DAY 6: The first day on campus

FIRST FOGGY DAY

     Monday. The first rainy day in Tokyo so far. Today we had to get to the center of the city where the main campus of Keio University is located. It takes approximately 35 minutes on metro from the dorm to the Mita campus. In the morning Kotani San met us leaving the dorm and kindly notified that it was raining outside and we could borrow some umbrellas. We thanked him for hiss kindness, but decided to go without an umbrella. People say, that in summer there is real rain here in Tokyo, so everyone should better carry one around. I have noticed, that in front of some buildings and supermarkets there are boxes with umbrellas. Apparently, those are free to take and use. 

MITA CAMPUS EXCHANGE STUDENTS ORIENTATION

     The Mita campus is located in the center of Tokyo, close to the Mita subway station. The ride from our dorm to there is 16 stations and costs 380JPY one way. The campus is well integrated with buildings around, so it is not so easy to find it.

East entrance to Mita campus of Keio university

     As usually, me and Ondrej were extremely prepared, so to find the correct location, we simply followed a group of exchange student who were heading to the exchange students orientation. We arrived 5 minutes late, but somehow no CEMS students were there... We figured there had been something wrong. After looking at some info papers we had from before, we figured out that CEMS orientation has started in another building 10 minutes ago. We rushed out and luckily the other building was not far away. So we arrived there 10 minutes late - great job doing creating such an important first impression on other CEMSies and especially on Japanese people. 

     The orientation itself was nice and useful, with 10000 papers to fill in and more to turn in later.

CEMS Students orientation

CAFETERIA

      After the orientation, we had some time to have a look at the university cafeteria. We managed to find the building. Looks quite similar to European Menza. You take a tray, then pick your dishes and then pay. The prices are acceptable, however the choice is very strange for a European. Additionally, the plates are small as well as portions, so I ended up with 5 different plates on my tray. There is also a possibility to take a "special menu". I had a piece of meat, miso soup, coffee, salad with some meat, big bowl or rice - everything for 555 JPY. Quite a good price and tasty food. In the middle of the room where everyone is eating there is a table with chop sticks, spoons and lots of spices and sauces. 

     After you are done with eating, you have to first separate your used items: put hashi to a box with hashi, spoons to another box. All the plates remain on the tray and you simply put the train on a machine that automatically takes it away to the kitchen. 

     The school hasn't started you, so the cafeteria was quite empty. I guess at the "rush hour" it will be really packed. Let's see. 

REGISTRATION IN THE CITY HALL

      Upon arrival in Japan, everyone has to register in the period of 14 days. Otherwise there is a deportation possibility or a find of 200000 yen. 

     Today was the day we wanted to have it done. So as usually Ondrej and me have decided to follow our CEMS colleagues who lived in another dorm to the registration hall. 

     The registration hall is located 4 stations down our subway line from Hyoushi station. When we arrived there, friendly staff have showed us that there was information available in English (and Portuguese by the way). When we came to an English info desk, an elderly lady but in a great shape has approached us. SHe asked in perfect British-English: Would you like to register your residence in Japan? THis was the first person I met in Tokyo who spoke English so good. She was really helpful and started to explain how to fill in the form which was completely in Japanese. In a few minutes she figured out, that our guys and us did not live in the same dorm. So it turned out, that we were again at a wrong place... Second time in one day! We needed to go to another registration office, which was located 4 metro stations away... The lady was once again nice to print out a map for us and explain everything in detail. 

     In half an hour or so we were close to the place. But as the map she had given us was not so detailed, we were not sure to which building we should go. So we entered one. It turned out to be a hospital or something. We have asked how to get to the place we needed, the guy there asked if we spoke any Japanese. Than he came out from his desk and said to follow him. We came out of the building and followed him. In a few minutes we were already entering the correct building, still following him. He asked staff there where we could get some info in English and a staff member has showed us a way. We thanked the gentleman as it was really nice of him to show us the way. 

     One of the employees there spoke English too and she was able to find samples about how to fill in documents in English. Even though the samples were in English, we struggled for quite a long time... Until we saw some guys from our dorm with Kanae, a Japanese student and a residence assistance at the girls floor. We were now safe! It took us another 15 minutes to figure out how to fill out other forms. Then we simply gave them and needed to wait. It was an electronic queue, so we were assigned a number and had to follow the screen until our number would show up. The wait was around an hour and we appeared to be the last people at the whole registration hall. But we did it! It was done! The toughest thing was accomplished!

At the Ward office

JAPANESE RESTAURANTS: OKONOMIYAKI

     As Kane was really nice to spent 3 hours of her time helping us at the registration office, we all decided to invite her for dinner in a traditional Japanese restaurant that she would pick. She was not exactly sure where to go but finally she remembered a good place near our home base - Hiyoshi station. 

     I would never be able to find that place without here. We entered. The place was packed with people, most of them were sitting on a floor and eating from low tables. We took a normal table with chairs. In the middle of the table there was a huge frying pan. So the concept of the restaurant: cook it yourself. You receive a plate of ingredients that you choose. On top of it is usually mean or fish. YOu start by frying it. Then you mix all the other ingredients in the plate. After you put those on the pan too, trying to create a fat pancake. Then you put already cooked meet that you started to fry before on top of your pancake and flip it around. Then you add dried tuna skin, soy souse and some spices on top, cut it and serve. Ready to go! Really fun and inexpensive place with a great concept! I suggest everyone to try a place like that! Here are few pictures and vids from a place.