First Week in Japan! Pt.3

The last big highlight of my first week in Japan was going to Tokyo. I took a night bus (夜行バス・やこう　ばす) from Himeji to Tokyo. It takes about 8 hours or so. I met up with some friends from University and we went to Tokyo Disney Land! It was about the same as Disney World in Florida, but in Japanese. But it was fun, it was good to be back with old friends. Last spring break we all went to Disney World in Florida. We spent until Saturday night in Tokyo, visiting different tourist sites such as Asakusa ・浅草 and eating and drinking a lot. Overall, Tokyo was fun. It's a nice place to visit, but it would be overwhelming at least for me to live in Tokyo.

First Week in Japan! Pt.2

Since my friend graduated from university recently, I went to the graduation ceremony or 卒業式（そつぎょうしき・Sotsugyou shiki) which lasted a about four hours. The girls wore Hakamas and most of the guys wore suits. I think about 5,000 people graduated that day!

March is usually filled with graduations and a Spring break(春休み) before a new school year starts. Also, most people that have just graduated from university in March, will start their new jobs in April. It's definitely a time full of change, transferring from the old to new, the same feeling that you get when Spring arrives.

Right after the graduation ceremony I had some ramen with the family and then I was off to Tokyo for the weekend!!

First Week in Japan! Pt.1

Well, it hasn't even really fully been a week yet, but a lot has happened in a few days. These few days have been filled with many "firsts" as I adjust to life in Japan. Meeting people, eating new foods, learning new words, to going new places, everyday there is a first. Well let's see, I arrived and met a friend in Osaka for dinner and drinks. Afterwards I took the last train to Himeji.

Wednesday I just walked around to get familiar with the town.

Finally in Japan!

Well, I'm in Japan!! I came last night from Osaka, with no luggage however. I have to wait a few days before they ship it to the house where I'm staying. Besides that though, I landed in Osaka and had a friend that I met at University to meet me. We went for food and drinks in Osaka. ハルさんありがとうな！Osaka is huuuuuge!!! When I say huge, I mean huuuge! lol I can't imagine what Tokyo is like. We'll see soon ;). Afterwards I took the last train to Himeji, where I will be staying with another friend until school starts.

I can say I'm doing pretty well with the time difference since I slept a lot on the plane. So everything is cool. I will add pics soon, once I get settled.

Everyone that believed in me and helped me get this far, thank you soo much! 本当にありがとう！

It has only begun....

Opportunity Knocks

Jamaican artistes and producers as well, are definitely seeking opportunities in Japan as the market for Dancehall and Reggae music expands.

Here are videos of one of my favorite artistes in Japan, Chehon, working with some top producers in Jamaica, Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor and DASECA.

Japanese Riddim

I remember a time when Japan was just a distant place to me. I remember a time when every Kanji/Chinese character looked the same to me. I remember when Japanese just sounded like gibberish. Now in a few days, I will be there, I will shorten that gap between me and something that used to feel so foreign.

Naturally, there were certain things that attracted me to Japan such as culture, and the fact that I love how the language flows. However, probably the greatest component of that attraction was when I saw Japanese people embracing Jamaican culture and Caribbean culture in general. I always knew that Dancehall/Reggae was prevalent in Japan, but I don't think I knew how much.

Rewind...

The first time I heard and really payed attention to Japanese was after a friend let me hear a few Utada Hikaru songs in about 7th or 8th grade, so that was probably around 2000 or 2001.
I liked it, but I feel that at the time everything just went over my head.

Fast Forward 3 Years Later....
Three years later, One of my other friends and I are what I would call riddimologist. In Jamaica, the music business mainly operates off of riddims. Usually you'll have one riddim and then a lot of artistes that make a song on the riddim. So, my friend and I knew every riddim name, and almost every artiste on a riddim at the time, and even for songs well before our time...lol We could tell you which song would be big, even before it hit the radio or the streets because we would get every riddim as soon as they came out.
During adolescence besides school, that was my life, I ate, slept, and drank Dancehall/Reggae music.

I had seen Japanese people going to street dances in Jamaica, like Weddy Weddy Wednesdays but even then it still was nothing for me to pay attention to. I used to hear about Mighty Crown, a Japanese Sound that would win sound clash after clash. We used to always listen to radio shows like BBC 1Xtra Dancehall. This show would play a lot of the Dancehall/Reggaecharts from Jamaica and England as well. What really caught my attention though, was Robbo Ranx would have dub plates with Japanese people biggin up the radio station. It would tickle me every time I heard it.

I remember watching a special on RETV and they showed Mr. Vegas going to the Yokohama Reggae Bash. There were millions of people!! Or so it seemed, the crowd was thick! There, Jamaican and Japanese Reggae artistes displayed their talent as they rode each riddim.

Ever since then, every time I think I've seen it all, there is more.

I started listening to Dancehall, Reggae, and even Soca in Japanese!! It was here I started to delve into Japanese language and culture.

What I've realized, even before then is that music is universal. Although we may not speak the same language, and go about doing things the same way, in a way we all adhere to certain principles in life, we all relate to certain things, no matter where we come from, we all connect.

......Mek Mi Fly Without Visa!!!

I know that it's been a while since I've updated this blog. I've just been waiting for everything to be finalized before I say it here. Well, I went to the Japanese Consulate yesterday to turn in the paper work for the student visa. Today, I went to pick it up! So it's official I'm going to Japan!!

What Will I Be Doing In Japan?

I am enrolled in Kobe Toyo Japanese College in Kobe, Japan. I plan to spend 2 years there, and then ..... we'll see!!

It's very exciting, new language, new faces, new places, new foods, new life!! In a way it's kind of like being a grown up baby, having to be introduced to so many things. Senses awakened, I'm ready to taste everything, the bitter and the sweet that come along with such a great opportunity.