WHOOSH!

That's what this blog's gonna be like, since I haven't posted in a while. I'm also going to separate
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the different things I've done with that irritating line
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thing. So, first things first.
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There's a complex in a very glitzy, lit-up part of Tokyo called Sunshine City. Contrary to what one might think, it is not the haunt of millions of brain-thirsty zombies, but a wonderful place to spend some time. I went there later in the day, so I didn't have much time there.
There's a lot one can do there. The most important reason to go is to take the super fast elevators to the 60th floor of the big skyscraper in the complex, where one gets a view of Tokyo at the same level as the uppermost deck of the Tokyo Tower. There are not as many tall buildings in the immediate vicinity of Sunshine 60 as Tokyo Tower, but one can see clusters of skyscrapers from the windows.
Also present at Sunshine City is a good aquarium. Unlike most aquariums, it is housed on the 9th floor (and above) of a building, and part of it is open air (even at that height). There was plenty of cool stuff there, but, then again, I'm easily impressed sometimes. Nonetheless, I will list what I saw: a troop of tiny monkeys (housed, curiously enough, in the same enclosure as some otters), penguins, a small moa, a ring-tailed lemur, several armadillos, Fennec foxes, a skunk, eels, Japanese spider crabs, more otters (different species, I think), and a darling seal that would sometimes follow the motions of your hand with its face. The lemur, armadillos, foxes, skunk, and some other animals were in an area you could walk through. A weird feature was a pair of tanks housing those algae-eating fish into which one could stick one's hands. The result was bizarre, as the little guys proceeded to (I presume) feed on your dead skin cells. Tingly.
Sunshine city also features an extensive shopping mall, both above and below ground (at which I got a stuffed, grinning Totoro), along with a number of restaurants. There's a museum, too, but I didn't get to go to that. Also present is an arcade and a gyoza place. It could easily be a full day's excursion in and of itself.
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This weeked was the ICU festival. Apparently schools in Japan hold their own festivals; this makes some sense when one considers all the festivals that are held in general in Japan. I played harpsichord (poorly) for the Early Music Society as I accompanied a singer on some John Dowland pieces and an ensemble on a Corelli piece. (Random side note: ask me to say "Corelli" in Japanese sometime. Their pronunciation of it is interesting, but I think I know why.) - I also slept through part of a lecture on the Model UN which I was supposed to help with in a minor capacity (don't judge me) and helped the English class section from which my airport escort comes from sell "Banana Choco." What's Banana Choco, you ask? It's a banana dipped in chocolate. Surprise! I acted ridiculous as I pitched the product to passersby, but they sold out before the festival ended Sunday (although it was after my one and only shift).
I also got to browse the food at the festival and see some performances. There was good stuff to eat, ranging from churros to yakitori. I saw a koto (it's a Japanese zither) concert, a dance performance, and some drumming action involving LAMBS, the Latin American group I'm in. (They wouldn't let me perform with them at the festival - I'm too much of a noob, and there were no costumes. :( )
Word is that other schools have bigger festivals. It's really not fair to compare them to ICU's, though, since ICU's student body is about 2000.
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Today was a national holiday, "Bunka-no hi." This translates as "Culture Day," and one wonders if a country like America could actually have something like this. I mean, think about it...what would we celebrate - the stuff sung about in the Team America theme song?
Anyway, I and a bunch of guys from the dorm took a trip to Kamakura, which is only an hour outside of Tokyo. Even so, this is only the second time I've traveled outside the city (not counting my travel into it from Narita airport). The trip was definitely good.
We first went to Engaku-ji, a temple dedicated to the Kamakura government's power and those who died fighting the Mongols. We missed out on seeing 700-year-old bell, but we did get to see a beautiful temple and part of a Shinto wedding ceremony, complete with music. (These weddings keep following me.) Don't worry, there are lovely pictures which I swear to post. Sometime.
Next, we went to see the Daibutsu, a 37-foot tall Buddha dating back to 1292. He is awesome. Interestingly, you're allowed to go inside the Buddha and take a look at his insides, which, naturally, don't exist. There's an explanation provided of how he was made, which states that he was made by piecing together separately-cast sections.j
Our last stop was Hase-dara, an incredible temple which I would call an incredible bargain for the 300 Yen you pay to access it. Here I saw a gold-covered, 30-foot wooden statue of Kannon (see previous posts) and a golden/gold-plate/something Buddha, neither of which I could photograph. I also couldn't photograph the incredibly awesome cave we got to go into, where statues were carved into the rock. There was a bell there, too, and I saw this one. I don't know its age, but I got to photograph it, along with hundreds of stone Jizo statues (a Buddhist bodhisattva who protects children) and a great view of Sagami Bay. As I said, there was a lot to see, and it was well worth 300 Yen.
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Whoo! Long post, eh? Sorry in advance for any typos. I'm hoping to do some more Tokyo exploring this weekend, and I promise to write about it as soon as I've experienced it. Meantime, I've got a bunch of work to do...