we can't forget about lunch. While artwork is cool and I absolutely have the appreciation for it, staring at artwork for a long time makes you hungry so after the exhibit we decided to have a Japanese lunch at a restaurant called Sakura. Not only was there a discount for students on the exhibit, which cost 1,200 Yen, but afterwords we were able to use the ticket for the exhibit for discounts for food at any restaurant in the tower so that was a tasty plus!

          Overall, although there wasn't much exploring involved I had a great time in Roppongi and joining a club has made studying abroad even more worth it. If there's anything I'd recommend to anyone who intends to study abroad in Japan it would be to get as much as you can out of the experience and do something like join a club! It will give you the opportunity to make more friends and also possibly even go places you normally think you wouldn't. Going places is always more fun when you have more people. Good luck!

Hosei University: Provided Accomodations- Minami-Kasai Dormitories

          Okay, so I know it's been quite awhile since my last post and to be honest, I've been lazy lately. But while not producing much online material may be an unfortunate side effect of my laziness it's not the only reason why I haven't posted much. In fact, you could say I've been pretty busy as well. After attending my first month's worth of classes I feel I can say that I'm pretty much used to everything by this point. The first couple weeks was spent getting used to the time change, as I was frequently dead tired by the end of the day, doing orientation at Hosei University which included applying for health insurance and setting up class schedules, getting used to the train stations, and also just adapting to the sudden cultural change.
          So it's not like I've done nothing these last thirty days of my online absence. Of course, while I haven't posted anything in terms of new material here on my blog, I have actually uploaded a few videos online on my YouTube channel which I call Destiny Japan. There I'll be uploading interesting videos about things I may find in Japan as well as food and I will be uploading a series of videos that will be collectively called "The Online Guide To Budgeting As An Exchange Student In Japan."
          Now that after all of that is said and done, I'd like to show you guys a little bit of what a standard dormitory room will look like if you choose to study abroad at Hosei and decide to live in one of the dorms it provides:

          In the dorms that Hosei University provides exchange students we are given a desk, chair, bed, bookshelf, and some more storage space in the form of something like a small closet. So while it's not the most spacious room on the planet it is enough and actually quite comfortable in my opinion. On top of the furniture we are also given a lamp and air conditioning which also works really well as a heater. Now that it seems to be getting hotter however, I don't foresee me using the heater function of the air conditioning system much longer, not that I've used it that much anyways.

           I should also mention one more thing about the air conditioning which pertains to my room alone. Apparently, my room is the only room with a wireless remote to control the air conditioner and all of the other rooms, so I've heard and from what I've seen, have remotes that actually connect to the system itself.
          One downside to the rooms themselves though is that the walls are VERY thin so don't expect to be doing any crazy parties without being a complete annoyance to the students sleeping next door. But hey, that's what Karaoke Bars are for right? Speaking of which, if you intend to do any late-night activities you might find your efforts semi-halted due to the strict 12am curfew. What this means is that they close and lock the doors to the dormitory at 12am and if you aren't back in time you have to stay out all night. There may however be occasions where traveling or having-too-much-fun events require you stay out all night so in that case it probably won't matter much anyways. Just remember that when going out late at night to have fun, stay safe, and that Tokyo is WAY more fun when you're with friends.
         

Welcome To Destiny Japan!

          Hey what's up everyone! My name is Tyler and I will be your host for this blog. Now, you may be asking yourself, well, probably not- but let's pretend, what is this blog all about? I'm happy you asked! Basically, this is a blog that is dedicated to anything and all things Japan! In about three weeks I will be going to Tokyo,  Japan to study abroad as a foreign exchange student at Hosei University. It's always been part of my ideology that getting the most out of college is the best thing a person can do and I can't find a better way to accomplish that goal than by going abroad. Getting a degree should not simply be an endurance test but rather an enlightening experience that opens the mind to the different doors and opportunities that this world has to offer. Okay, so that may be a bit dramatic but seriously, it's true.
          So, why call it Destiny Japan? Not only is going abroad part of my dream as a university student but Japan itself IS my dream. After I graduate in three semesters time with a bachelor degree in English with a linguistics emphasis and a minor in Japanese (I usually just call it a linguistics major) I intend to be an assistant English teacher in Japan. I love interacting with people and so the job of a teacher is right up my alley. The reason why I call this blog Destiny Japan is because not only is Japan my dream but I also want to inspire others to pursue their own dreams and goals because nothing is impossible if you put your heart, mind, and soul into it. With hard work comes great reward.
         While I'm in Japan I will be doing daily vlogs as often as possible and I intend to fill this blog with all of my experiences throughout the week. Of course, that also means that I will be posting pictures of the various places I visit as well as links to the videos that I make and even links to various sites that deal with Japan. One particular amazing site to start us off with would have to be a site hosted by Danny Choo. Danny Choo is the host of a very popular show called Culture Japan that airs all across Asia and he even uploads episodes of his show for free on YouTube. The show is about Japan and on it Danny Choo shows various aspects of its culture. Well, you probably could have figured that out on your own. On his site you'll find blogs, pictures, and videos of his own that he shares with his readers. They really are incredible and it's a definite recommend for anyone interested in Japan.
          So now that you know what this blog is about and what I intend to do while in Tokyo, Japan I really hope you consider sticking around if you have any interests in Japanese culture. Of course if you don't, no hard feelings. This blog is for those looking to find more information and interesting things about Japan! It's a little bare right now because I haven't gone anywhere yet but once I do I will be updating it as frequently as possible. I hope all of you out there have a great day and as I sign off for now I'd like to remind you to work hard and stay legit.