The second best thing you can do with a can of Kirin Ichiban.

I don’t usually fuck with beer, but their ginger brew (actually a beer) and espresso stout are the stuff that dreams are made of.

I’ve postponed writing this post because it would force me to deal with the crushing reality of actually leaving the country. I’ve begrudgingly been back in America for almost 6 months now and I guess its finally time for reflection.

For most of my blog, I tried to remain as objective as possible (don’t think that really worked). I wanted to be merely a reporter of the experiences of the Asiatic Black Man. I never wanted to make things too personal or delve too deeply into my own feelings, opinions, and thoughts. Things done changed (c) the Notorious.

First, I would like to acknowledge everyone who made my time in Japan the adventure that it was. To all of my friends, thank you.

Second, I would like to address growth and change. Throwing yourself into a foreign country is a difficult task for anyone. You learn things about yourself that you never noticed and change in ways you can’t imagine. Some people play cultural chameleon and completely lose themselves in the mental commotion of a new land. They toss all preconceived notions, nurtured behaviors, and learned cautions to the wayside and treat wherever they are as a temporary playground of zero-consequences. This is a game I played for a while.

Then there are people who find themselves while abroad. People whose new perspectives allowed them to view their lives with a more critical eye. People who were able to develop new goals, acknowledge the things and people they truly value, and, overall, change the way they interact with the world for the better. I was honored to interact with friends who were able to do just that. 

Put simply, whether you desire an adventure, recognition, or fulfillment, it is impossible to tell how your world will change when you decide to live in another country, even if its only for a few months. 

Third, I would like to address the bright future. 

Having just graduated with a degree in English and a fistful of dreams, the possibilities are quite limited. My best bet is to apply for graduate school and get a Master’s degree in composition and potentially live the life of a professional academic. While this is, in general, a plan I would like to stick to, I’m not too keen on jumping right back into academic life. This fall I will be applying to the JET Programme and a variety of other English Schools in hopes of returning to Japan to teach English. Hopefully I will be able to get a position in northern Japan so I can spend my spare time volunteering with the relief effort. 

As far as this blog goes, the future is less certain. I am no longer a black guy in Tokyo, nor will I be one when I return to Japan. Furthermore, posts since my return to the US have been much less than frequent (this is one of the first in 5 months). That being said… meh. Thanks for reading.

Towa Tei - Milky Way

The Back Horn - Tozasareta Sekai

Jero - Otoko Naiki 

Aight… so a black guy singing traditional Japanese Enka music. If you don’t know Jero, you’ll know him soon.

Green Tea Cola? Aight. 

Let laughter ensue.

TiRon - Boys and Girls

I always thought that someone should rap over this Doom beat. I didn’t think it would be this dope though.

When the prospect of visiting a Japanese Six Flags presented itself, I thought “meh.”

Then I remembered that everything in Japan shits on their American counterparts. For example: Japanese McDonalds tastes like real food (for the most part). Japanese Christmas doesn’t pretend like its about more than commercialism (happy holidays). Japanese record stores actually still exist (fuck you itunes and best buy). But I digress.

Fuji-Q highland is an amusement park that sits at the base of Mt. Fuji. This is important because I spent a lot of my time there staring at the mountain. 

The most disappointing part about Fuji-Q is that photography is not allowed in any of the most interesting attractions so for most of this entry you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Fuji-Q houses 3 full-size coasters of which I was able to ride 2: Fujiyama and Eejanaika. Fujiyama is tall. Tall as fuck. Seriously. I think I tasted the ozone layer when I was at the apex. Eejanaika is one of those fancy 4-dimensional coasters. While there are many disputes in scientific and mathematical circles about what the 4th dimension actually is, it seems that Japan has it figured out. Spinning. On Eejanaika, your seat can spin vertically resulting in a ride that was only a little less disorienting than watching a visual kei band perform. 

There are also many interactive attractions such as the multiple scavenger-hunt type buildings. In one, you play characters from Sengoku Basara on a mission to collect enough weapons to survive a final face-off with Oda Nobunaga. In another you play crew members of the White Base as they attempt to collect upgrade parts for the Gundam before an unknown enemy blows them up. Basically, this involves running around a completely decked out ammunition store house/space ship and swiping a card/infrared sensor at access points to see if you’re lucky enough to get something you can use. The best part about these attractions is trying to avoid stepping on all of the children that take it much more seriously than the other adults present. 

Finally, there was the haunted hospital. I know that there are many people that respect Japanese horror. I also understand the psychological elements that Japanese horror plays with and why many find it to be terrifying. However, I grew up in a country where you get terrorized by the nightly news. That being said, I’m sure that this place could have been boxer-browningly scary IF I wasn’t with a bunch of friends and IF I wasn’t a big black guy.

The haunted hospital was like a haunted house. You walk through a building filled with creepy noises with people popping out at you every once in a while. Only now, you’re in a hospital. A place that plays with the balance of life and death. And its haunted. Soo…. yeah, some might shit themselves. The issue here is that at points where the zombie/possessed/diseased doctors and patients are supposed to jump out and chase you or grab you, they don’t. Cus you’re a big black guy. A big black guy walking with 4 other foreigners. They are more afraid of you than you could possibly be of them. Its kinda funny when you think about it.

Also, fuji-q loves Christmas.