A Day at Sega Joypolis

It's Summer break, meaning the high school and students have come pouring out of the floodgates and into the theme parks. What with the Tokyo heat, waiting in a long line under the beating sun couldn't be any harder at the moment. But thankfully, there is a decent alternative to those who want a theme park experience away from crowds and the heat.
 Joypolis, in Odaiba, is an indoor theme park run by the video game manufacturer, Sega. Now, indoor theme parks in general are decidedly a lot less thrilling that their outdoor competitors, but after reading a few good reviews about the place, I decided to make the trip and have a look at it for myself.

These guys were a big part of my college days!

Granted, Sega doesn't have a brand as powerful as Disney's, but they do have a few recognizable characters, so at least they aren't starting from ground zero. Though Joypolis is far from being meant for gamers like myself, quite a few of their iconic franchises do have an attraction or two based on them. Fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, House of the Dead, and Ace Attorney, for example, might be happy to find such attractions, and merchandise geared to their fans.

 Although the Sega brand doesn't leverage as much power as it used to back in the days, in Japan, they still run arcades, which makes them a pretty penny. As such, though, many of the attractions and rides at Joypolis are very arcade-game like, and no doubt some of them are simply improved versions of existing games. Fortunately, this actually happens to work quite well for them.

A racing game in Joypolis

For example, rather than giving you nothing but a steering wheel and a pedal, one of the racing games at Joypolis gives you the whole damn car. So as you're looking into the screen and racing opponents, you actually feel the impact of every crash, and are jolted by sharp turns and sudden stops. It makes for quite an immersive experience. This is actually Joypolis's bread and butter: seeing as the theme park is all indoor, these rides are actually really clever in their usage of space. There are other variants to this formula of course: one similar racing game put me behind the controls of a flying vehicle. Every time I did a barrel roll, the actual machine I was sitting in would rotate and spin me upside down. Let's just say I wouldn't recommend eating heavy meals prior to testing such rides.

Not that all of the rides in Joypolis are a rehash of this formula though. One of the rides I walked into had a similar premise at first, having me sit down in a cart with gun-controls and shoot through hordes of zombies, but with an unexpected twist. Imagine my surprise when the cart was launched out of its tunnel and went barreling through the inside of the theme park, corkscrewing across a set of rails. Somehow, I didn't even notice when I had walked in that the ride was a miniature roller coaster.
 Another of Joypolis's stronger attractions is Half-Pipe Tokyo, where riders are placed on a platform that moves back and forth on a set of U-shaped railings. There's a surprisingly good combination of height and speed, but on top of all that, the riders have a pedal underfoot which allows them to make their platform spin in circles if pressed at the right time. The amount of spins is tallied up and counted and measured against other riders, so there's a little bit of competition and challenge involved in the experience as well.

All in all, I think where Joypolis lacked in gigantic roller coasters and enormous haunted houses, it made up for by allowing visitors a unique experience where they chose how much they were spun or thrown around or flipped upside down. And though the concept of pressing a button and having something happen is very familiar for someone who plays video games, I felt like the theme park did a good job of making such attractions approachable and friendly for just about everyone, from hardcore gamer to average high school girl.

 You'll be pleased to know that the admission price is just a little above half that of one of the bigger theme parks like Tokyo Disney or Fuji-Q Highland, so hey, it's an easy recipe for a good time.

Plus, Odaiba's a pretty cool place to hang out in general!

Take Care, Kids

I clocked out of work for the last time on July 25th at 6:15pm, moments after my coworkers surprised me with a cake. On it, was written (and I translate) "You've worked hard, Sean." It's a difficult translation, because there's no real exact way to interpret the words "otsukare sama desu."
 I think, as it was all happening, that I didn't feel the weight of the moment, so it was all I could do to smile and give my thanks. It didn't really feel like I was leaving.
But that was my graduation party.
 Maybe it's dawning on me very slowly, right now, how finite that moment was, and every moment before that. Until my very last class, I was hauling ass getting crying children into class, pushing them to try things they were afraid to do. I really hope they improve and grow strong, but I may not ever know that, given the circumstances. But I tell myself that, well, what ever happens, it's been a good run.

After three years and a half of watching children come in, grow, and leave, I'm quite happy with the bonds I've formed and connections I've made. I'm happy I was able to make children smile, if nothing else. But as one of my coworkers put it, even if the only thing we change in these kids' lives is to make them realize that there's a world outside of Japan and good people out there, then we've fulfilled our role in helping them grow, and everything asides from that is a bonus.
 I can't honestly say that I was a great teacher, or even a good one. Though I've earned the respect of my peers through hard work, I've worked alongside instructors who could make a child understand they were doing something wrong by simply looking into their eyes, or make a child they've never met before stop crying within a minute. I couldn't work such miracles. But I did study hard, and I did take my job seriously. In my first year, I would spend hours at home doing research on babies and early childcare so that I could better answer mothers' questions should any come up.

"Should I give milk to my baby from a glass bottle or plastic?"
"Either is fine if you don't mind the different weight, but avoid polycarbonate."
Maybe that was the extent of my skills as a children's fitness instructor, asides from my background in (self-taught) gymnastics.

But on that week before I left, as I informed parents I was moving back to Canada, I've had children latch on to me and hold me tight, look into my eyes and tell me they would miss me. I've had a mother thank me with tears running down her face. I've had parents change their schedules so they could squeeze in as many days with me as possible before I left, while others came in unscheduled to bring me gifts. And to some extent, it was so overwhelming that I couldn't put words to my thoughts.
 And as each child or parent did one of those things, it was all I could do to place my hand on my heart and smile, hoping that they understood the gesture to mean everything it did, even if I, myself, didn't know at the moment. But I do now.

 I feel your love.

 I came into Japan fresh out of college, with a degree but no self-confidence, and it was through the kids that I managed to build myself up, dare I say, even more than I had through all my years in school. No one had really looked up to me before I had started working with kids.
 So to some extent, maybe it's I who have grown the most from the experience.

 So thank you, babies, kids, parents, nannies. Thank you for placing your trust in me. Thanks for giving me second chances when I failed you. Thanks for sharing with me your worries and hopes and dreams, and for helping me understand them. Regardless of whether I ever see any of you again or not, I'll be thinking of you and about the men and women you become as the years go by. I consider you all to be unforgettable friends no matter the miles that may separate us.
 Take care, kids.

Ganguro's Not Dead

The fashion scene in Tokyo is a lot like a living, breathing thing. It's constantly evolving, growing, figuring itself out, trying things, failing, getting back up again and moving on. And some trends are practical and define the era during which they are set. Whereas others are hard to explain in any way whatsoever. Ganguro is probably one of the latter, for most people.
 Without going into it too deep, the ganguro trend basically stands for everything opposite to Japan's already established beauty standards. Whereas classic beauty in the land of the Rising Sun (and in many other parts of Asia, even) is defined by dark hair and pale skin, ganguro goes the opposite way - opting instead for dark skin and brightly colored hair - both of which aren't exactly natural for the typical Japanese person.
 Needless to say, the results are somewhat frightening.
 According to Millo, who had visited the capital in 2008, ganguro girls were actually once pretty commonly seen walking the streets of Shibuya district.

Today, in 2015, there's only place you can be sure to spot one - and that's the Ganguro Cafe. The small cafe is located in the same district, but isn't as easy to find as you would expect. It's tucked away a bit of a walk from the station, on the second floor of a building with no visible signs, asides from a small sticker next to its respective button on the building's elevator. But there's no mistaking it when you're inside.

 Millo and I were sat down as soon as we got in, and the cafe was fairly empty, quiet - which is somewhat of a miracle when speaking of Shibuya on a Saturday. And sure as hell, the waitress was as authentic a ganguro girl as they got. She looked like she had spent untold amount of hours in a tanning salon. Her hair either had four layers of dye in it, or was a very intricate wig. Her nails were each five inches long, and had anime characters stuck on to them. I can't even begin to describe her make-up, but you can pretty much see it for yourself.

 But I've got to hand it to her, she was actually really friendly! In the 3 years I've spent in Tokyo, not once had a waitress ever approached me or my group of foreigners and actually seem interested in making conversation, but she actually talked us up and was pretty open-minded about us not being fluent in Japanese. It made me think whether the girls there making themselves look so different was representative of the fact that their personalities were so different than your typical Japanese girls.

 The food at the cafe was almost as unusual as the waitresses, with one of the recommended items on the menu being deep-friend sausage balls with ketchup and mayonaise, dyed black with squid-ink. "That's because we're all dark-skinned with white and colorful make-up," the waitress explained. Okay, so not much thought went into this in terms of culinary science, I thought, but hell, I went for it. Well, it tasted weird, but was not at all as terrible a shock as I expected, which is kind of representative of the cafe as a whole.

 Y'know, I actually had a pretty good time at the Ganguro Cafe, so go check it out, if you've got the guts. If you're girl, they'll even do your make-up if you want it badly enough to spend 70$ for it.

Lots of pics courtesy of Millo. My camera's battery died. Woops.

The 5 Trips I'm Saving For Next Time

Well, my time's almost up. It's been a good run, I'd say, and there are few adventures left to be had yet, but I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't have time to see all the things I've set out to see when I first landed in Japan. These are the trips I'll be saving for the next time I come!

Okinawa

Photo by Trip Advisor

The southernmost prefecture of Japan is Okinawa - a series of islands that stretch all the way down to Taiwan. It's a tropical paradise with its very own history, food and culture, and one that I would've loved to explore. Okinawa's famous for its crystal blue waters, its lush jungles and its scuba-diving. It's said that the people living in Okinawa have the longest lifespans on Earth, owing it all to a slow, stress-free and peaceful lifestyle, which I would've loved to witness for myself.

Hokkaido

Photo by skyscrapercity.com

On the far opposite end, all the way to the North, is Hokkaido, the largest prefecture in Japan, where the weather drops to subzero temperatures during Winter. Hokkaido is vast and undeveloped in many areas, making it an ideal Winter resort getaway for snow sport aficionados, and great for outdoor adventures and exploration at any time of the year. Its capital and largest city (fifth in all of Japan) is Sapporo, which has a lot going for it in its own right, including the only beer I'll admit to actually not disliking.

Yamanouchi

Photo by afar.com

A little off the beaten path, Yamanouchi is an onsen area, rich with natural hot springs. What Yamanouchi is well known for, though, are the local wild monkeys that are just as likely to jump into the hot springs during the cold Winter days as people are. There are a number of springs in the area where monkeys and people can even bathe simultaneously, promising somewhat of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Gunkanjima

Photo by Gakuran.com

Gunkanjima, or the Battleship Island, as it would be called in English, is the ultimate Haikyo - an abandoned city on an island off the cost of Nagasaki. Hell, you might've even seen it in Christopher Nolan's movie "Inception."  Recently it's been added to UNESCO's list of cultural heritage sites. There was a long period of time during which I was considering getting myself to Nagasaki and rowing a boat to Gunkanjima to explore the abandoned city on my own.

Akita

Photo by goldenjipangu.com

Akita itself is a bit of a sleepy prefecture during most of the year - but at other times, it's also where some of the most outlandish festivals take place. Amongst those is the Kanto Festival, where people can be seen balancing dangerously enormous poles, each with dozens or more lanterns hanging from them. But the one festival that takes the cake is the Oga Namahage, where men dressed as demons prowl the streets at night, promising to eat children who cry or misbehave. They actually proceed to go into people's houses to scare said kids. Fantastic.

Kaguwa, Oiran-Za, and The Courtesan Dance of Today

Before Geisha rose into prominence in Edo, the ancient capital of Japan, Oiran were the most sought-after type of courtesan. Times were different, then; and it was a standard to employ courtesans for entertainment. But Oiran differed from Geisha in that the former dressed extravagantly, with hairstyles to match, whereas the latter were often more modest in their demeanor. This later on became the downfall of Oiran, who became associated with the dwindling top bracket of society, whereas the Geisha culture would continue to strive within the middle-class. Traditional Oiran can still be found in Kyoto today, but this article isn't about that.

 While routinely searching for things to do while out and about in Tokyo, I stumbled upon a venue which aimed to resurrect the art of Oiran while modernizing it. And though the place in question, named Kaguwa, in Roppongi, is nowhere as popular with tourists as, say, the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku, the performance delivered there is quite something to behold.
 With its 3500¥ admission fee and one-drink, one-food policy, Kaguwa isn't exactly cheap, but the moment you enter, you get a pretty good idea of what you're paying for. The venue itself doesn't seat such a ludicrous amount of people - the stage upon which the dancers perform is quite close. Prior to the show's start, the dancers, resplendent in ornate kimonos, mingle freely with the patrons, sharing their business cards and giving their thanks.
 But when the show begins, it's a whirlwind of dazzling lights, a shifting stage and dance performances both powerful and graceful. The opening act of the one hour show was everything I had expected of Kaguwa's fabled modernized Oiran-za, and felt as authentic as it was mystifying, closing with the two lead dancers hooking themselves up to cables and flying off the stage, like some kind of Broadway production of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Except for the curtain-call, pictures were sadly forbidden.

But the show then proceeded to deliver a couple of performances I did not expect. Every subsequent act was completely different from the last - flowing from the aforementioned first act to a very strange and upbeat take on Ricky Martin's Vida Loca to acrobatic swordplay to appearances from famous manga characters to a strong closing act in the same vein as the opening one. Kaguwa's Oiran-za transitioned from captivating, to exciting, to bizarre, to sexy, to emotional, and was often a blend of several of those things at once. I had the strong feeling, throughout, that I'd probably miss something if I blinked.
 In a way that harkens, intentionally or not, to the ancient courtesan-culture, patrons graced the performers with money at the end of the show, holding out money for the performers to receive. It was at that point, too, that we were revealed which were actually women and which were transvestites. Whoa.
 Altogether, my hour had gone by way too fast, and I found myself wishing the show was twice as long. But it was an amazing rush, and my friends agreed that it was worth the money we had spent, and exceeded expectations.

Alice in Wonderland Cafe - Eat Me, Drink Me

So, anyone care to guess how many Alice in Wonderland themed cafes there are in Tokyo? No? Well I'll tell you anyway - there are five, and that doesn't include the one inside Tokyo Disneyland. As a matter of fact, the Alice cafes are a successful chain, and there's pretty much one branch in every major district of Tokyo. In light of their success they even opened one in Osaka. Not bad, I'd say, seeing as most themed restaurants don't get to expand. I've known about them for a while, but today I figured would be a good day to take advantage of my proximity to one, and so I did.

Actually, every branch of the Alice cafes are decorated very differently. Some are more cafe-like than others, but the Ikebukuro branch, Alice in an Ancient Castle (they're all named differently) felt especially luxurious when compared to the pictures I've seen of the other branches. Upon descending the spiraling stairs leading to its entrance and walking down a dimly lit hallway, you're immediately greeted with a very posh looking dining area with rich-looking curtains and chandeliers. Between that and the aquariums, and the VIP-looking guest table in the center of the cafe, you'd have a hard time knowing what the theme was - until you noticed the checkered floor, the illustrations on the ceiling, and of course, the waitresses dressed as Lewis Caroll's titular character walking around.
Greeted by one such waitress, I was given a headband with rabbit ears, and brought to my table. I hesitated a few seconds before putting them on, but eventually caved. Part of the experience, right? But as I looked around me, I realized every person seated at tables small or large were wearing a set too. And there was the desired effect: a restaurant full of people with bunny ears or top hats. Using customers as an accessory to amplify the theme - clever business and not at all unpleasant!

If you've been keeping up with my themed restaurant escapades, you'll know that the next thing I'm about to say is kind of a given. Food in this kind of establishment is only moderately delicious, with a more than moderate price tag. Rather than paying for a quality dish made with quality ingredients, you pay for a meal that fits the theme. Like my pictured Cheshire Cat pasta and cocktail, which, added to the 500¥ cover charge you pay for entrance, gives you very little for the total price of 2500¥. On the bright side, my meal's smiling back at me! Hurray!
 As I footed the bill, the staff also gave me a pouch of tea as they saw me off. The strawberry tea was the restaurant's own exclusive brew. "Be careful. That's potent magic. You'll shrink if you drink it!" she said. It was worth a chuckle, and now I feel a little better about that 500¥ cover charge! All's well that ends well.

5 Japanese Movies I Recommend

Movies! If truth be told, I've never considered myself to be that much of a movie buff, but I feel like a good movie sticks to you, and either keeps you thinking about it for a few days or gives you perspective on something else in your life. And, though I like Hollywood moves just as much as any other guy, Japanese cinema is full of brooding writers and directors who dedicate their lives into putting out deep, well-thought movies. I'm not saying my personal list of favorite Japanese movies all fit into that description, but each of these movies renewed my interest in Japan's cinema in one way or another, so I thought I'd spread the word.


TOKYO SONATA - 2009 - Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Tokyo Sonata is, in broad strokes, the story of a middle-class family where each individual family member is disconnected from one another and turns to secrecy rather to than to each other. Though Kiyoshi Kurosawa is most often cited as a director of Japanese horror movies (amongst which are the excellent Cure and Kairo, which I've spoken of on this blog previously,) Tokyo Sonata is his stab at the drama genre. The themes, though, are similar to those of his previous works, and yet the familiarity of the domestic life portrayed in Tokyo Sonata sort of makes it all the more horrifying in a way. I'll never forget the scene in which the father, who lost his job and yet keeps it a secret from his wife and kids, waits in line for free food, encounters a friend of his who's in the exact same situation, and both men hide the truth everyone from one another, saying they're just there to try the food out. It's funny and yet so messed up, but it says a lot about life in Tokyo and the masks people put on just to keep face. It's as backwards as it sounds.


TO LIVE (Ikiru) - 1956 - Akira Kurosawa

Ikiru isn't the type of movie you'd watch for entertainment so much as for enlightenment. Although Akira Kurosawa's known for his other films, including the amazing Seven Samurai, Ikiru will always remain, to me at least, his greatest work of art. Story-wise, it simply follows that of an old man who realizes he's wasted most of his life away doing nothing but working, and his quest to attach some meaning to the time he has left before he passes away. Ikiru doesn't have to try to be moving to reach in and to touch something profound within the viewer. The film had me thinking, only a little at first, about the importance of living for myself versus fulfilling society's expectations of me, but I definitely feel like it eventually contributed in my decision to come to Japan and build my own collection of memories.



GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (hotaru no haka) - 1988 - Isao Takahata

The one movie made by Studio Ghibli I chose to put on this list is neither directed by Hayao Miyazaki nor an epic fantasy, as much as I love those, too. Grave of the Fireflies is a movie about the tragic chain of events that befall two children who lose their parents to the second World War, thus putting the focus on a side we rarely get to see - the home front. As expected of Studio Ghibli, the movie is beautifully animated, and it's difficult not to get attached to the characters, which makes the sadness of the movie that much more effective. Don't expect this one to fall into any of the conventions of modern story-telling. It's as real as a drama about World War II can be, if you look past the thin veil of animation.




DEPARTURES (okuribito) - 2008 - Yojiro Takita

An Academy Award winner, and it's easy to see why. Okuribito is flawless in its execution, when it comes to acting, music, and the sheer compelling of its drama. The plot revolves around a musician who loses his job and enters a whole different line of work - that of a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. Though his change in career is met with the disdain of all those around him, he eventually becomes learns to love and cherish the importance of his duties - and even find in it the art that went missing in his life. If anything, Okuribito's strongest point is the lead actor, Masahiro Motoki, and his portrayal of the very silent protagonist, who, through means other than words, conveys emotion to the viewer so well. This is pretty much the only movie on this list that I listed for no other reason than for being an overall excellent movie, and plainly rewarding to watch.


ICHI THE KILLER (koroshiya 1) - 2001 - Takashi Miike

By far the most controversial movie on my list, and the one most people would disagree with. Ichi the Killer, though, is whirlwind of chaos, confusion and gore, and it's weaved by a director who  could not care less about what viewer or reviewer may think of the movie, but made the film for the simple love of movie-making. Every character in Ichi the Killer is more despicable than the last - with the two front runners being the ultimate sadistic serial killer and the man seeking him - the ultimate masochistic Yakuza boss. With such a colorful cast of characters, it's hard to make a bland movie, and Ichi the Killer, at the very list, will succeed in blind-siding the viewer at several occasions. Whether the plot makes sense at all is something you'll want to debate after seeing the film, but really, it could just be that director Takashi Miike just wanted to flip everyone off with this one. If you're a Tarantino fan at all, and don't mind the excess gore, you'll probably find yourself loving this one.

Brief Note: July and August in the Works

This is it, friends! It all boils down to these final two months. Though it'll be rather difficult to do all the things I hope to do within the short amount of time I have left, I do have a few aces up my sleeve to end my odyssey to Japan in fashion. Here's what I have planned.

In July

 July 9th: Oiran-za
I've had to reschedule this a couple of times, but it's finally happening. A fabled stage show promising to have martial arts, traditional dance, flashing lights and swordplay.

 July 18th: Takigyo
A form of meditation made famous mostly in movies. A few Adventure Friends and I have volunteered to be taken in by monks for a day and shown how to meditate under a waterfall. No joke.

July, Undetermined: Ganguro
A cafe in Shibuya run by Ganguro girls. Ganguro is a dying, niche fashion trend that basically makes girls look like aliens. I'll be in some degree of discomfort, but I can't pass this up.


In August

 Early August, Undetermined: Kagoshima
 This one's a bit shaky, but if I can pull it off, I'll be making my way to the beautiful city of Kagoshima, a coastal city famous for being in close proximity to one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

 August 7th to 18th: Thailand
 I'm making the best of my position in Asia to tour other Asian countries, and Thailand's been on my list for a while!

August 31st: Goodbye, Japan
 All good things have to come to an end!

Those are the major things I've more or less set my sights on, but there's sure to be things in between, big and small. Adventure, ahoy!