Above: These photos were taken in the immediate vicinity of my dorm as well as on its rooftop, where Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance. Directly down the street from my dorm is a great bike path and neighborhoods, all with very interesting architecture and endless exploration opportunity. Also within walking distance one can find, ramen, sushi, pancakes, bagels, and more. Convenience stores are ubiquitous, specifically "Family Mart," which provides anything from underwear to preheated meals and beverages to magazines and laundry detergent. If a vampire here had Family Mart as a weakness instead of sunlight, it would certainly live in constant torment as they're practically on every block. Also present everywhere are vending machines with coffee, tea and other beverages with heated or cold options.
I've been immediately impressed with the walkability of this city, despite the also evident obsession with cars. Tucked away in tiny driveways everywhere are Mercedes, BMWs, Porsches, as well as unique project cars and compact kei cars, including Suzuki and Mitsubishi models that can't be found outside Japan. Every road looks like a toy model road, as 80% of cars look like squished versions compared to the American norm. Yet, they will always yield to pedestrians, and every road has been thoughtfully designed so as to make walking easily accessible. Young children and elderly can often be seen commuting alone, thanks to the exceptional safety of the city.
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On Wednesday night I took the very easy to use rail system to Shinjuku station, a nearby entertainment district with two students also from Chapman. We found a tight alleyway with many Yakitori stands. Each one had only about five seats, and one worker taking orders and preparing food. We all got the skewer assortment, with six different kinds of meat. From left, we guessed that they were rib, steak, chicken thigh, beef tongue, chicken nuggets, and chicken cartilage. I hadn't had beef tongue or chicken cartilage before, and I don't necessarily need to again. Apparently cartilage has lots of collagen which is good for skin health though, so perhaps it's worth a try in a different context.
Tour of room