Journal

A narrow and oft-crowded chain restuarant at which bowls of ramen and other greasy delicious food is served for cheap prices. The cheapest dish is "Bikkuri Ramen," a bowl of the basic for 180 yen (about $1.50). I eat there around once a week, for better or worse.

The station at which I get off each morning to walk to school. A small station, just a platform, so only certain trains stop there. Pictures and information about Gotenyama are available in my collection of photos and from this train station list.

Short for "Kansai Gaidai University," where I'm studying. Located in Hirakata city, Osaka, Japan. "Kansai Gaidai" is short for "Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku," which means "Kansai [this region] Foreign Language University."

The train line I ride each morning (from Neyagawa-shi to Gotenyama). I found a website listing every stop on the Keihan line (with pictures).

The city in which I live, and the name of the train station I take to school each morning. Pictures and information about Neyagawa-shi are available in my collection of photos and from this train station list.

What I call Tamiko Asazu, my Japanese host mother. Japanese for "mother" or "mom." Hobbies include tole painting and travel. Runs a clothing store and ticket shop with Otosan.

What I call Kenji Asazu, my Japanese host father. Japanese for "father" or "dad." Hobbies include hunting wild boar and bicycling. Makes daily bike trips to central Osaka city to buy tickets for the ticket shop he runs with Okasan.

The little narrow restaurant right around the corner from my homestay run by a friendly mom-and-pop and seemingly frequented by the same crowd every night. Lively atmosphere and excellent food. A favorite hangout for the neighborhood yakuza.

The Japanese bath. Deeper than what you're probably used to, and used in a different way too. I mentioned it in the "How to Keep Warm in Japan" entry, but there's better and more information in the Wikipedia "ofuro" article.

Japanese for "souvenir." Omiyage is commonly purchased for friends and family whenever visiting or returning from a trip or big outing. Shops designed just for omiyage can be found anywhere, and take up a large portion of station shopping centers. Food — candy and snacks, especially if the region you're visiting has a famous variety — is the most common. Trinkets and incense and the like are perfectly acceptable but not as delicious.

Japanese gangsters. There is a low-on-the-pyramid yakuza office on my street, in front of which one can regularly see lackeys running around directing traffic and large men in suits gathering in the mornings to visit their currently jailed brethren. The boss of the office lent me skiwear one night at Takeshin's.