Homemade Bento
A homemade bento (弁当, lunch box) differs from the ones in America. The standard bento comes with rice, some meat item, and vegetables. Bentos are great in the sense that it covers the necessary nutrients a person needs to keep healthy and the portions are balanced. After spending the night at my friend’s family house I was given this bento for my long travel back. My friend’s mother even placed a dessert in it since I told her I liked the cake from dinner. It was my first time having a homemade Japanese lunch box. I usually get one from the convenience store since it makes a good filling meal. Bentos are available all over Japan for reasonable prices. Still I was very grateful for the lunch box and it was delicious.
UFO Catcher
I’m here to say that I am a UFO catcher addict. This machine in the picture is the epitome of that addiction. Also I’m good at it. UFO catchers can be identified by the claw used, which is shaped like a UFO. It is a type of crane game, but it differs in approach to the item. Usually there would be one item laid out like the one in the picture. Funny thing is that you do not have to grab the item to win it, but you can use the claw to push it down so it slips pass the two bars. The items in these machines are of great quality and worth the money. Sometimes there is limited edition stuff that you can only get through the machine. The UFO catchers usually have buttons where you hold one direction and let go at the appropriate time. One button either goes left or right and then back as your next choice. You’ll know which button to push next because it will be lit up. Each try usually costs 100 yen to play, but it also depends on what is in the machine. I won that Baymax backpack in two tries so it only cost me 200 yen or 2 dollars. You can find these machines all over Japan in game centers, but be warned it can get addicting.
Looking down from Tokyo Tower
If you have never been inside Tokyo Tower then know that there are glass areas where you can look down. For those who are scared of heights I don’t recommend looking. The view is great when you are searching for specific landmarks the informational signs are telling you where they are. However, when you bring a friend who is afraid of heights it just adds to the fun. Luckily for them there is a ledge that they could hold onto for dear life. In the picture this was not the maximum height. I think we went to the second highest observation deck because we didn’t want to spend more money unless we wanted to go to the One Piece level. Still it was worth the trip as a tourist.
Ikebana (Flower Arrangement)
Ikebana is a form of flower arrangement that puts much emphasis on the stems and leaves. There are a minimal amount of blooms in the arrangement. The point is to draw attention to the shape, form, and line of the piece. Ikebana (生け花) uses the kanji from 生ける, which means living and 花 for flower. Together it translates to living flower. There are many different styles to use, but the common ones are rikka (standing flowers), seika or shoka (living flowers), nageire (flung flowers) and moribana (piled up flowers). The container of the ikebana is very important as it will decide the style you will use. When practicing ikebana you are to be silent and patient because you are supposed to enjoy nature and bask in it rather than rush it. It is a discipline that teaches you to take your time and look around.
Recycle Friendly
Recycling is embedded in Japanese society. When you throw away your items there are specific bins that you are to put them in. If you don’t read Japanese just look for the symbols and match it to its proper place. I thought that the plastic bottles are just thrown as is, but you have to remove the label and put it in a different bin. It was tedious to do, but I had to learn to adapt to it. What was really cool about recycling is that when I went to the nearby shopping center they had this nice display out for Christmas season. When my friends and I got closer we noticed that all the displays were made up of plastic bottles. They made the tree and huts out of the bottles we do not give a second thought to. It was a nice to see how Eco-friendly Japan is.