The Age of Artificial Intelligence?

This is one of my interests of all topics. Artificial intelligence, or A.I., is undoubtedly the most progressing branch in computer science. Seeing how the world of I.T. has advanced in these current days, development of A.I. could be very useful and handy in the upcoming future. Doesn’t it look interesting? It looks exactly like a human being! It also acts just like us, even though it’s not perfect yet. You can find this human robot’s appearance in National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation or Miraikan (未来館) in Odaiba District. With advanced technologies, it can do amazing stuffs, even talking in different languages as well. Isn’t it amazing? I would like to have one for my own, to be honest.

Yokohama Chinatown

Chinatown is a term used in every country for a place where you can feel true Chinese cultures, even though you are not in China. Japan also has its own Chinatown, that lies precisely in Yokohama Prefecture. Only 1 hour away by train from Tokyo, this place offers a lot of things that you can enjoy as a local or tourist. Ranging from Chinese souvenirs, drinks, foods, and many other stuff that you can buy, you definitely won’t regret coming here! I personally really like this place since they have foods with authentic flavours that other places in Japan don’t have. This also reminds me of home as well, where my mom usually cooks the same type of foods. The prices are not that expensive, so they are all definitely worth it. You will be guaranteed with an extraordinary time and experience in Yokohama Chinatown, that being the best place to get to experience Chinese cultures, hands down.

Tokyo Tower 2.0 →

2.0 doesn’t really mean the version of Tokyo Tower, I just use it to imply that it’s my second time visiting Tokyo Tower. I first went there with my family in 2017 for vacation. That time, Tokyo Tower didn’t feel so special to me since we also went to other high-level spots that can make us see similar views from above. However, this time, it feels different. My friend and I arrived exactly during sunset, and lucky for us, the weather was very clear that we could see Mount Fuji, Tokyo Skytree, and then the sun setting down behind the mountains. It was a very beautiful scenery. In addition, during the night view, there were some snow projections and decorations that weren’t there when I first time came. Turns out, Tokyo Tower had just finished renovating on July 2019. Overall, the experience was exceedingly fun and the views were spectacular.

Shinjuku

My favourite place here in Tokyo is Shinjuku. I love the fact that there are a lot of shops and restaurants to eat there, and it is also wonderful because if you are there you are sure you will never be bored. In addition, Shinjuku is a unique place, the lights make it so fascinating and different from any other place in the world. The only thing I don't like about shinjuku is the station, because of its size it is very difficult to find the right direction. All the more so for people who like me don't speak Japanese well.

Rome, Coliseum

Attending a Buddhist teaching

In Hungary the vast majority of the population have a relagion. According to a survey which was carried out in 2011, 54.2% of the poplulation declared to believe in Christianity, of whom 38.9% were Catholics 13.8% were protestants  0.1% were Orthodox Christians, and 1.3% were members of other Christian groups. At the same time, 27.2% of the Hungarians did not declare a religious affiliation

In Japan, on the other hand, According to 2006 and 2008 data, less than 40% of the population of Japan identifies with a religious group. Approximately, 35% are Buddhists, 3% to 4% are members of Shinto sects and derived religions, and from fewer than 1% to 2.3% are Christians.

My family is Chatolics so I was raised to be a christian as well. Yet, I was curious about Asian religions so I was thankful that I could attend a buddhist teaching a couple of months ago. In school we are learning about world religions of course, but it was really interesting to experince it in first hand. Moreover, I also wanted to find out how the overall meassge of a buddhist teaching would be differtent from a christian one

The monk who delivered the speech, talked about humanity and patience which revolve around compassion. This type of compassionate desire teaches to cause no harm to all beings including animals, plants, and the world in general. He emphasized how important it is to respect the nature because it will have the same attitude towards us as we have for it. So if we continue contaminate the waters with plastic than it will directly affect the fish popultion of the sea which would mean that it will eventually get back to us as we will eat those fishes.

There are differences between relaigion and religion of course but i cam to relalize that the fundmental principles are not that different after all. Both Buddhists and Christians agree that it is best to respond to everyone with peace, love, and joy - regardless of others’ behavior.

For Pokemon Lovers...

Maybe for some of you, the word “Pokemon” will first come to your head once you heard the word "Japan”. Pokemon, however, is not only famous in Japan but also worldwide. For me, Pokemon has been surrounding my childhood life, even until now when the new game came out, and I was so excited about it. Pokemon related stuffs are not hard to find, but there is a place called Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo, which has several chains in Tokyo that provides Pokemon related souvenirs and other things. They sell tons of Pokemon themed plushes, utensils, clothings, and many others. On several occasions like new year, Chinese new year, Christmas, Easter, or Halloween, they will have a special themed Pokemon Center where they are going to change the decoration and introduce new Pokemons related to the event that is being held. Whether you are a Pokemon fan or not, I guarantee you that visiting Pokemon Center in Japan will be worth it!

Japanese diet

It’s been four months since I arrive to Japan. Since I am from middle Europe it took me quite a long time to get used to the lifestyle here. There are huge diffences in almost all areas of life but maybe for me one of the hardest thing was to adjust to the food here. It wasn’t difficult because I don’t like the food here. It’s the exact opposite, even back in Hungary I went to eat out quite often in Japnese restaurants since I had a big passion for sushi and ramen. The main reason it was hard. I think is because I needed to change my carbohydrate sources. I switched from bread to rice, from spagetthi to ramen and yakisoba and the bacterial flora of some of the ingredients inside of these measl are very different from what my European stomach was used to. Maybe when you travel only for a couple of weeks there differences are not that apparent to your body but since I am libving here now my immune system needed to go through some drastical changes.

Although, I must say that since I arrived Japan and I started to eat local food I feel much more healthier and energetic than before. Compred to Hungary the dishes are less oily and fatty and which I love most about Japanese kitchen is that there are many meals which can be prepared very easily. Back in Hungary, when my mom cooked something I remember that she always spent long hours in the kitchen but here cooking seems so much less stressful and time consuming which is a great thing in my opinion.

Also, another great thing is that treaditional Japanese fastfood is less harmful to the body than “western” fast fast food in my country. When I eat fast food in Budapest it’s usually either a pizza or hamburger but here there are better options here. As I heard ramen and udon are consideres as fast food here. Yet, even if you eat them multible times a week it won’t have a negative effect on your diet or eatinmg habbits.

My first purikura

Harajuku is not only a beautiful natural spot but also the centre of Japanese pop culture. In the neighborhood you can find plenty of fashion boutiques, used clothes stores thrift stores, themed cafes and more. “In Tokyo there is a kind of flow of energy when it comes to fashion,” and “Harajuku is the source of this flow.” as a blog entry on support Quartz suggested.

As a forigner coming from Europe, Harajuku represents everything how I would imagine Japan’s fashion-forward youth culture looks like. Although, unlike in the 1990s there are less and less people who are choosing the exaggerated and accessorized cartoonish effect, you can still see plenty of shocking dresses on streets of Harajuku. Unfortunately, in Tokyo just like in any other parts of the world many people chose mass-produced clothing brands instead of the custom-made ones. Yet, still in this area of Tokyo a lot of peole seem to be accumulated who still seem to favour some original fashion directions from the previous decades.

It was my second time in Harjuku. The first time I went there, I had the chance to go the Kawaii monster cafe which is one of the top-rated pop restaurants in Harajuku. This time, I focused more on exploring the shopping opportunities the place could offer. This was my first time doing some shopping in Tokyo so I was really excited about it.

Overall, I think Harjuku is one of the best places to spend a day with shopping if you have some extra cash to spend. You can find there almost all of the famous barnds stores we have in Europe as well but in addition you also have the opporyunity to immerse yourself into smaller shops offering local products which by the way serve well as souvenirs.

Nonetheless, I aslo took my first purikura in Takeshita street. I was amazed how many different types of photo booths they have there. You can choose between japanese and bit more wester like machines which use less intensuive photoshop.

My favourite Japanese food

My favourite Japanese food is ramen. I’ve tried ramen several times in Italy or in France but it can not be compared to the real Japanese ramen. I was very impressed by the fact that here in Japan each ramen shop has its own type of ramen, the soup is almost always different, the texture of the noodles and the flavor are different in each ramen shop, it is incredible! my favorite so far remains that of Ichiran, because the soup is very tasty. I hope to try many different types of ramen during my stay here in Japan.

Where Toshiba Company Started

Several weeks ago, me and my friends visited Toshiba Mirai Museum for our class assignment. It is pretty far, approximately 1 hour from Shinjuku. However, once we got there, we saw a magnificent, high-tech building, which looks really cool! This museum showcases the development of Toshiba company itself, starting from scratches, until what it looks like right now. One of the two founders of Toshiba, Hisashige Tanaka, was really impactful towards the development of technology in Japan. It all started when he made his first developed puppet called the Karakuri Dolls (からくり人形), which interests me the most from all exhibition in that museum. Using simple mechanism and not-so-complicated engineering, Karakuri Dolls were originally made for entertainment purposes. Most of the times, it serves as tea-serving robot for guests. As simple as it looks, this doll was responsible for Toshiba’s own success, considering that is when everything started. 

Tokyo Disneyland

Doesn’t matter whether you are a kid, adolescent, adult, or senior, you will still want to go to Disneyland, regardless of how old you are. Tokyo Disneyland is never empty of visitors! Trust me, I’ve been there 3 times in my entire life and I haven’t gotten bored at all. Despite the not-so-cheap price, the experience is definitely worth it, considering that there are tons of things you can do in Disneyland. Obviously, the rides are the main attraction, but more than that, you can enjoy night parade which is amusingly beautiful! Even during certain day, there will be a special parade which will be different than any normal parade. Gifts are also available in any kind of form, which I really like. The only downside is, we usually have to wait for 1-2 hours to get into a ride. However, the pain from waiting for such a long time is definitely paid off with the excitement as you get to experience the ride. You can go with your friend, family, or even your boyfriend/girlfriend! I guarantee you this won’t disappoint you.

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

I went to Kurashiki (Okayama prefecture) to visit the historical quarter : Bikan. This place was a very important commercial area during the Edo period. Kurashiki is very beautiful, this little trip took me back in time. I felt like this place remained frozen in time, which makes it very interesting to visit ! Especially if you want to see a glimpse of an old traditional Japan.

Winter Dusk →

Yesterday, when I was walking home from school, I saw the sky was very clear and beautiful in Nakano area. I took a photo of it with my phone, and fortunately, in turned out to be amazing. Since it’s entering winter, the dusk starts at around 4 to 5 PM, in which it usually starts around 6 in summer. Not only that I was able to see the sunset, the sky was also very clear that the unique shapes of clouds were enjoyable. Walking doesn’t feel tiring at all if you have a good time like this, especially also because the wind is refreshing.

Difference between ikebana and Flower Arrangement

Before coming to Tokyo I also attended some Ikebana classes in a small town Kobayashi where I used to live before. However, before I was introduced to Ikebana I thought that it would be the same as regular flower arrangement to which I was introduced back at home as well. In this post I collected some of the main differences which I found interesting.

Origin:

Ikebana originated in Asia, regular flower arrangement originated in Europe.

Plant Materials:

While regular European flower arrangemet only uses flowers Ikebana also take advantage of other plant materials such as grasses, leaves and trees like curly willows, bear grasses and thin twigs whatsoever.

Purpose:

The main purpose of usual European flower arrangement is to consciously put together a group of flowers so they create an overall effect that is beautiful as a compisition. On the otherhand, in Ikebana there is a great emphasis put on manners an etiquette. Historically Japanese women from a decent family have been learning Ikebana as part of training for married life. Strictly speaking, in order to learn etiquette and manner, lessons must be done in the room of Tatami mat on which both an instructor and students need to sit according to the traditional way.

Tools:

In Ikebana Kenzan is often used which is a metal plate on which flowers are usually inserted onto. Regular flower arrangement uses floral foam called ‘Oasis’ which purpose is to act and look like a sponge.

Traditional Japnese dance (日本舞踊)

I feel very special because during this short time I have spent in Japan, I had the opportunity to try out many traditional things. Among these experiences, the most wonderful thing is that I could attend traditional Japanese dance (日本舞踊) lessons.

Before coming to Japan I have been doing ballet so dance was something very close to my heart. I really love the emotions expressed by each movements, performed in a dance. I think ballet goes deep inside, to our hidden places. It teaches us what the human body can do when presistance overcomes the physical limitations of the body.

To be entirely hounest, I didn’t think that I would be touched by anything else as much as by ballet but after the first time I had the chance to see proper performance on the stage, I became really fond of it. Although, I still prefer ballet over Nihon buyo, I trully appreciale it’s artistic feautures and the emotions behind it. Also. in ballet the performance is usually focused on the movements mainly so it has a limited narrative scenes. On the otherhand, nihon buyo is taught in a context with lot of historical background and cultural grounding. Therefore, I feel very lucky because through dancing nihon buyou I could deepen my cultural and historical understanding nontheless, my language skills greatly improved as well.

It would be a mistake to underestimate this type of dance. It might requires less phisical strength than ballet but it’s necessary to have a great deal of emotianal presence during dancing.

I belive, that it’s really hard to give a perfect performance due some of the compex movements in it. So, it takes a lot of effert until someone can perfect the movements.

School trip to Disneyland

The main reason why I came to Japan is to attand Japanese language classes in Tokyo. Since, I used to live here for a year during high school I already have some basic knoiwledge of the language. However, I would be really glad if I could further improve my skills during this year.

Although, at first I thought that comopered to university, going to a language school would be a lot easier. I soon found out that I was comletely wrong. We have a lot of homework and tests every week, not to mention the amount of self studying we are suppused to do at home. Therefore, despite the fact that it is a lot of fun to go to the school due the international environment and funny teachers it can get a little stressful at some point. That is why I was so happy when I got to know that we will go on a school trip to Disneyland. It was nice to finally spend some time outside the classroom with my friends.

I really like going to Disnayland and whenever i come to Tokyo I try to go there at least once. In my opinion, there are rides which can be found at all Disney Resorts, but there are also rides which are specific to each Disney Resort. That is why I think it is enjoyable to explore the various disneylands at the differet part of the world.

What I love about Disneyland is that there’s truly something for everyone. Thrill seekers can enjoy the hop onto rollarcoasters but families with small children can still enjoy the beautifully designed safe, slow rides.

Penguins

This cute, little animals originated from cold area such as Arctic and Antarctica. However, it is not possible to see and meet them without having to go there (it’s really far and cold, trust me you don’t want to go there). That picture was taken when I went to Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, and it was amazing! I personally love penguins so much, and it surprised me of how much they have in there. The artificial habitat they provide for the penguins look real and comfortable. Not only can you see penguins, but also there are tons of other animals that can make your visit worth it. The experience I gained from my visit cannot be compared with other aquariums I’ve visited, and that’s how good this aquarium is! I would definitely love to come back again and again.

How to stay warm during winter

There are many ways to stay warm during winter, but today I will introduce to you the methods that I find the most useful among all. When the temperature starts to drop at night, I make some tea and add some ginger slices in, so that when I drink it, my body will be warmed up immediately. I always wear many layers of clothes, so when I get on a train or enter a warm space, I will not find the atmosphere too hot or stuffy. The final method that I use is exercise. Before I sleep, I usually do some exercise to warm up my body and at the same time, have a better sleep. I hope these tips for staying warm can help you!

Christmas time

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It feels so festive already here in Japan, even though December has just started. Streets are filled with lights. Stores has started displaying holiday gifts. Christmas songs could be heard in many cafes and restaurants. This year, I am spending my Christmas with my friends in Fukuoka. Winter break, please come quickly! A trip is all I want right now.

Public Transport in Japan

One think that i love in Japan is the public transport. Here, the transport are really fast and practical compared to Europe. The only thing is that here the transport is really expensive. For example: in Paris, you pay the price for one ticket, that is almost approximately 250 yen (2€) but then you can take all type of transport for one hour and a half. Anyway I still prefer the Japanese public transports because they are way better!