Ah, Japan

So, I'm finally here, and have been for a few days actually. Classes start on the 21st. Yes I know that's a Saturday, but its really not that uncommon to have Saturday classes or practices in America either. Until then I have orientations and placement tests and free time. My roommate and I went to Asakusa the other day after some school scheduled event or other that I don't even really remember now... Funny how that works. first we went to Sensouji, which is a beautiful Buddhist temple in an older district, which is set apart form other temples (I think anyway) by the fact that they let you go into the main temple area where the Buddhas and the statue of Kannon, the river goddess the temple was built for, are enshrined.



Then we wandered around for about an hour trying to get to Tokyo Sky Tree. This thing is incredible. You can see it from where I'm living now actually, but really it's the second highest building in the world, and when we finally... and I do mean finally, it was hot outside and we'd been walking for almost three hours by the time we made it there, it was awe inspiring to just look up at it from the base. Don't expect to go up inside it for free. There are two observation decks, and the lower one costs 2,000 yen to go to, the upper one 3,000. One nice thing is that there is no need for reservations. You can just show up and get a ticket as long as they are open. Also there is an aquarium and a mall on the bottom five floors, and the basement includes a train station, so if, like us, you are tired at the end of a long day sightseeing, you can get on the train to go back to your hotel, or apartment or dorm or wherever it is that you're staying.