Musical, Straight Play, and Concert!

Year 2022, covid 19 is still here, but most countries have decided to lift up restrictions, either completely or little by little. That includes Japan. This gives me a little sense of ease to go to places with crowds.

Surprisingly 2022 is actually the year where I went to expose myself with shows the most in my life. So,  I would like to note them all here for memories.

1. Musical "Ryusei no Neiro" (Timbre of the Shooting Star)

An original musical show produced by Shochiku and Johnnys. The musical starring Taiga Kyomoto, my current celebrity crush 😉, built up the story based on Japanese Tanabata Festival. Besides playing the main role, Taiga also composed some of the musical numbers.

I was simply excited that I could finally see and listened to Taiga singing live in person. His performance was great but I definitely looking forward to seeing him play in broadway musical someday with more challenging numbers.

2. Musical Miss Saigon

I got the ticket of the show where Mitsuki Takahata played the main role. She is Japanese actress whom I knew first through TV drama, but actually her debut was in musical show.

As many of you may have knew, the story is kinda sad, but the stage was really extravagant as expected from a West End and Broadway Musical. Especially that I just saw Japanese original musical few weeks before, I could really tell the difference of the scale. The only thing I was not satisfied about it was the seat at the Imperial Theatre which was not comfortable.

3. Straight Play Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

I did not know what to expect. I was afraid it was going to be difficult to understand considering it's based on Shakespeare's work and all dialogues would be in Japanese. But, it was totally fine. I was very entertained with the comedy presented. I was excited to see Yugo Kochi, Taiga's mate member of SixTONES, who was recently recovered from covid. 

Although the main story line still kept Shakespeare's work, it also adapted some Japanese cultures into the show which was interesting. Despite getting the balcony seat (2nd floor) and the seat space was a bit tight, but I could sit comfortably which is a plus point!

4. Bruno Mars Concert

Went with Anin and Jojo to the concert in Tokyo Dome. This was my first western artist's concert after a while, after Celine Dion's concert back in 2018. Fun! However, I was not too happy with the sound system. I wasn't sure if it was due to seat location or the sound system was just not as good as it should be.

As usual I knew some of of the songs such as Billionaire, Grenade, and Mary You, but figured that I forgot many of the lyrics 😁. What's different between Japanese artist and Foreign artist concerts since the pandemic is that the foreign artist does not care. They would make you sing with them. While, for most Japanese artist concerts, they stick to the rule of 'silent' crowds.

5. Calum Scott Concert

Honestly I did not know who he was until Joice asked me to join her. So, I listened to some of his songs in Youtube to give me an idea of what kind of songs he normally sings. It was my first time seeing live performance at the Ex Theatre Roppongi. Overall I enjoyed the show.

6. Maroon 5 Concert

Lastly, Maroon 5 in Tokyo Dome. I did not get the ticket through ticket ballot at first but Joice who initially planned to go with her senpai had to go for business trip so I took her ticket! Luckily Joice's senpai were nice so I could still have fun 😁. The sound system this time was a lot better than Bruno's.

I have some concerts to go to next year but a bit sad that I could not get SixTONES's arena tour ticket early next year. Honestly, I try not to listen to music too much, but in the past year, when I listen, mostly it's been SixTONES's. That's why I am sad 😢.

For you who do not know who SixTONES are and their musics, please have a look at their Youtube's playlist ♪. Do not judge them because they are Johnnys' idol group because their musics are good! 

An Overdue Post (Part 6 - Bavarian Village of the Royal Castles)

Continuing the series of Euro trip back in 2015 😂 

An Overdue Post (Part 1- Amsterdam)

An Overdue Post (Part 2 - Brussels)

An Overdue Post (Part 3 - Ghent and Bruges)

An Overdue Post (Part 4 - Wageningen)

An Overdue Post (Part 5 - Munich)

The highlight of this trip is obviously Neuschwanstein Castle, which became an inspiration for Disney fairy-tale such as Sleeping Beauty. I remember it was so fun especially when we were trying to reach Marienbrücke or also known as Mary's bridge, one of the most popular viewing point. At winter peak time, route to the bridge is closed as it is too dangerous to pass by especially for tourists who are not familiar with the nature. When I visited the castle, the route might have just been opened but it was not an easy walk with snows was still heavily piled up. I even got help from other tourist to climb one of huge stepping stones. 

Besides Neuschwanstein, there is another castle located nearby within walking distance which is Hohenschwangau. I remember Nadia taught me how to pronounce Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau correctly but honestly I have forgotten now.

I wish I could go back to this area again sometime in the future in different season for different kind of view and to actually enter the castle. During our trip this time, considering time and money (students!) we did not enter the castle.

Looking at my own photos from the trip, definitely I was a lot slimmer back then, or maybe, I have gained too many weights now is more accurate to express the situation. 😂

I am expecting to have 2 more posts from this series before I can say it is complete. But, let's see if I ever manage to do so. In the meantime, please enjoy the photos below! See ya!

Neuschwanstein view from Marienbrücke

Playing Golf - Beginner

It was all started back in 2019 when I joined some other colleagues to have dinner with the big bosses, the keyword golf came up in our conversation. Turned out the big bosses like to play golf. Not long after, one of my senior planned a golf event for beginners. Although I only had two practices before playing my first round, I found myself enjoying it. Of course I wasn't good at all but playing in a wide open space was refreshing. Unfortunately, none of my friends play golf so I haven't been able to play as much as I wish. Plus, I think it is widely known that it is not cheap. So I only play whenever there is golf event for beginners in my company. But, I finally bought my own club set - half set for beginner so I can be more motivated to go practicing at driving range.

The top of backswing position in September 2020 (top) and in June 2021 (bottom) are quite different!

Long before I tried playing, I often watched golf matches in TV but I didn't understand the rules and all. Although I haven't been able to improve my skill as I cannot play more frequent, now I could understand when I watch golf match, at least the basic things like birdie or par, that the players actually use different club at different situations! LOL. I really didn't know that player could have as many as 14 clubs for one round.

Anyway, this might not be a hobby I can do frequently, but I'd be happy to go whenever there is a chance!

Solo Travel - Matsuyama

A while back I posted about my first solo travel experience to Hiroshima. Now I'd like to make another post of my other solo travel story. Back in summer 2015, I made a trip to Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, Japan. If you wonder where it is, please take a look at the map below. To be honest I can't remember what was the exact reason I decided to go there, but I think it was because I had not been there, and since I was going to go during the silver week that summer, I thought somewhere that wasn't too major would be nicer to avoid huge crowd. 

map from www.visitehimejapan.com

Took an airplane from Tokyo right to Matsuyama airport for a two days one night trip. I will try to write what I can remember from the three main places I visited.

Matsuyama Castle

While it wasn't the first castle I visited in Japan, the visit to Matsuyama castle was kind of an eye opener, a game changer for me in enjoying and finding interesting stories behind a castle. I remember I tried not to skip any explanation board right from the start even before I could see the castle. Because the castle is located on top of a hill, there were two options to help us get closer to the castle, ropeway or lift chair. I decided to take the lift chair so I bought a ticket which included an admission to the castle tower and roundtrip fee of the lift chair for 510 yen. Even after riding the lift chair, we still needed to walked up the hilly landscape but it was where the interesting part started. We got to see how the areas around the castle were well designed with different kind of traps or defense techniques to stop enemies from getting closer to the castle. The castle itself has many defense tactical designs such as the loophole and stone drop. As it's located at the center of the city, we could enjoy a great view of the city from the castle tower. The castle also has parks around it, very enjoyable for a stroll.

Staffs dressing as Botchan and Madonna (left); View from one of the windows in the castle (right)

Loophole and stone drop in the castle building (left); Interesting ride on the way to the castle (right)

Dogo Onsen

Tram is one of the easy access transportation within Matsuyama city. But, there is a special tram which is Botchan Train or Botchan Ressha, which was made famous through a novel by Soseki Natsume. Although I haven't read the novel, but I got to watch the story from a TV movie not long after this trip. So I rode Botchan Ressha from Matsuyama city center to Dogo Onsen. Looks like Dogo Onsen is a must visit when people travel to Matsuyama. It is said that Dogo Onsen could be the oldest hot spring in Japan and the Honkan (main building) is preserved as Important Cultural Property. Besides mentioned in the Soseki's novel, it is said the Honkan was one of the inspiration for one Ghibli popular anime "Spirited Away". Honestly, I haven't watched it so I couldn't really tell and felt wow 😅. I did not enter the Honkan to enjoy the hot spring though. While I did enjoy a little taste of the feet hot spring, I decided to enjoy the area by riding the jinrikisha.

Botchan Ressha while changing direction

Dogo Onsen Honkan

Me, on the jinrikisha

JR Shimonada Station

Station? Yes, a station! hahaha. JR Shimonada Station is not exactly in Matsuyama City, it took almost 1 hour by local train from Matsuyama station. Arriving at the Matsuyama station, I already knew that I wouldn't be able to see the view that I'd like to see with so many other people waited for the local train.  But I was still looking forward to go! So, what's with the station? JR Shimonada Station was once the closest station to the sea in Japan. It became famous for appearing in the JR Seishun 18 Kippu poster, not only once but three times! Looks like the station is the only place that has been pictured in the poster for three times. It was a small unmanned station. Besides famous for the posters, the station also became the location of some Japanese drama including Kimura Takuya's famous series "HERO". What can we do there? Well, nothing other than just enjoying the ocean view. I took pictures, sat on the platform while waiting for the sunset. I actually went to Shimonada station on my first day and purposely took the train which would allow me enjoy the view with sunset too. 

The posters were the top two and bottom left, from www.facebook.com/shimonada/

Other than local train, the sightseeing train Iyonada Monogatari also makes a brief stop at the station

Train enthusiasts?

Other than the three main places mentioned above, I also went to few other places near Matsuyama Castle, such as the Birthplace of Akiyama Brothers, who happened to have important roles in Japan history. I also visited Imabari Towel shop. Been loving the towel since then! Too bad the shop in Tokyo does not have as many varieties as the one in Matsuyama.

An Overdue Post (Part 3 - Ghent and Bruges)

Hey all, it's been a while (well, been 2 years)!

Someone mentioned about my blog which reminded me that I haven't been updating my blog at all. There were few times I tried to update it, I even wrote a draft! but decided not to post it.

Now, since I have some edited pictures ready to post, I will continue the overdue Europe trip post series. Went to Europe in February 2015, right after I completed my master thesis defence and before officially starting my full-time job. Kindly read the first two post of this series from links below.

An Overdue Post (Part 1 - Amsterdam)

An Overdue Post (Part 2 - Brussels)

In part 3, I will try my best to write what still remains in my memory from the trip to two Flanders cities in Belgium; Ghent and Bruges.

After some googling we did the night before, we figured that it would be cheap for us who were under 26yo back then to buy train ticket Go Pass 1. First stop of the day was Ghent or Gent. First impression after I saw the view outside the main train station Gent-Sint-Pieters was I liked the view better than Brussels. While you may want to take the tram ride from the station to touristic area, tourism spots in Ghent were close to each other and within walking distances. So I would recommend going around on foot if you have plenty of time. That way, you can enjoy the view of the city that is sooo beautiful. Climbing the Ghent Belfry, a UNESCO world heritage, would allow you to enjoy city view of Ghent from above. I also visited the Castle of the Counts, which amazed me as it was different than castles in Japan. We can also see the tools used to torture people back then. 

GO PASS 1 Ticket recommended for young traveler (under 26 yo)

The Ghent Belfry "Het Belfort van Gent" and the Castle of the Counts "Gravensteen"

St Nicholas Church seen from the Ghent Belfry

After spending few hours in Ghent, we continued our journey to the next Flanders city, Bruges or Brugge. The city has different atmosphere to the one in Ghent. I would say the view and the atmosphere of Bruges was fantasy-like but kinda gloomy (well maybe because it was cloudy the whole day). After being greeted by the swans in the Lake of Love "Minnewater", we had a quick look of Begijnhof (Beguinage), a world heritage, then decided to walked out. It was sooo quiet and we were not sure how to look around there as the 'religious' feels was strong even in silence. We didn't want to be impolite. Many famous places to visit in Bruges are churches.

Most recommended thing to do which you shouldn't miss is to take a boat trip around Bruges canals. Look for Rozenhoedkaai for the boat pier. From this point, you can enjoy an iconic view of the city which is said to be the most photographed location in Bruges.

One corner of the Market Square, with the Provincial Court and the Belfry of Bruges

The famous picturesque canal view in Bruges from Rozenhoedkaai

Enjoying the city view both from the canal boat ride and on foot

An Overdue Post (Part 2 - Brussels)

Following the "An Overdue Post (Part 1 - Amsterdam)," here it is finally the second part of what I can share from my trip to Europe in 2015. I must admit I am way not too diligent if I want to consider myself as a travel blogger, so.. no, I am not a travel blogger :) My travel posts are for the sake of my own travel diary. However, as I normally write about the trip so long after the trip itself (it took 2.5 years till I actually post this one!), obviously I'd have forgotten most of the details. LOL.

After spending about 1 day, 1 night in Amsterdam, Mita and I continued our trip taking a Eurolines bus to Brussels, Belgium. My first impression upon arriving in Brussels was the people were not as warm and friendly of those in Amsterdam. The station staff were not too helpful when we asked for information about the city bus. We ended up trusting the screenshot of the route shown by google map to go to the hostel we had reserved, taken few hours ago while Mita still had an internet connection in Amsterdam. We got on the bus, but after a while I started to feel suspicious that we might have taken the wrong bus as the trip shouldn't be too long. I asked a man who turned to be the first nice and friendly person we met in Brussels. He helped us confirm with the bus driver and we found out that due to a train strike on the day, most bus routes were altered. The man and the bus driver told us which bus number we should take. Fortunately, we arrived safely at the hostel. As it was dark already, not long after a quick rest, we went out to see the Grand Place. After that we decided to spend the rest of the day in the hostel and browse for all the information we need for the next day.

The next day, we traveled to Ghent and Bruges which will be part of another post :). We finally had a proper sightseeing around the city of Brussels on the third day of our stay in Belgium. We joined a free half-day guided-tour offered by the hostel. The tour was worth it, as it was free (although we gave him a tip at the end of the tour), and the key to be able to see as many as possible in a half-day tour was to walk very very quickly. hahaha. It was a bit hard for Mita and me to keep the pace of everyone else and we got left behind few times so we had to run to catch up sometimes. But it was fun, the guide was super expressive and nice. Please have a look at the pictures below for some of the spots that we got to see.

The Town Hall of Bruxelles in the Grand Place

Where Karl Marx used to stay and where he wrote the "Communist Party Manifesto"

(left) The 'petite' Manneken Pis, (middle) Zoomed in Manneken Pis, (right) Jeanneke Pis

Rue des Bouchers

The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula 

The Royal Palace

The Monument of King Albert I far away

Koinobori and Tokyo Skytree

Last year on the same day, May 5th, I posted pictures of Koinobori at the feet of the Tokyo Tower. This year, today, I went to another tower in Tokyo, the Tokyo Skytree.

「見たこともない景色」菅田将暉

I think I mentioned in my earlier post that I've got a new celebrity crush. He is Suda Masaki, a Japanese actor who acted in many Japanese movies or dramas I have watched but did not really get my attention until I watched one of his movies titled "Oboreru Knife (溺れるナイフ), or Drowning Love" in November last year. Oboreru knife is a shojo manga based movie. Normally, I don't get easily attached to such movies because obviously they are just waaaay too cheesy. However, I was surprised with the impression I had when I watched Oboreru knife, and I literally went to watch it again. Suda's portrayal of Ko in the movie left a very strong impression on me.

Anyway, not limited to movies and dramas, he also appears in many Japanese tv ads and this year, his singing performances were announced, ones for a movie about a Japanese band - GReeeeN and one for a Japanese ads, which I am sharing on this post. It is an ad made by one of Japanese mobile service, famous with its Japanese folklore "Santaro" ads. Suda also appears in some of the ads series as Oni-chan, or the evil. This ad is part of the series as well, made specially to support Japan national soccer team in the Asian qualification for the world cup. What do you think? Don't you think he sings quite well considering he is not a singer?

  

Solo Travel - Hiroshima

Hello, All! I am thinking that I will start posting about my solo trips once in a while.  Solo trip, or you can say as hitori-tabi in Japanese. I had been visiting places within Tokyo or nearby prefectures in Kanto area by myself ever since I came to Japan in 2009. However, never had I been to other prefectures far from Tokyo, solo, until 2013. I went for a solo trip for the first time in Summer 2013. The destination that I chose was Hiroshima, the largest city in Chugoku region, western Honshu island, Japan.

Why Hiroshima?

I had always wanted to go to Hiroshima. This city experienced one of the most significant events in modern history as it was the first ever city to witness how cruel and inhuman atomic bomb can do to humanity. I am sure most of us learned that an atomic bomb was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945.  I wanted to see the city after years had passed.

Actually, I did not specifically plan to go alone to Hiroshima. But, after waiting for so long, trying to adjust schedule and everything else with some friends, it never went beyond planning. So I decided to go by myself since it would be much easier to plan everything, from schedule, budget, itinerary, etc.

I went for a 2-nights-3-days trip, by airplane and stayed at a hotel in the city. I found the tour package on the internet, which was relatively cheap. Although it was a 'tour-package', it did not mean that you'd have to go with a group of people. It only referred to a package of airplane and hotel.

What To See?

Well, I don't think I need to write about it here in my blog because you can all go to Google and you will find so much information with lots of details.

So, I will just write few impressions and post few photos of some places I went to.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

I will say that this should be the main destination of a trip to Hiroshima. You can see the A-Bomb Dome, the cenotaph, the ground zero, etc. If you have plenty of time, I would recommend a visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. You can rent an audio guide tool to help you get around the museum with more insights and stories. I was surprised that it was also offered in Bahasa Indonesia, beside Japanese, English, and some other languages. The audio guide was worth it, my eyes got teary as I looked at some of the exhibitions.   

Cenotaph Memorial and the A-Bomb Dome

Hiroshima Castle

As far as I can remember, Hiroshima Castle was the first Japanese castle that I visited. Actually I went near to Odawara Castle in 2009 but did not enter the complex itself so I don't count it as a visit lol.

The original Hiroshima Castle was destroyed in the atomic bombing, so the one that we can see now is a rebuilt. This castle is considered unique in term of location where it was built, which is on a plain in the city, not on top of hills as most other Japanese castles. I can recall that I met a fellow solo traveler from Australia at the entrance and we ended up looking around within the main keep of the castle together. I figured this could be an experience that we would have especially when we travel solo, having more interactions with strangers and enjoying the moments with people we meet along the way.

Hiroshima Castle

A Side Trip to Miyajima
I would totally recommend a side trip to Miyajima, which can be reached from Hiroshima by ferry. The main attractions include Itsukushima Shrine and its giant torii gate, Mount Misen. Although I did not hike to the summit of the mountain, I went up to the Shishi-Iwa observatory where I had nice views of Seto Inland Sea.

Itsukushima Shrine and Its Torii Gate

A Side Trip to Onomichi

I normally book a trip (transportation and accommodation) at least a month (or preferably more) before my departure but I don't really start planning my itinerary until about 1 or 2 weeks before the trip. So, realised that 3 days were so much more than enough for a trip to Hiroshima. After doing some googling, I decided that I would go for a side trip to Onomichi.

Apparently Onomichi is famous for its Temple Walk and cycling route along the Shimanami Kaido. As I did not plan to do a cycling activity, I decided to go to Senkoji Park. I did a lot of walks here in Onomichi. I went through a Cat Trail, Senkoji Temple which used to be a shooting location of a Korean drama, etc. 

The View from Senkoji Park Observation Deck

If you are going for a two days trip around Hiroshima, I recommend the 2 days trip card as it covers tram ride within Hiroshima city, round trip ferry ride to Miyajima, and ropeway ticket in Miyajima. 

Overall, I was satisfied with my trip. I found Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Onomichi were relaxing, so it was a nice getaway from busy and crowded Tokyo.

If you are a woman solo traveler, I would say traveling in summer is a better option as you can have longer daylight. I personally refrain from going out later than 9 pm when I travel alone because cities outside Tokyo can be really quiet at night. So, for the sake of my own safety I'd rather rest at the hotel. Maybe you can consider my tips as well!

Wait for more posts! See you!

Ashikaga Flower Park

Early May, Japan has three consecutive national holiday (plus a separate national date still within the same week). So, normally many Japanese people who are known for their long working hours will take some days off from work to make it as a long holiday for about 10 consecutive days. This long holiday is famously referred as Golden Week in Japan.

Entering my second year as a salary(wo)man in Japan, I also decided to take extra days off to enjoy a long holiday this year. In one of those days, I went to Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture, about almost 2 hours long drive from Tokyo (with about 15 mins stop in rest area).

This flower park is especially packed with people around early May as the park observes the full bloom of its main attraction, Wisteria. There are four main colors of Wisteria that we can enjoy there; Purple, light pink, white, and yellow. However, the yellow one normally has its peak about a week later than the other colors. When I went there, a tunnel of yellow wisteria was still about to start blooming.

You can definitely enjoy the pretty flowers across the park although there are sooooooo many people. But for me, the highlight was the very nice scent from the flowers in every corner of the park. It simply made my day. So, I bought wisteria scent room spray for myself LOL. Btw, the scent is similar to the scent of jasmine.

I hope next year I can go to a bigger wisteria tunnel in Fukui, preferably during the weekdays where I hope I can expect fewer people!

Anyway, enjoy few photos from the park :)