5 Things I Want To Do In Japan

When I go to Japan, there are a ton of things I want to do. I honestly don't know much about what's in Japan so my top 5 list might be kind of generic. It's really hard to pick just 5 though

1) Go to concerts

As a dedicated Japanese/Korean music fan, there are a lot of artists I would like to see in concert when I'm Japan. I've never really been to a real concert since I don't care for American music. So while I'm in Japan, I really want to have the chance to see my favorite artists in action. 3 artists in particular I want to make an effort to see are AAA (Attack All Around), Namie Amuro, and Perfume.

AAA is a group of 7 members who were all back up dancers for major artists at one point but then were recruited for the singing and dancing ability and made into a group. They are my favorite music artists and I really hope to see them. I don't know when or where their concerts are but I'll have to look into it.

On the other hand my plan to see Perfume and Namie Amuro are a little more set in stone. Perfume is a 3 member electropop girl group who are really popular in Japan for their unique dance style and sound. They are the first electropop group to hit #1 on the Oricon charts since around 1970. Me and my friend Seika, a full time Ursinus student who lives in Japan want to see them at some point. So when Seika is back in Japan we were planning on going during winter break or summer break when we both have time off. I would have to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo and then the subway to Tokyo to meet Seika. From there we would probably head to arena in the city.

Namie Amuro who is known as the queen of R&B in Japan is also a really popular talented artist. I plan to go with my friend Shin (from AIU and current Ursinus student) in November when we have some time off during finals week. Shin plans to buy the tickets during the summer when they go on sale. From there, we will probably take the shinkansen to Tokyo. Shin knows where he's going so I'm just going to follow him. :)

2) Go to a Kaiten Zushi

Japanese food tends to scare me. But if it looks good and has a nice presentation or style, then I am likely to try it. So restaurants called Kaiten Zushi really intrique me because you get served the food in such a cool way. Kaiten Zushi are also known as Conveyor Belt Sushi restaurants because your seating area is bordered by a conveyor belt. On the conveyor belt are little dishes of fresh sushi or other things such as fruits, desserts and drinks which customers are free to pick from. Your total bill is calculated by the dishes you pick. I love Sushi and I know it won't taste different if it's on a conveyor belt. But to me it just seems like a more fun way to eat sushi. I'm more of the type of person who needs to see what food looks like before I decide to eat it. So the fact that I can see everything right in front of me before I choose appeals to me.

Food that is on the conveyor belt too long is usually refreshed with new plates. Some Kaiten Zushi restaurants have high tech identification systems which detect when certain plates have been out for too long. Therefore, you are usually supplied fresh food. Fortunately for me, there is a kaiten zushi shop located 20 minutes away from AIU by bus. Thus, I can easily get to one of these interesting sushi-go-round shops.

3) Spend a week with a Japanese family

Although I am going to Japan, I will be living in dorms at AIU. Thus, I won't be able to experience a typical Japanese family and home. However, because of the Japanese friends I have made at Ursinus I am hoping that during my stay in Japan, they would let me stay at their house for a little bit. I have talked to them about houses and found out that their whole house is about the size of maybe like my kitchen and family room. But they also have unique rooms such as a tatami room and their eating area usually consists of a small table close to the floor in which people sit on the floor and eat. Being able to eat homecooked food would also be fun as well and to see how their family operates. I have no definite plans on how I would be able to do this at the moment but I hope I will have the chance.

4) Game Center (Joypolis):

Game Centers are basically arcades in the U.S. If you have ever heard of Dave & Busters, they are basically like that, just large areas in which you can play high tech video games. They are popular among gaijin but Japanese often find them to be too noisy. Joyopolis unlike regular arcades is almost like a video game amusement park. They have your typical racing games however you compete against 30 other people in front of huge screens. They even have cars on rails that you get into and they ride around as you try to shoot stuff. Of course they have your typical games. But the arcade itself is very flashy and fancy compared to most American arcades. I love games so I really would like to visit Joypolis if I could.

5) Neko Cafe:

In Japan there are cafes known that serve you not only coffee and other snacks but allow you to play with tame cats that wander and laze around the cafe. The cafe charges you hourly after you pay an entrance fee. You are free to play with the cats as you eat. Since people usually aren't allowed to have pets in their apartments, cat cafes allow for people to ease their lonliness or just have fun with animals. Cat Cafes are not only a place to enjoy feline company but to learn about cat welfare issues such as the stray population in Japan.

I have a cat, Sophie at home. So when I'm in Japan I won't be able to see her for a whole year which is really depressing because I love her a lot. So being able to play with a bunch of cats will make me feel good. Plus the concept of being able to have tea or coffee while in a room with like 20 cats just seems really interesting. I love cats so much so if the 1 in my house is fun, I can only imagine what 20+ cats would be like. There are no cat cafes in Akita however there are some in Tokyo. During the winter I plan to go to visit my friend Seika who lives in Tokyo and meet another friend Yuki who will come to Tokyo from Sendai. From there we will all take a trip to a local neko cafe.