Last night at the conference center and...TOKYO!

Well, last night was our final night at the conference center, so we decided to do it up large. We hopped on a bus down to the local town, and myself, two other Canadians and two Americans ended up at some bar in an alley. It was quite hidden. There were only two customers in there when we arrived, and the 5 of us filled the remainder of the seats. It was literally a mom and pop shop, very little English spoken. So we pointed our way to beers and sake and just had a blast with the other customers and the owners. It was pretty fantastic. There were also Japanese game shows on TV, one of which had a bunch of animal names as options, including "sea dog" and "water horse." What?!

Anyway, we managed to get back to the conference center without getting lost, so that was a plus. The early morning today was not pleasant though. However, there was plenty of good news when I awoke: We were finally going to Tokyo, and we could see Mt. Fuji (couldn't get a great shot, but the best I could do is posted below).

We got bussed to Tokyo, where we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Despite the ridiculous transit system here (what?!), I managed to get to my stop no problem. Finding the school and the lab were also similarly straightforward. The campus is pretty big, and very nice. Also, the lab space is great, as is my host researcher. No shoes allowed though, and there's a bed beside my desk for those late nights at the lab!! I hope they don't expect that from me...I'll sleep at home, thank you very much.

My host researcher then showed me to my residence. First of all, the rent seems to be subsidized, because it's only about $630/month, utilities and internet included. I have my own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, desk, and balcony! It's really really nice, and I don't find it small or anything, which I was worried about. The surrounding area is actually very quiet and residential. It's a little out of downtown, so there isn't that hustle and bustle feel to it. All in all, I'm very pleased with my situation, and am very excited to be spending the next two months here. Tomorrow after work I'll explore the surroundings a bit, and Thursday I'll be heading into Tokyo proper for some more exploring. For now, it's off to dinner with the lab. I'm finally here!!