Iraishaimase!

Hello World! My name is Shirota Toma. I am half Japanese half American. For most of my life, I lived in California until I was 17. Life wasn't working out for me so well over there. So I decided to learn more about my Japanese heritage and move to the country. I just arrived in Japan last week and  have been staying at my ol' grand pa's house in Yokohama. He is a master of the Shamisen, a traditional japanese 3 stringed instrument. Anyway, so far Japan has been great. I am starting to pick up some basic phrases and words like konnichiwa and arigato. (Those are the obvious ones.) It is a strange place, here in Japan. It's like being on another planet. Everyone is so polite and helpful. Fashionable and not to mention 'short'. Everywhere you go there is a vending machine that serves both cold and hot drinks. There are convenience stores all around... which sell onigiri. drool...

onigiri is so good it deserves it's own space. That's why I called this blog Onigiri Obsession. I seriously buy at least 3 of them every day. In case you didn't know, onigiri is a snack of Japanese rice formed into a triangle and wrapped in seaweed... with something inside: fish, sour plum, salmon or basically anything that's sour or salty. It's the best snack I've ever tasted in my life. Period. 

ANYWAY... other things that make Japan seem different is that all the cars are so tiny. I swear they're smaller than a Honda Civic. They drive on the left side of the road. In Tokyo, it is very busy with people of all kinds. It is also very high tech. Most stores and buildings have automatic sliding doors. The toilets are NEVER cold. They are electronically heated and have numerous functions you can use like the pressure of the water. The shower at home talks to you. The house talks, too. For example, like when the temperature changes it tells you in Japanese. 

All in all Japan is very cool. There is always something different everyday. Today I'll be going to Akihabara or Electric Town. It is a district where they sell tons and tons of electronics and gadgets and stuff. I'm looking to buy an SLR camera while I'm there. They say you can get discount if you show them your passport. 

Anyway... I've gotta go. I'm gonna grab some onigiri on the way. Next time: the transit system! 

Jaa Mata!