#t: Kyoto's Rot

[anotherluciferclone]

tag dump - verses and timelines

v: Containment Breach Fearing discovery and retribution from the Arc Knight Lewin Light, Dennis flees the academy to escape with what little life he has obtained for himself. Then, for reasons unknown, he winds up right back where he's started - yet, somehow, somewhere entirely different at the same time.

v: The Blazing Star After spending the entirety of his life being told that he will one day sacrifice everything for Lucifer so that he may live in Assiah in peace, Dennis asks why. More pointedly, he asks what in Assiah has captivated his father so much, and if he can go out to see it for himself. The request for this self-led pilgrimage is approved, and Dennis is placed under the surveillance of Renzo Shima as they both set out to attend True Cross Academy and the Order's cram school.

t: Turning the Page Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set within the early chapters, when the students are pages working towards the rank of exwire. For all intents and purposes, Dennis is human presenting and comes from a rich family living off the coast.

t: Crossed Wires Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set after the class collectively achieves their promotion and become exwires. The real tests for them have begun and Rin's demonic heritage reveal sets a tone across the board. Dennis remains steadfast in being human, despite being something less than.

t: Kyoto's Rot Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set during the Impure King arc, as everyone is reeling from the truth about Rin while also dealing with the rising threat of the Impure King. Dennis is finding himself drawn towards his fellow nephilim, unable to ignore the kindred spirit even though - socially speaking - he needs to stay away.

t: The Illuminati's Light Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set during the Shimane Illuminati arc, Dennis remains at True Cross Academy while Renzo kidnaps Izumo and returns to the Illuminati. For once in his life, he is truly free and on his own, but for the sake of appearances he returns to old stomping grounds to save his so-called friend.

t: Snowfall Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set during the Beyond the Snow arc, Lewin's presence and investigation around the Illuminati puts both Renzo and Dennis in hot water. Panicked and afraid, Dennis attempts to flee everything before he can be captured. By doing so, he finally reveals his demonic heritage to the others, and is faced with choices he'd rather avoid altogether.

t: A Long Night Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set during the Blue Night arc, Dennis is back on the Dominus Liminis with Yukio and Renzo. He resents everything, especially Yukio for forcing his return, but Dennis faces everything back home as bravely as he can to keep up appearances.

t: Tattered Clothes Connected to The Blazing Star verse; Set during the One Cloth arc, Dennis has escaped the clutches of Lucifer and the Illuminati, and swears fealty to the Order of the True Cross finally under the pretense of dying on his own terms, for himself, rather than for someone who has never loved him.

[krys-in-the-playhouse]

OC Brainrots #3: Miri and Memories of the Eight of Us

Welcome back to OC Brain Rots, where I go off about an OC of mine and whatever it is that caused them to tickle my brain at the moment.

Have decided to have the brain rot posts here, with the intros and the first two entries staying on main. All rots will be on my OC masterlist if you want to read the previous entries!

For this brain rot, Miri's been on my mind as of late thanks to these asks from Oliver ( @olivermorningstar) and then I happened across the audio drama 'Memories of the Eight of Us' on my watch later playlist on youtube and now I'm really in my feels with Miri and the Obey Me boys, so that's the reason for this brainrot.

If you want, I highly recommend watching/listening the drama, especially if you wanna be put in the mood for some wholesome Demon Brothers shenanigans. I'll post the link below!

For the basic gist of it, the bros are visiting the MC in the human realm after the release of the Miss Em plushies and are considering some fun things to do with MC on their mini vacation in Kyoto. They all take turns imagining different scenarios with MC. I'm inserting Miri and her reactions/participation ideas for these scenarios. Spoilers for the drama down below~

Mammon, being Mammon, he wants to go to the horse races. He fantasizes about winning a whole bunch of money from racing bets, but the brothers shoot down the idea. For me, I just imagine Miri wants to see the horses because horses are cool! If she has the speak to animals charm (because she would want it, Solomon teach it to her, she's begging!) Mammon would try and see if she could use her magic to see who was gonna win the race (as if that's a deciding factor), but she gets caught up in the horses' camaraderie of letting the oldest horse win because he's gonna retire after this race and they all looked up to him and respected him and Miri is brought to tears because it's such a moving story and places her bets on the old horse and wins big. Then it was Mammon's turn to cry as he bet against her (bc he didn't believe her/thought the horses were joshing her/some other reason to bet against her) and she just wins so so much money because she knew how the race was rigged, lol.

With Asmo, he wanted to visit a famous movie studio and then everyone could have some fun cosplaying as samurai lords. A scenario plays of samurai Asmo stopping a robber (Mammon) from stealing MC's purse, then giving MC a token as a remembrance. I just had a cute picture of Miri in a pretty pink and purple kimono with lots of layers as she's playing the part of a noble lady/princess that Asmo rescues and it was cute to imagine.

Levi wants to go to the manga museum while Satan wants to take MC to various other art museums. She would try to placate the both of them because manga (comics in general, really) is art too, so she'll want to go with both of them to the museums! Maybe introduce Satan to some manga he might like or point out older art pieces that helped inspire this or that mangaka to Levi. She'd have a great time regardless!

Belphie initially wanted to rent out a house so they could nap on the porch in the gentle breeze, but everyone thought that was boring, so he settled on pottery classes instead, where they could make their own teacups and paint them, which was also shut down bc of Belphie's not so great art skills. I think Miri would love to paint some teacups with him, it'd be so cute, no matter their art skill levels! She'd treasure those teacups! Y'all are just mean!

Lucifer (with everyone's leeriness about his suggestion of a factory in the anime) suggests a famous well said to be an ancient portal to hell. He wants both to check it out for Diavolo's interest, but also thinking of it as a way so MC can visit them/they can visit MC without having a drain on their magic. All the brothers try their best to not let the well idea win, but he does bring up some good points. No one wants to lose to a hole in the ground, so they decide it was best to let MC choose their adventure. But, not gonna lie, Miri would have interest with the hole in the ground too, sorry guys!

Beel, throughout this entire conversation, is thinking out loud about food, talking about various kinds (meats, seafood, can't forget the veggies either). Everyone else takes it as Beel being Beel and writes it off, at least until MC comes back home.

He had mentioned wanting to be the first to greet MC when they came back, causing the usual ruckus of all the brothers wanting to be the first to greet them, but, surprise, surprise, Beel gets his wish as the first words out of his mouth (after all the other brothers crowd around MC with their ideas of a fun vacation idea unprompted) were 'welcome home.' Not only that, but his mentions of food weren't his usual fantasies, but he was planning out dinner for MC, even making special mention that he didn't take bites in between cooking because he wanted to be sure they had enough to eat first. Me and Miri both teared up at his thoughtfulness, especially if she had a hard day of sorcerer lessons and human life in general.

The other brothers soon fall in line in saying welcome back/welcome home to Miri, making her tear up a little more and smile so big, feeling so loved in this little moment with her family.

And now I'm caught up in my feels too, so I'm gonna stop this here. Thanks for joining me on this feels trip! See ya in the next brainrot episode!

[mrskurono]

Utahime and her younger s/o (who is also a teacher at The Kyoto school) role playing teacher/student is making my brain rot. Utahime wearing the slutty school girl costume, her tits barely contained in the white shirt. You have her clit grind against yours with a vibrator inbetween. The pathetic excuse of a white shirt becoming transparent as you suck her nipples over it. Groping & spanking her ass under the skirt. Then stopping the vibrator before she could come for “punishment”.

With the way her kimono sits on her like, I will not be convinced that Utahime is not sporting a wonderful set of tits ok. Like, she is packing and hiding it from us. God I wish it were early 2010 so we could have shameless bikini art of them and a beach episode with nothing but books T^T

Mommy Utahime just looks so wonderful in her too tight blouse. Of course you bought one just a little too small so she’s really busting out of it in the best places <3 And the way you insist she doesn’t wear a bra under it. Her breasts a little saggy but those delicious dark nipples taunting you from under her thin shirt. There’s no way you can keep your mouth off them. Not while her head is thrown back and her hips are working at the toy between the two of you. 

Just leaning over and giving her nipples a playful bite to bring her back to reality is all <3 Utahime would gasp and press into you. That slight pain replaced with pleasure as you swipe your tongue over her nipple and latch onto her. Nursing at those wonderful breasts of hers as your hands roam all over her body. Pressed together and grinding against one another as her sopping wet cunt is leaving quite the mess on you and she hasn’t even cum yet <3

[andtheywereroom-mates]

reunions

They both stare at the door in front of them. Dagny is sure it is about to burst into flame with how hard Hikari is glaring at it. However, she has known him long enough now to see past this, to see the way his clenched fists are trembling at his side. Gingerly, she places her hand over his and feels him relax, if only slightly. He meets her eyes and she can see all the anguish he kept locked tight raging on the surface. She smiles warmly. “We only have to do this if you’re ready.” 

Hikari blinks, wondering if his sister knew how much she resembled their mother when she smiled. He draws several deep breaths. There were five flights out of JFK to Kyoto that night. He glances at his watch. If he left now, he would get through security in time to possibly board on two. He draws in another deep breath, closes his eyes, and cocks his head to the side. Behind the door, he can hear three voices, no...a fourth, low and almost imperceptible. He can sense two chakra signatures and the same ethereal energy Dagny had in the south side of the room. As always, he could never quite sense his mother, like she’d cut herself off from even this most base recognition. 

This sensation sends him reeling again so he focuses harder, knitting his brows. Down the hall, the sound of a mop sloshing along the tiles can be heard. Below them is the clamor of security pacing the floor of the lobby, ten of them, further still, outside, he can hear cars stopped in traffic, six consecutive honks, and three cars screeching the brakes. Dogs barking, a rickety shopping cart clattering on the uneven sidewalk--one of its wheels are stuck, the person pushing it coughing once, twice--

“Hey.” He opens his eyes and finds Dagny standing in front of him, gripping both his arms. She knew her brother would lose himself in the tangible when he felt himself losing control of his emotions. “We can leave.”  

Hikari can feel himself coming back to his body. He is so grateful to her, not just now, but all the other times she had graced him with this unworried compassion. Before he can think too much on it again, he wrenches the door open and walks inside. 

It’s a familiar scene, though not to his eyes. The love and warmth in the room is almost palpable and suffocating.

 His eyes fall first on Dagny’s father. She was right--they really were were all mirror images of their fathers. He is setting the table, mouth turned up into a mischievious smile as he speaks, though Hikari cannot register what he’s saying. It doesn’t escape his notice how he is at once part of this scene, and apart from it, patchworked into the happy home. 

On the couch is his other sister, one of the prized three, the chosen children. She is laughing, untroubled by the world, secure in this haven of hers, punching the arm of the man beside her on the couch. 

Hikari grits his teeth at the sight of Zabuza. He knows his face too well, had agonized over it, over his history with so many unanswered questions. He imagines him experiencing a joy he never deserved all while his father was bleeding out, succumbing to this final grief the only way he knew how. 

And then, there she is, rounding the corner with a plate piled high with memories. Lazy sundays rolling the dough for vatrushkas, his mother’s hands affectionately guiding his. Their laughter as she chases a rowdier, more playful version of him around the island, flour catching the sunlight as it is tossed about the kitchen, coating them both. Feeling untouchable on her shoulders, fingers knotted in her curls, as they made their usual trip to the dango shop after the market. There had never been a moment she was not smiling, where she was not enveloping him in her outstretched arms. Back then, she had been his sun, had showed him all the ways to play and love and his world had been infinite. 

But as she flashes that same smile at her family, as her eyes soften at those she chose, he reminds himself the most important lesson of all: nothing stayed. Whatever he had hoped to gain from this reunion, shatters apart within him as all of his most cherished memories warp and rot at the sight of his mother before him. He is seething, and she must sense it because she meets his eyes and he revels in the horror in them. His thoughts threaten to overtake him. He casts an apologetic look at Dagny. Poor Dagny...she had hoped and hoped to envelop him with all the love that had been stripped away. She had worked tirelessly, patiently building him up for this moment. But she had forgotten that despite everything, she was of this world and he was not. As he turns back, he relinquishes years of meticulous control to his demons, to that unspeakable need to destroy, and the sound in the room snaps back into his system. 

[zee-isaiah-pugnacious7-blog]

In Defense of Junpei Iori

I want to start off by saying this is my own thoughts on the character. Whether you like/hate this character is your own personal opinion; respect my opinion, and I will respect yours. Thank you.

So, Junpei. The token comedy-relief/best-buddy of Persona 3. Friendly, funny, charming and sharing the same voice-actor as Edward Elric (plus several others), he is one of the more memorable characters of the series...

And yet... a lot of people seem to hate him. More often than not, some people comment that he’s one of the most annoying characters in the game! 

Ironically, my boyfriend--- who first introduced me to the Persona series--- was the one who brought up Junpei being a lousy character (He later took it back after noticing how similar the character is--- not even joking, they have similar issues at their homes). But it wasn’t because he thought Junpei was annoying--- it was mainly because... well, Junpei sucked on his team. 

My Boyfriend: Good luck having Junpei on your team. He wouldn’t follow my commands, kept dying, blah blah blah...

Me: *after playing the game* Dude, Junpei is a tank on my team! I’m not even giving him commands, and he’s helping heal the group, he can take a blow, yadda yadda...

(Maybe they can just tell when a girl is playing the game XD)

I get the feeling that’s one reason why people don’t like Junpei--- they have trouble with him on the team. ...Then again, if that were the case, wouldn’t everyone have at least one [other] character they hated having on their team? I guess, depending on the equipment, commands and experience, the characters you choose vary in performance.

...But c’mon guys, how many of us got angry at Mitsuru and her overuse of ‘Marin-Karin/Tentarafoo’? THE COMICS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Me: Okay, Mitsuru--- the Shadow is weak to Ice. Watch me use Bufu. *casts it, destroys enemy* See? Easy. Use Bufu skills. BUFU skills.

Mitsuru: MARIN KARIN!

Me: F*CKING DAMMIT, MITSURU, YOU’RE OFF THE TEAM! 

*ahem* So, yeah, no one’s perfect ^^’

But combat-performance isn’t the only reason I see people hating on Junpei. Like I said earlier, they find him annoying--- maybe they think he’s too much of a pervert (ironic in a game where you play as a guy/girl who can f*ck several people), or maybe they think he’s an idiot (Who’s playing this game, Yukari?), but more often than not, there’s a couple things that always come up...

Junpei’s want for attention, and how he gets jealous of the Protagonist.

Lets start with the fight for attention. During the first mission, Junpei is quick to rush ahead, trying to prove his potential. (And this may be a little late but I’ve never seen all the movie adaptations yet *only the 2nd one* so I’m just going by the game storyline). Clearly he wants to be in the spotlight, and *at first* sees fighting Shadows as some sort of game, up until he realizes just how serious it really is.

But think about it--- before awakening to his Persona, Junpei was a regular teenager. The creators themselves mentioned that Junpei was a crucial character because he acted like a real teenager--- cracking jokes, getting excited about having this power... I mean, how would you react if you were a high school student and found out you had a rare power? You’d be pumped, wouldn’t you?

Meanwhile there’s Akihiko, Shinjiro, Yukari, and Mitsuru who awoke to their Personas early on (for crying out loud Mitsuru awoke to hers when she was just a little girl! She was a chibi with power!). They managed to understand the concept of their potential--- and, since they had serious stuff going on in their lives, took this responsibility to heart. (It really hits you in the feels with Shinji’s case)

Now look at Junpei’s life--- living with an alcoholic father, having little skills and low grades... chances are, he was putting on a mask *no P5 refs intended*; behind that comedic behavior and charming smile was a teen struggling with depression, feeling like he was going nowhere in life. (You all saw his moment with Koromaru in “The Answer”). He awoke to his Persona--- not because he had some ‘mission’ to fulfill, but because he wanted to find a purpose in life.

AndthenhemeetsChidoriandfallsinlovebringinguphisdreamsofbeingabaseballplayerthenshediesinordertosavehislifeandyougethitwiththefeelsandhefindsanewreasontolivegaaaaaaaahhhhh---

Sorry! Got off-track for a moment there!

Point is, the moment he gets his Persona, he feels a rush of excitement, like his life has purpose after all! (This is emphasized after Strega encounters the group, bringing up that once the Dark Hour is destroyed everyone will lose their powers). So of course he’d want to ‘show ‘em what he’s got’ and try to impress everyone, because he’s trying to prove his self-worth.

Now lets bring up the part where he gets jealous of the Protagonist. 

I can hear you all, “Of course he’s jealous--- the protag is a badass who gets all the girls and is acing the exams, etc.* SHUT UP. JUST. SHUT. UP.

First of all, think about the FIRST time you play the game--- where your stats are at an ALL TIME LOW. Your intelligence is ranked at dumbass, you’ve got as much charm as a piece of cardboard, and you have less courage than Scooby Doo!

So you’ve got a guy with zero intelligence, minimal charm, and zip courage... and yet all of a sudden he’s elected Team Leader just because he--- big shock--- awoke to his Persona and *gasp* fought Shadows! Just. Like. Everyone. Else. 

Granted, there were reasons he got the Leader rank--- Mitsuru had to stay behind at the start in order to scan for Shadow activity, Akihiko’s arm was broken, Yukari was having confidence issues, and Junpei was the new guy---

Wait a minute! The Protag was the new guy too! Why was he elected leader? Why couldn’t he and Junpei have had a rock-paper-scissors tournament to decide? What, was it because Junpei wasn’t ‘serious’ enough? I’m pretty sure putting him in a responsible position would get him serious! (...or he’d abuse his power, much like many did when playing the game *cough*BikiniWarriors*cough*)

“But the Protag can use more than one Persona!” you may argue, but I’m talking about the very start of the game--- before you start your Social Links and start acquiring more than 1 Persona (and leaving poor Orpheus behind to rot lol). Like, out of the blue, Mitsuru just says “You can be Leader until Akihiko gets better,” ...then after Akihiko heals up, it’s like “You can keep being leader, you’re doing a great job.”

Okay, maybe I’m overthinking it. If Protag didn’t get the role of leader, we’d have no gameplay. Lets stick with Junpei. 

Granted as the game goes on, your stats do improve by the time you get to the Hotel. And thus when Junpei gets jealous--- everyone fights these two massive Shadows... and the Protag is getting most of the praise. Despite any reassurance you give him, he still gets pissed and ignores you for the week.

(Me: Nuuuuuuu! Junpei, come baaaaack! I’ll buy you ramen!)

And of course this is where a lot of people consider Junpei to be annoying, for throwing a b*tch-fit about the Protagonist being hot-sh*t. 

But, lets re-analyze what I mentioned before--- fighting Shadows is all Junpei considers himself good for. Heck during this time, he realizes he’s going to be a senior by the next year... and then what? What is he going to do with his life after high school?

Also, lets bring up the fact that he’s fighting Shadows with a well-respected valedictorian (Mitsuru), the captain of the boxing-team who has fan-girls surrounding him at the start (Akihiko), the most popular girl in school (Yukari), a girl with a rare Persona who helped her survive in Tartarus for 10 days/hours (Fuuka), and an emo-hunk every woman wants to sleep with (Protagonist). 

DO YOU SEE WHAT HE HAS TO COMPETE WITH?! Throw in a robot, dog, kid and the baddest of the badasses, and you’ve got a lot of pressure on your shoulders! *granted they don’t come in until after the beach trip, but still!*

Keep in mind, these are all high-school students. If there’s one thing I remember about being in high-school, it’s that I wanted people to like me and achieve at something. There was always someone much smarter, more athletic, more creative, and more charismatic than I ever could be. (...I can hear you all making fun of me for being a geek right now. Go on, laugh it up!) 

Junpei got jealous because the New Kid became a kick-ass leader (...depending on how well you play the game...) and he’s working his a$$ off to make something of himself in order to cope with a bad home life, lack of academic potential, and whether or not he’ll have a future after graduation. 

He wasn’t just jealous, he was suffering from anxiety. If he was the least-anything on the team, he lost his motivation. It’s no different than feeling depressed because someone believed you ‘weren’t good enough’ at something. 

I believe many of us have gone through that. It really hurts, and sometimes lashing out at someone who’s ‘better’ than you is the first response; other times you just shut yourself out from others, wallowing in your self-pity, trying to figure out if you’re worth anything...

But there’s something Junpei does that not many people do.

He realizes his mistakes and apologizes. 

He realizes he rushed in too fast during the first mission, and asks for a second chance when the group goes to rescue Fuuka. 

He realizes he was faulting the Protagonist for no reason *kinda like I did a minute ago* and apologizes to him for it. 

Junpei: Sorry for being such a d*ck to you...

Me: *choosing option* Don’t Worry About It.

Junpei: *softly* Thanks bud.

Me: *while fainting* Friendship saved~! 

(okay okay, that’s the last of the fan-girling, promise!)

As the game goes on, his character development gets better. He doesn’t even try to act like a class-clown that much after meeting Chidori (as Fuuka said, he acts more like a gentleman). ...It’s only during the trip to Kyoto that he reverts back to his perverted nature :P 

(Saying it now, DAMN THOSE HOT-SPRINGS!!!)

Moving on.

It isn’t until near the end of the game that we really see him change--- and we all know the reason: Chidori. 

You’ve all seen what happened, so I’m not going into detail here! 

Point is, her sacrifice was what really helped him wake up--- he developed a new reason to not just get through life, but LIVE it. The love of his life didn’t want him to just give up--- she wanted to see him achieve his dreams and be happy. 

After that, Junpei once again apologizes to the Protagonist, letting go of his jealousy and relying on his friend to help get them through this battle against the Dark Hour. 

Because there’s a double meaning to the ‘Dark Hour’--- it’s not just some creative title for Tartarus appearing, but an analogy on how everyone is going through their darkest moments. Losing Chidori is Junpei’s Dark Hour--- and he needs his best friend to help him get through it until it’s over.

Then comes Ryoji, bearing the bad news that Nyx is coming... 

This is where I really noticed a change in Junpei’s character. He’s scared, but reacts with anger rather than humor--- everyone’s losing someone already, then all of a sudden everyone’s going to die. 

Yukari, ironically, tries to crack a joke in order to try and lighten up the tension... and Junpei blows up at her! The vice-versa of the beginning of the game! 

This is proof that Junpei had been hiding his real emotions the whole time--- once things got serious to the point where its all ‘Oh f*ck we’re all gonna die’, he dropped his class clown charade. 

“He should’ve been serious from the start!” you may argue... 

But, lets face it, we had ENOUGH serious characters--- no-nonsense Mitsuru, training-focused Akihiko, hardass Shinjiro, truth-seeking Yukari, vengeance-seeking Ken, humanity-learning Aigis... geez I think Koromaru and Fuuka were the only ones not dead-serious about something! 

As mentioned, Junpei was using humor in order to cope with things; he let out his anger at Shinjiro’s funeral, but once the grieving period passed went on with his humorous behavior, keeping enthusiastic because it was his only defense. Losing Chidori was probably his breaking point--- finding out the world was going to end in two months drove him over the edge, and he just couldn’t take it anymore.

But, he chose to fight, alongside the others, even if there was a slim chance of success. He didn’t want to give up. He wanted to try--- and succeed. 

So I ask again... why do people hate on Junpei? Maybe you all have your own reasons outside of the ones I’ve listed--- whatever they are, it’s your opinion, I can’t tell you how to feel. This is just my thought on him.

Because, if you think about it, in some way we’re similar to the character. We often hide our real feelings until we just can’t take anymore. We get jealous of others, we get depressed when we can’t find a purpose in life. 

But many of us still want to try.

And I believe we shall succeed. 

Just don’t give up. 

[yesyunniechan]

Detective Conan File 1002 [Japanese to English Translation]

The criminal is... Tengu?

[Te... Tengu?!]

Se: The tengu appeared in Agata-san's room?!

S: Yeah...

S: It was like in the movie with SFX!

Se: And then? What happened to the Tengu?

S: It burned up and vanished after Agata-san threw an ashtray at it!

Se: B-burned up and vanished?! So it really must be SFX?!

S: Agata-san said that he wanted to return to his room after Nishiki-san was killed in order to get some rest, but he couldn't catch any sleep...

S: He tried to drink himself to sleep in the bar, but drank too much and got dead drunk...

S: When he came back to his senses, he'd returned to his room... He wanted to have a smoke, but felt a strange presence when he was lighting his cigarette, so he looked up at the ceiling and...

[A tengu appeared at the hotel’s ceiling...!! Shinichi and Sera’s deduction..?!]

S: Saw a gigantic tengu glaring down at him from the ceiling...

S: So he fell from his chair and screamed...

S: Keiko-san, who was in the next room over, heard this and contacted me, and we managed to catch a glimpse of the Tengu after I rushed over here.

Se: He returned to his room without noticing it...

S: Yeah... He said he had a feeling someone helped him along on his way back to his room... 

Se: Which means that someone might have had a chance to set something up in Agata-san's room...

S: But there was nothing that looked like a film projector and could have been used to project something, right?

Se: What about the cipher? Was there another cipher? 

S: No...

S: Although, just as with Nishiki-san...

S: He got two lumps on his forehead...

Se: Speaking about lumps...

Se: Kurachi Keiko-san, the actress, also said that she got a lump when she fell during that one shoot, didn't she?

S: Yeah... They'd finished the film, but she asked the director to redo the last scene... and she fell during the retake they filmed a couple of days ago...

S: Now that I think of it, she did say that somebody might've pushed her from behind... She didn't have her hat on the last time I saw her, but her forehead did still look a bit swollen, so I think she really must have fallen...

S: Well, she was smiling as she was falling, like 'Kobutori Jiisan' from that one folk tale...

Se: Didn't Kobutori Jiisan have his lump on his cheek?

S: There are various versions that all differ based on their region, right?

S: More importantly, did the blood on the ceiling at the scene of Nishiki-san's murder really end up being his?

Se: No... the police examined it after you left...

Se: Only the center part with the splattered blood, so basically the blood that dripped on your shoulder, was actually Nishiki-san's blood....

Se: The rest was just paint that must've been put there beforehand...

S: Just as I thought!

Se: Also... we thought that the murder weapon that was used to stab Nishiki-san was buried underneath all those scattered script pages... but we couldn't find it...

S: Meaning that the criminal should still have said murder wea...

S: R-Ran? What's up?

R: Oh, nothing at all!! Just, you know, the fact that you and me french kissed in London, what's all that about?!

S: Haah?!

So: Nakamichi-kun keeps blabbering on about it in the weirdest kansaiben! "Those two had already shared a big smooch!" <3

S: A-a, n-no, see, that was my voice, but it wasn't me...

[Flashback]

R: "My voice, but wasn't me"?!

So: Why are you using kansaiben?

N: Shinichi-kun said so, right? 'When in Rome, do as Romans do'...

Se: By the way, why are your sleeves folded up like this? 

S: Heh?

Se: If your sleeves are pestering you, you'd usually roll them up like this, no?

S: A-a, w-well...

Se: That looks like...

Se: A little child had to wear it...

S: B-Ba-ro, that's impossible...

R: A...

R: The poster of that movie Keiko-san stars in...

So: But I suppose it won't premier after what happened to Nishiki-san, the scriptwriter...

R: Yeah...

Se: What was it about?

S: The edo period... There was an officer by the name of Kuranosuke at the Kyoto magistrate...

S: He was troubled that he had no rare valuables to present to the Shogun-sama... Upon hearing this, his wife, Mana, gave her husband Aralia leaves that were giving off a golden glow and said... 

S: "This is the Aralia I found while I was picking out wild plants! They're divine, so I'd always pray with them between my hands, but I brought it for you, dear"... 

S: "This will make the Shogun-sama happy" Kuranosuke was thankful for Mana's help, but...

S: After that, a mysterious demon appeared in the city of Kyoto and started eating people night after night...

S: That happened because that Aralia served as a seal for the Tengu that sealed away said demon long ago...

S: So then a Tengu appeared by Kuranosuke's bed...

S: "The demon fears that the one who set him free might try to seal him away yet again...

S: And is thus trying to find that person and kill her..."

S: "And if your wife lets that demon eat her while hiding the Aralia leaf in her pocket, it will seal the demon away again..."

S: "My body has already rotted away, and I exist only in the form of a thought, so this is the only way we can do it..."

S: Kuranosuke refused, saying "I'd rather die than sacrifice her!", so the Tengu laughed and replied... 

S: "Hoo... you're willing to give your own life? Then hold these Aralia leaves in your hand and jump from the Kiyomizu temple's stage... that should open up a path...'

S: Kuranosuke believed the tengu, jumped from the Kiyomizu temple's stage, and became a tengu himself, giving off a golden glow...

S: He saved Mana, who was about to be eaten by the demon, and elliminated it with his tremendous magical powers, but...

S: Because he'd become a tengu, Mana couldn't see him...

S: The weeping Mana, whose husband had suddenly disappeared from her sight, heard an echoing voice...

S: "If you want to meet me, bring Tengu flowers to the Kiyomizu temple's stage, on an evening that the autumn leaves are brightest"...

S: Mana heeded these words, and she arrived at the Kiyomizu temple's stage grasping the flowers known as Tengu Kuwagata...

S: Kuranosuke, who'd become a tengu, appeared, and she asked...

S: "But why did we have to meet at sunset? If we'd met while the sun was at it's zenith, I would have been able to stay with you longer"...

S: And Kuranosuke answered... "My face has turned red out of the anger for that demon, and my body is covered with its red blood... Yet when everything around me is just as red, I can at least hide it a bit, don't you think?'

S: Then, after they'd shared a goodbye kiss, Kuranosuke disappeared into the darkness of the night... 

S: Sad story...

So: Awesome!!

R: How come you know that so well? 

Se: It hasn't premiered yet, right?

S: Yeah... actually, this movie...

S: Is an adaptation of an art project they did while they were at the Gion University of Arts...

S: And this story's out there on the internet!

S: Well, looks like all five of them ended up becoming famous because that art project was really popular... So it's difficult to imagine that the criminal might be one of them...

R: By the way, when I met Keiko-san at the Kiyomizu temple's stage...

R: She flew the pressed flower to the wind! Maybe it was the tengu flower from that story... 

S: R-really?

R: And she whispered 'Wait, Dekuri-kun... Soon..."...

S: Why Dekuri-kun? That guy isn't part of the staff...

R: Mana and Kuranosuke exchanged a kiss... Kiyomizu temple's stage...

R: I wonder... Maybe Shinichi wants to share a kiss as well?

[So, class...]

[Starting this afternoon, every group will be allowed to do as they wish...]

[After finishing the course... you should all return to the hotel by 6 PM!] 

N: Oi, heard that, Kudo? You can use a selfie stick at the hotel's public bath to spy on the girls half!

S: Really?

TN: Ffs Shinichi 

N: Well Sera... Has no breasts, but...

N: Spying on Mouri would make for a great snap, don't you think?

S: W-well...

N: "Well"... You... didn't bathe with Mouri after that kiss, did you?!

S: T-there's no way I could do that, right?!

S: I did as Conan though... 

S: Hm? A call from Hattori?

S: Oi... did something else happen?

H: It’s a mess...

H: The media is rushin' to the hotel and makin' a huge fuss! 

H: Since the one who was killed yesterday was Nishiki Tarou, who'd won the Naoki award...

H: It caused a major media circus, how're thing on yer side?

H: Did yer sensei tell ya to cancel the field trip and return to Tokyo?

S: It's fine for now!

S: Looks like the teachers are keeping what happened a secret from the students... The room Nishiki-san was killed in and the rooms where the students are staying are far away from one another after all...

H: Can ya escape them for a bit?

S: Eh?

H: Those four said they want to talk about the Dekuri guy that created the  cipher, but the media is makin' too much noise in the hotel, so... 

They're thinkin' of sneakin' to the restaurant they'd made a reservation at for lunch...

H: I'll head there with the police, but what 'bout ya? Ya wanna listen to 'em yerself too, right?

S: Which restaurant is it?

H: A Ryotei called Isogiyama of Ponto-cho!

R: Where should we eat?

Se: Those fruit sandwiches yesterday were delicious!

So: Then today...

S: How about... Isogiyama at Ponto-cho?

R: That's our Sonoko!

R: Although at first we were originally turned away because there were too many reservations...

N: Suzuki-zaibatsu's great!

So: Well, yeah~

Se: Hm?

Se: What? 

Se: What's this round fence made out of bamboo?

Se: Other restaurants have stuff just like this...

N: It's a trend  here in Kyoto, isn't it?

M: This is...

M: Inuyarai...

M: They say that it's meant to ward off thieves by renderin' them visible at from the road... But it really just keeps dogs from markin' their territory...

R: Momiji-san!!

So: Do you know her?

R: Yes! We met when me and dad travelled to Kyoto before...

TN: EAT IT MOVIE 21

Se: Huge boobs...

M: Friends of Ran-san? Yer all wearin' the same uniform...

R: We're here visiting from Tokyo for a field trip...

M: Heeh... Tokyo?  

M: Thank ya for comin' out from yer countryside to our place! <3

So: C-countryside...

S: We're from Tokyo, the capital...

Se: What should I eat so that mine will grow that big?

M: After school, I had some free time after school this afternoon, so I was thinkin' about havin' lunch at this restaurant... Wanna go together?

R: Momiji-san is a student of Kyoto Senshin High, right?

R: Then maybe do you know Okita Soushi-kun?

M: Ah, yeah... That kendo boy is in the same class as me...

R: Really?

M: How 'bout comin' inside and continue our talk there?

[Tengu!!]

R: Eh?

Sc: A tengu appeared on Kiyamachi street!!

S: A t-tengu?!

P: Ayanokoji-keibu... There's word that a tengu has appeared on Kiyamachi street...

H: That's nearby...

A: We gotta do somethin' 'bout that dimwit...

P: But looks like there are a number of them!

H: What?!

N: O-oi... You'll protect us, right?

A: Yes! We'll have to leave for a bit, so please don't go anywhere!

M: O-okay...

K: That's kind of scary...

A: Y-you won't let them run away, right?

H: Yeah! Have no worries!

S: Oi-oi-oi... 

Se: How many of them are there?!

S: Nakamichi! Let's catch everyone!!

N: Ok!

Se: Ran-kun, back us up!!

R: O-okay!

So: Wai... Wait..

.

So: Don't leave me here~!!

T: Hihhihihi...

I: Young Miss... How are you?

M: Fine...

So: Who...

T: Shit... ya caught me....

H: What the hell are ya plannin'?!

M: Heiji-kun!

T: I was recruited through the internet! If y'all put on a tengu mask and run along Kiyamachi street, ya will get 1,00,000 yen in advance! And if ya don't get caught by anyone in 30 minutes, ya will get 1,000,000 yen.... 

H: Is this true?

S: Oi, Hattori! Are those 4 alone in the restaurant right now?

H: Damn! We have to get back!!

S: This time it's the actor Ihaya-san...

H: His carotid artery was cut...

Se: And he's got two lumps again, all the while lying upside down...

H: What a weird criminal though... They spent their time prior to the murder leavin' those footprints...

H: And then they musta called this man out and killed him...

S: No... 10 minutes ago, when we left this place...

S: There were no footprints here, right?

[A serial killing is happening in the ancient city... What is the meaning of ‘Tengu’ here?!] 

[aintneverhadfriendslikeus]

Spindle: At most tourist attractions we had visited so far, the principal languages provided were Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean in that order. Domestic tourism is as lively in Japan as in any other large country, but it is the Japanese ponies' views and uses of English that tickle my ears.

In particular, certain English words like "new", "cool" and "open" have entered the vernacular Japanese lexicon, either as-is or transcribed into katakana. They don't see it as a watering-down of their language, but rather as a spice giving "sophisticated" flavour, all while the average grasp of general English remains relatively poor, which I find ironic. In a rush to embrace the world, do they understand what they're dealing with?

Parcly Taxel: Translation of Japanese text is now much improved, however. From the tallest tower to the smallest stall, you can expect the strings to be accurate, concise and above all understandable.

Spindle: Acknowledging the drudgery of work, the Japanese love out-of-the-ordinary challenges of all sorts, and now we would go on one ourself. There is a restaurant, Steak Otsuka, only open for 2.5 hours from 11:30 each day, and not at all on Thursday and Sunday. Waiting times of up to two hours have been experienced. My mouth was watering, so off we went…

Parcly: The two-day pass I had bought for Kyoto did not cover JR lines, but a standard ticket of ¥240 to Saga-Arashiyama (佐賀嵐山) from the central terminal was cheap enough. Arriving ten minutes before opening, the patch of waiting chairs was close to overflowing with ponies, and we entered ninth on the waiting list. Had we caught the previous train, we would very likely have sunk our teeth in much sooner.

Instead, we found ourselves the first group left outside after the initial bunch populated interior seats. "Never mind, we're up next, this shouldn't take long!" Except that an additional clause was present: the place would close as soon as they ran out of stock. I had snagged a similar early-bird meal at Lake Toya, but could I do it here within metropolitan confines?

Spindle: A windigo's field of vision is larger than a pony's, but split into two. The edges are blurry, meant for identifying targets during a hunt, while a narrow centre strip allows clinical precision in handling the prey itself, being limited only by diffraction.

While our stomachs rumbled, I had a look around. The restaurant is at the end of an alley terminated by railway tracks. Bicycle parking lies on the opposite side, bordered by rotting wooden beams that give way to sheet metal. The soundscape, besides chatter from waiting ponies, is dominated by passing trains and chirping birds. If it was hot and popular inside, it was cold and somewhat unsettling outside.

Parcly: Eventually, it came! I walked into perfect arrangements of cushions on heated floors, placing my order as soon as I was seated. The A5 steak I got sizzled with its juices, remaining soft and consistent after the sizzling stopped. Paired with a thick sauce, various vegetables and rice, I could feel the steak creeping into my dreamspace even with eyes open.

Perhaps that was my day already.

Applejack: At lunch? Taking a siesta in the cold? Are you a wishy-washy alicorn wasting in eternal comfort?

Parcly: I was joking. Actually, let me tweak a few neurons… there.

Applejack: So where did you go afterwards?

Parcly: Around Arashiyama and through its bamboo forest. The trees are taller and fresher than similar examples I've seen in Taiwan, and any excess growth is cut down to demarcate the trail's sides. A few temples and shrines are nearby, such as Nonomiya (野宮神社), but we deferred the cultural sightseeing to later.

The trek helped digest whatever food was in my belly. With afternoon in full swing, I returned to Enmachi Station (円町) and then took a bus to Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺), another component in Kyoto's World Heritage Site system.

Princess Celestia: This place is also known by its star attraction, the Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku (金閣寺). True to its name, its second and third storeys are coated with gold foil shining as bright as my sun above a sky-blue lake, with islands and pure rocks poking holes in an otherwise flawless fabric to suggest a rock garden. The ornament at its pinnacle is a phoenix, the same species as my pet Philomena.

Such is its positive radiance that among the ashes of a great war a monk burned it down, then attempted to burn himself along with it. He failed in the latter and was banished for arson; the pavilion was rebuilt within five years.

To the genie of the moon, surely you weren't feeling full after completing a full tour of the premises?

Parcly: It did start to set in by sunset, yeah?

Celestia: Teehee. I can tell you collapsed on your bed after so many hours rocked in crowded buses and across photo spots.

Parcly: Drifting towards my dreamscape, I asked Spindle to bring me dinner from a store of her choosing. She returned with a beef burger and onion rings, which recalled the steak I'd been conditioned to. It induced enough salivation in my mouth that I woke up without any intervention and chomped down on everything.

The Keihanshin was often mocked by high-class ponies from Edo before the Meiji Restoration. Those from Kyoto, for example, ruined themselves by their dresses – the mesmerising kimonos I encountered, among others. Those in Osaka, the last city on my itinerary, ruined themselves by their food. Such preconceptions persisted for some time in my mind, but I switched them off, one by one, leaving Luna centred in my third eye.

[johangraffiti-blog]

What “them” say about us

“to have a second language is to have a second soul”

- Charlemagne 

Introduction 

Some roam the dark woods of youtubes outlandish side, the chatforums and craigslist articles in a state of boredom mixed with an emerging need to communicate with someone and unfathomable curiosity. We know these people. They discover groups and digital communes that would rather remain undiscovered. Sometimes joining them, sometimes starting them, but always silently. A double life, no exposure, secrecy. Or thats how it once was. Something happened. Someone must’ve said no. Whatever happened, it happened rapidly - one moment later we have conventions filled with human sized, stuffed - “human-stuffed” - animals (aka the furry-fandom), we have grown women in school-girl outfits imitating a troublingly oversexualised, 15-year old Japanese comic character (cosplay schoolgirl fandom), and we have THEM, who were until recently known as a group of graffiti artists with strange make-up - but there is much more to THEM.

They are by far the strangest creatures among us. Similar to the groups still remaining anonymous somewhere out there in deep, they hide. (The only difference is that they have real big problems following it through). What we knew is that they exist, we’ve seen their lettering online somewhere, sometime. Then, more and more - here and there and suddenly everywhere. Office buildings in London, slums of Kyoto, on a wall 40 meters from Meccas Kaaba. Offline.

 Theories about THEM exploded: it was whistleblowers, Rothchilds, the new world order, nazis, aliens seeking world domination, or just another ‘social experiment’ designed by a couple of college students. I was convinced they were a group of spraypainters. It was everything and nothing - it was all smoke and smoke doesn’t disappear until someone opens a window or blows it away.

And then channel 5 the video that went viral. Click here or view below this post

It is the media. Ever since broadcasting had been invented in the 1920s, the media was doomed to pave the way to what intellectuals these days call fake news. Having to face a decrease in popularity due to the internets faster communication methods offline news purposely manipulate information to the extremes - for attention. Attempts to identify the tipper have failed, he is completely undercover. Even in an era of possibilities, it is seemingly impossible to prove his point. 

Seemingly, a key point is at disregard concerning this whole issue - whilst everyone is distracted solving the true or false question, no one has confronted the possibility, no ones asked “what if?”. An atmosphere of ignorance is uncovered when we forget that these borderline groups are but bones in our societies anatomy. Broken bones - ones we stopped caring about, forgot and left to rot. This brings me to my key question:

How does a language reflect modern issues? or What “THEM” say about us

       Needs, wants and priorities of individual cultures are often represented in their language. It’s vernacular reflects concepts, indicated by the composition of words they chose. The most common example is that of the Inuit, the peoples occupying the Arctics’ frosted wastelands. Their language evidence for their habitat - as it comprises of more than 50 different expressions describing the same thing: snow. No other language, including this one, has such a significant arsenal for describing what is essentially frozen drops of water. Ironically we don’t need to travel that far north to illustrate an argument regarding a plethora of words for the same exact thing. Found in the British Isles, countries known for their predominantly wet and cold terrain, are 100 different dialects for expressing either light, heavy, windy, frosty, brief, sudden or stormy rain. This means, whilst I will be incapable of conveying an equal amount of information about ice or snow in this language as an Inuit may in his, native South Americans, residing in the driest countries on earth, will find themselves in exactly the same situation regarding rain. 

What this means in the context of THEM is really quite simple - if the anonymous interviewee is right about the interpretation of their symbols, being all about “escape, anonymity and isolation” then thats what plays a big role to them - it’s their snow.

So, by not paying attention to those in shame, by disregarding the isolated, among us exists a new sort of marginalised group.

This one is not bound by race, faith, sexuality. This one isn’t created by a hierarchy, a border or a shared history. It is international, it is seemingly impenetrable and, paradoxically, even though it is present, it is invisible. And its ways of communicating are scarily similar to a group of people, hidden in the shadows until just recently. 

Let us talk about Polari. 

       Picture central London, 1951. Top hats and pea-coats swarming a densely packed nightclub. Two men stand at the bar, a coy exchange of looks through the sea of hats. The younger approaches the older, lights a cigarette, leans against the bar and politely asks for a drink. Intense eye contact as this moment is decisive - the boy hadn’t asked in a language just anyone would understand. He had asked in a language for people who lived on the margins of British society. He had asked in Polari. 

noun: Polari; noun: Palari; noun: Palare

1 a form of theatrical slang incorporating Italianate words, rhyming slang, and Romany, used especially by homosexuals.

Being gay in the 1950’s in Britain wasn’t easy

Personal relationships had been left in shattered pieces following the war - sisters lost their brothers, mothers their children and children their fathers. Around 300.000 British soldiers were killed, 70.000 citizens in airstrikes. Just let that number sink in for a second. The war on terror is good enough reason for some people to avoid airports, trainstations and Christmas markets - 2.977 people died in 9/11, 138 in the bataclan November 2015 Paris attack, 11 in the Berlin Christmas market attack of 2016. 

Fear is very real and, by avoiding those places, people still live in fear now.

Imagine the fear felt during the second world war - the rate of casualties feeds on your own hope of mortality. Any hour could be the next, could be the last one you live. So people began living in the moment. One finds himself perhaps experimenting, craving, discovering a new beautiful lust in these apparent last moments of light. Even in the armed forces homosexuality wasn’t frowned upon “with Britain seriously threatened by the nazis forces, weren’t fussy about who they accepted” 

(source. 1)

But then, victory, the war was won. Structure rose from the chaos and old values were reasserted. So-called family values, with the traditional heterosexual build-up. The silent generation gave way to the baby boomers, child births were on the rise. What happened in the war stays in the war - and so the wartime indiscretions were pushed under the rug, needed to be forgotten. Among them the new sexual curiosity. Being gay was now a lot tougher than before, in the chaos.

Just 4 years after the war a British survey revealed that the general population was disgusted by homosexuality. Drag was banned until the mid 1950’s, simply sitting around as a cross-dressed man would get you arrested.

In 1963 the number of “homosexual offences” skyrocketed, with over 20 times the amount it was in 1921. More than 2.000 gay men incarcerated for living out their instinctual desires. (source 2.)

It also had something to do with laziness on the polices side, as they were conscious of how easy it was to arrest gay people. Gay people aren’t real criminals - often shy, polite and terrified of being arrested - but generally speaking never violent. It was an easy arrest for any officer trying to avoid a rough situation, hence their name in the Polari language: Betty bracelet. Feminisation of their own character was a common referral in Polari, yet the gay predominantly male community knew the police would deem that new title an insult. The slur was underlined using a clever innuendo, drawing comparison between their handcuffs and womens’ jewellery. 

The executive wasn’t the only society the Polari felt rightfully threatened by - leading to the slow fading into the shadows of the their current civilisation. In medical terms, by most professionals of the time, men laying with other men was defined as a mental illness, often resulting from an overly dominant mother. Interestingly enough, one may interpret this belief as a way of enforcing the behaviour of the straight people as well. It would enforce the patriarchy, as a sort of warning to women, not to be overly bold, confident and assertive. 

Away from the horribly cruel practice of chemically castrating discovered gay men, a new form of punishment was introduced as the 1950’s continued - aversion therapy.  (source 3.

It was dubious to say the least and demonstrated such ignorance of the working ways of the human brain. Men would be shown images of those they loved, those they found attractive or wanted to court whilst being exposed to electrical shocks or vomiting by forcefully injecting substances into their system - a nightmare. 

Then there was the media, which built its hatred using police and medical strategies as a foundation. Gays were criminals hence they were ‘evil men’ (source 4.), a connection between them and pedophiles was often drawn - apparently a strong theory as some people actually still believe in this correspondence today. (source 5.) Said theory was another piece of propaganda supporting the conservative family structure, with extra protective responsibility placed upon parents, in fear their children might fall victim to a homosexual. 

Concluding, the British government, media, medical profession, the not mentioned church and most importantly the law constructed a prison limiting the self-expression and personal development and completely marginalising the gay community in the mid 20th century. All of this in hopes of eradicating homosexual behaviour - an attempt to stop interaction. A failed attempt.

Polari was born - a way of covering ones footsteps from any and everyone, except the like-minded. Being a reflection of marginalisation in society, Polari and the just recently emerged languages’ differences are mostly legal. Theres no law, except that of vandalism, enforcing this new groups identity. The media is onto them, but instead of portrayal in a purely negative light, THEM are embedded in way too much smoke for us to clearly see what they’re up to. There have been rumors of arrests, but this one again only due to vandalism - theres no actual crime being broken by their sheer existence - not like the British gay community of the post-war era. 

So then, why was this comparison made?

Legal boundaries may differ but we still have a group of people here that hide due to their anxieties towards the general societies. Due to whatever reasons, some say loss of jobs caused by automatisation, some say disconnection from real human contact caused by social media and theres a few other theories, these people isolate and seclude themselves, just like the Polari community. A conclusion can be drawn by the parallel established here: like 70 years ago, we, the general society, are at fault for creating this fear. 

        Another interesting aspect of modern societies is reflected by a newly found type of speech due to technological progress. Communication and technology have always emerged hand in hand. A milestone in the early 1400’s, Johannes Gutenbergs moveable printing press allowed the first ever euro-national mass production of a book in a time of emerging enlightenment, a time when more and more people started to read.  Newspapers were published, presenting new forms of communication - headlines, cartoons, editorials, columns; there was new paths to self-express as reading was turning into a form of entertainment for the first time in mans history. A perfect reflection of the then vanishing millennia commonly knows as the dark ages, characterised by a demographic, cultural and economic deterioration. 

Broadcasting in the early 1940’s marked the beginning of a time of fast-paced knowledge, wether it was the temperature or recent events in politics - the common citizen knew. Sports commentary, chat shows and news readings were only a few of the new forms of using language introduced - but it was also the birth of many concepts. In a time of increasing surveillance and public safety, citizens raised concerns about allowing these tiny figures on screens into their home - with worries of brainwash, government controlled news and faked moonlandings, the first dystopian novels were born. What Broadcasting reflected in its pure essence is the next form of enlightenment among western humanity, a faster exchange in knowledge, a questioning of what was true and false.

Along came the internet and computers, changing everything. This is where our new groups language comes into play. New conventions were established - abbreviations, emoticons, acronyms. We live in a time that moves faster than any documented era has before. Writing on a keyboard takes a fragment of the amount of work it once did with a pen, or even a feather. What used to be a full letter and then a phone call is now just three abbreviated words on a screen we all carry in our pockets: “wyd” (what you doing?) Tweeting and texting have come along, giving us the most modern forms of new language yet - for the first time being limited to a certain word count resembles the fast paced time of slow attention spans we find ourselves in - something new has to happen, all the time. We have become addicted to the constant feed of information going into us via the world wide web. Everything spreads like wildfire, for the first time in history a new language doesn’t establish itself over centuries but over minutes and hours. We now move and establish fast - just like the new vernacular brought into existence by the unknown. Its roots are seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time, just like the internationally famous three letter acronym, “lol”, which has replaced an entire generations digital form of laughter. 

             Identifying a few of modern societies’ traits via the emergence of “THEM” language lies in the simplicity of analysing the lingual priority - what words are chosen, what does the language revolve around. A fear of society, similar to the forcefully-pushed-underground gay society in the British mid 20th century, demonstrates the severity of what the movement is about: although isolated and in need for escape, they remain independent. They fear us due to reasons that are yet to be verified, yet reasons that have emerged with recent times - otherwise THEM would’ve existed earlier. Guesses are automatisation and therefore the loss of jobs, some say the replacement of warm human relationships by the cold distance of social media - in the end it doesn’t really matter which of these. It was us a society that created a problem and it must be us a society that wakes up from a trance that has created yet another marginalised community. If we take these points into consideration, accept our responsibility and instead of starting yet another witch hunt, get together and actually try to solve a problem we might be able to help. Technology has made us become fast in knowledge but short in attention spans and therefore writing. What we must not forget is that the faster we go and the smaller our words become to make time for other things, the more people can’t keep along with this sort of a pace. They will feel left behind. 

Anonymity is easily achieved on the internet, but is that really what we are aiming for? Being put into little groups along the margins of what once was a fully-functioning society in order to hide our faces in fear, rather than accepting our personalities and beginning to love ourselves. As we can see, with modern technology it’s extremely easy to create a new identity, even a new language in the course of minutes, yet fracturing the core of what makes our community - the shared values and morals present through language - will not help us evolve into something greater, but rather something even more distant and isolated than ever before. This is what the emergence of THEM teaches us about ourselves, that is how their language reflects our modern society. 

Maybe it was a hoax created by the new world order, perhaps even aliens or another social experiment created by design students. But it does not matter. THEM are a symbol,  an x-ray to our societies anatomy showing us the broken bones we did not notice.

Sources

1. Bbc.co.uk. (2019). BBC - WW2 People's War - A Gay Soldier's Story. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/36/a2688636.shtml [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

2. Butler, D. and Freeman, J. (1969). British political facts 1900-1968. London: MacMillan.

3. Glenn smith, Annie bartlett, Michael king, Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s, British medical journal, pp.427-9

4. Series of articles released under that name by the Sunday Pictorial in 1952

5. https://www.afa.net/the-stand/culture/2019/01/the-inescapable-link-between-homosexuality-and-pedophilia/)

6. SOLL, J. and Glorioso, A. (2019). The Long and Brutal History of Fake News. [online] POLITICO Magazine. Available at: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/fake-news-history-long-violent-214535 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

7. Pew Research Center. (2019). Political Polarization. [online] Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/political-polarization/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

8. The National Archives. (2019). Deaths in the First and Second World Wars - The National Archives. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/deaths-first-and-second-world-wars/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

9. BBC News. (2019). Berlin attack: What we know. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38377428 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

10. BBC News. (2019). Paris attacks: Who were the victims?. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34821813 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

12. Reallycoolblog.com. (2019). Introspection # 32: “Language as a Reflection of Society” – A Really Cool Blog. [online] Available at: http://www.reallycoolblog.com/introspection-30-language-as-a-reflection-of-society/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

Boinod, A. (2019). 

13. Cultural vocabularies: how many words do the Inuits have for snow?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/29/what-vocabularies-tell-us-about-culture [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

leonard England, ‘a British sex survey’, international journal of sexology, February 1950, p.153

14. Study.com. (2019). What Are Baby Boomers? - Definition, Age & Characteristics - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com. [online] Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-baby-boomers-definition-age-characteristics.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

15. Owlcation. (2019). Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press: Social & Cultural Impact. [online] Available at: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Johannes-Gutenberg-and-the-Printing-Press-Revolution [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVqcoB798Is&t=523s

[gothicashworld]

Rise and Fall Chp. 1

Chapter 1 Kyoto’s nightlife was vibrant. The human populace, of course was still active most hours of the night, typical for a large urban center. However, they were not the only ones to be out and about. The mysterious creatures, going unseen and unnoticed rushed around with their own tasks. Some were causing mischief and mayhem by making themselves visible long enough to give a poor human a heart attack. Other city-dwelling ones opened their shops for their human and otherworldly customers, hacking their wares loudly. And then, there were the malicious ones. The ones that were empowered by the forces of darkness, who saw it fit to have their fill of misfortune and death in more ways than one. That’s what AJ had been taught these past few months. When the last rays of sunshine fade from the day: that’s when Japan’s yokai come out to play. Or rather, most of them were nocturnal by nature. She learned that a few caffeinated beverages and constant movement kept her awake long enough to keep up with her mentor and -yes, she would say it now- boyfriend. “It’s this way.” He called out, a rooftop ahead of the girl. Another flying leap that most humans couldn’t possibly make, and the girl had landed perfectly. The painful shock to her legs faded momentarily; she’d grown accustomed to it over these past six months. “Riku, you haven’t explained this type of Yokai yet. Exactly what are we ‘exterminating’ again?” “For the last time AJ, I’ll tell you when we get there! It’s only five more buildings.” With a groan, she watched as he ran and leaped, sailing through the air and landing gracefully the next rooftop over. “Are you coming?” “Give me a second! Unlike cats, humans don’t always land on their feet!” She called back to him, and angled herself before backing up a few steps, and eyeballing it ran. This time she stumbled at her landing and fell on her knees. Luckily, having grown aware of the bad injuries that could come due to her human fragility, she was prepared. A pair of knee and elbow guards prevented her from smashing them in upon making an ill-timed landing, and her jeans had seen so many bad ones that she’d just made them into shoddy capris due to all the tears. Her boyfriend though seemed to forget this, as he rolled his bright blue eyes and proceeded to scoop her up! “I see your point.” Was all he said, against her gasped protests and proceeded to carry her the last four buildings before setting her down. “You know I could have made those jumps.” She sighed as she tugged down her purple tank top and gave him a flat look. “What, no thank you?” “Thank you. And you knew I could make those.” “No, actually, your legs were starting to give. You wouldn’t have made the next two. Now come on,” he spoke before she could protest the matter further, “It’s in the room below us. We have to exercise caution and precision.” “What is it?!” AJ demanded as they crept over to the side of the building, where a fire escape sat a good few feet drop below. “It’s called a Rokuro Kyubi: ‘The Rubberneck Woman’. They come in two kinds, and this is the less dangerous of the two.” Riku explained to AJ, cat ears twitching and tail flicking as he listened for something. “Okay, come on.” He beckoned her with a wave as he scaled down the wall and landed on the fire escape. AJ proceeded to follow suit, though her landing caused a slight rattle from the metal. “So what else do I need to know?” She kept her voice down as Riku examined the interior of the household through a window. “They feed on human vitality, or rather a human’s soul aura. They’re leeches, almost. It looks like a normal, beautiful human woman by day, but at night it extends it’s neck and feasts off it’s prey. They often target single men and feed off of them, or eat insects like centipedes. Sad thing is, I’ve exterminated some who actually fell into their masquerade and believed they were human. But they’re not; and with the balance shifting they grow hungrier. Thus why we’re here.” “I still don’t understand how you managed to track one down.” AJ said as Riku proceeded to cut the glass with a nail, and she covered her ears with a wince as his flattened. “Let’s just say I got some insider tips from a friend.” He told her as he finished. Riku then reached inside, unlocking the window and slipped inside, his partner following him in. Her boots hardly made a noise as she crept across the tatami mats, arm reaching behind her back already to grasp the hilt of her sword. AJ had learned from her encounters with the Nobiagari – a shadow-eques Daku Yokai- that this type could be deadly if no precautions were taken. He paused, holding up a hand and she paused, glancing around the inky black room. She couldn’t see anything, but he was a Neko-Mata. Being a cat, he could see things better in the dark than she ever could. “I don’t hear anything.” He whispered. “Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” “I’m unsure.” She knew he was trying to focus, and huffed. “I’ll go look down the hallway and take the rooms on the right. You take the ones on the left. First to find it, kills it.” Riku looked at her reluctantly, then sighed and nodded. “Very well.” And so, the two ventured into the dark hallway off to the side, AJ drawing her weapon and holding a flashlight, Riku lighting his hands with his ghostly blue fire. Both of them slid the doors open quietly on their side of the hallway, examining the room carefully for any sign of the yokai. It was Riku who found the bedroom first, sliding the door open and his glowing fire illuminated the darkness. He saw the futon rolled up, the body of a woman lying perfectly still on her back, but as he drew closer to get a better look, his blood ran cold. There was no long, stretched-out neck. Instead, the head was completely missing, looking as if it had been detached much like a doll’s head. Red symbols were around the smooth lines and his tail fluffed up. This wasn’t the Long-Necked type. This was something much, much worse. He backed out of the room, and whirled around upon hearing AJ’s voice. “Riku? Did you find-?” That was as far as she got, standing out in the hallway when a floating, screeching head zipped out of the room she’d only just been in and proceeded to attack her! “AJ!” Riku screamed, charging for her as she wrestled with the creature. In a split second though, she threw it off and back into the room, sliding the door shut and held it close as it slammed itself against her only line of protection. He let out a loud curse at the sight of their predicament. “GO! RUN!” He boomed, rushing over to AJ. “I’LL HANDLE THIS!” “No! Riku I’ve got-!” AJ protested as he pushed her out of the way, just as the head burst out and barely missed her, flying down the hall before making a U-turn and positioned itself. “I mean it AJ! Go!” “I can do this!” She argued, standing as she had been taught, lifting the katana as a green light flooded the blade. The metal vibrated as she forced her soul aura around it, focusing as the creature got ready to strike. It lunged with a hair-raising shriek, and AJ stood firm, eyes narrowed as it got closer… and closer…! Before she could swing her blade however, Riku teleported in front of her and swiped his fiery hand at the head, causing it to smash into the wall. It fell with a cry, writhing as blue fire engulfed it. “Riku-!” AJ snapped and was about to argue, but noticed her katana was staying charged! “Oh no, not again!” Riku looked over his shoulder at her predicament, groaned himself and grabbed his girlfriend, teleporting out as her katana fell and hit the floor. When they reappeared a short distance away, the abandoned building exploded! AJ sighed. “Why does that keep happening?” “I keep telling you, that you don’t have the control yet!” Riku snapped as he set her down. “What were you thinking?! Honestly AJ!” “I was thinking that I had it! Seriously Riku, that thing was-!” “A Flying-Headed Rokuro Kyubi! They feast on human flesh. AJ, that thing was hunting you in there and you could have been killed!” “But I wasn’t okay? It’s not like before when I couldn’t protect myself. Why can’t you trust me to actually use my freaking training against something?!” He didn’t answer her, and AJ sighed. “Fine. Let’s go home. Mission accomplished!” With a nod, he placed his hand on her shoulder and they vanished. However, nearby lurked an all-too familiar type of Yokai, who had been stalking the pair for quite some time. Everything was ready. Now all that was needed was to get the bait and set up the trap. ___________ “… Oi, Panko?” “Yes Ayame?” The spiky-haired fish Yokai looked up from the vase he was polishing. “You ever hadda problem choosing?” The Tanuki sighed, her thick ringed tail swaying as she sat on the countertop across from him. “Er, well that depends. What is it that you are having difficulty deciding on?” “Sweet or salty.” “I, beg your pardon?” “Sweet food or salty food? I mean, sure sweet is great, but it rots yo’ fangs before long! Savory is great too, but it lacks some of the right combo ‘a textures you can get.” Panko blinked. “I, would have to go with savory then.” “’Course ya would! You’re a fish, can’t probably even stomach the crap.” The Tanuki huffed and looked in between her snacks, shrugged and opened the two at the same time before devouring them both. The Taro Yokai only shook his head before continuing with his work. Only moments later, did the sliding door open with a loud clatter and both looked up to see Riku and AJ standing there, both looking unhappy. “Welcome home Master-!” “Will you just answer me already?!” AJ interrupted him as they marched inside, continuing their argument in front of them. “What’s there to answer?” “This is the third time you’ve pulled this stunt! I’m about to take down a yokai and boom! You jump in the way and do the work for me and we’re stuck buying me another katana because of all my pent-up soul aura!” “We’ll just have to work it out in tomorrow’s-” “Say ‘training session’ and I’ll sock you. Riku it’s been three months since I’ve done anything to do with combat on the field. You want me to be able to defend myself right?! So freaking let me for once! You’re not always going to be there you know.” “Yes I will!” Riku protested, ears flattening. “No you won’t! Not when I go home! Honestly it’s like you’re stopping me so I’ll have to stay!” There was a long, awkward silence before Riku spoke. “As long as you are with me, I’ll keep you safe. Goodnight AJ.” He then turned and exited the room, going into his. The girl angrily growled and threw her arms up. “Men! Honestly!” “Amen.” Ayame spoke between bites of her food. “It’s like my sister always said; ya can’t live with them, can’t get anywhere with them either.” “Right.” AJ sighed and sat at the kitchen island, putting her head into her arms. “… You mustn’t get frustrated with Master Riku, my Lady.” Panko finally spoke softly. “He keeps getting in the way of me defending myself. No offence but I’m nearly to the point of ringing my boyfriend’s neck.” “I understand, but, there is something more to that. It is not that Master Riku wants you to stay, he- well, how do I put this? He is afraid.” AJ blinked. “Afraid? Explain a bit more, please.” “Yeah! I gotta hear this one!” Ayame cheered with a smirk, both ladies staring at Panko eagerly. The fish yokai sighed and put aside his work. “Both of you, come with me. I will explain better once we are out of my master’s earshot.” They followed him into a backroom nearby, where the cleaning supplies were kept, and Panko pulled out a chest, with a cat paw and two tails arching in the background, with Kanji written on the paw. “What’s this?” AJ asked curiously. “This is the Tomoe Clan sigil. A sign of their power.” “I remember see’n that, whenever a procession went by when I was a kid. Before they all vanished ‘n stuff.” Ayame piped up as Panko made a few hand signs and mumbled something. The chest unlocked and he opened it, pulling out a few items. A half-burnt fan, a couple of toys and then a few photographs that had been singed. In the light from a swinging bulb above them, AJ and Ayame saw they were of many Neko-Mata, many looking similar to Riku. White hair, blue eyes but the colour was much paler in comparison to his own. “This was the head branch of the Tomoe; Lord Hiroshi Tomoe, his bride and mate Lady Nanami, and their children.” AJ looked at the woman, and saw resemblance in her boyfriend with her delicate, slender features and large blue eyes. “And here, is Master Riku.” He tapped a small boy standing apart from the group, looking sullen and depressed. “Hah! Well what do ya know, he’s a Runt!” “A what?” She looked at Ayame in confusion. “In our kind, it’s a term we use to describe yokai of Riku’s high-an’-mighty status being born weak and small. It’s actually a big slap in the face to your clan, an’ most were killed.” “That’s awful!” AJ gasped aloud. “Hey, it’s what the higher-ups did. Tanuki weren’t that cruel. His ma must’ve done some sweet-talking to get his dad to let him live.” “Indeed.” Panko confirmed Ayame’s theory. “Lady Nanami managed to convince Lord Hiroshi to spare him, but he was seen as unfit to bear the name of Tomoe. He grew up separately from his siblings, and all he did have was his mother. He also had another sibling who was born a runt, a sister named Kaira.” He showed her a photograph of Lady Nanami holding a tiny swaddled infant, little Riku at her side. “He was very close with her too. However, on her third birthday, tragedy struck; Master Riku was out on an errand for his mother and dawdled home. When he arrived, he saw his home aflame and his family-… well, he found his mother’s corpse much later, all of these possessions on her. His sister was missing, as was a few others, which is how the rumor that the Neko-Mata had left Japan started. Master Riku was an orphan, alone, and hurt by the event mentally. Thus, where his fear comes from; AJ, it is not that he wishes to make you stay, but he is afraid of being left behind. He is afraid of failing the ones he loves, and not being able to prevent their death or any harm that befalls him. That fear especially applies to you my Lady. Riku only recently got you back. He does not want to lose you again, and this time forever.” AJ sighed, processing this new information. “Okay, you made your point Panko. I understand now. But, Riku has to learn that, even if he wants to he can’t keep guarding me. One of these days I’m going to fight alone and win, thanks to his guidance but without his help.” Panko nodded. “Talk with him tomorrow. For now, rest my Lady. There is much to do tomorrow.” “Yeah, I���m gonna hit the sack. Sheesh, whatta story.” Ayame yawned, flashing her canines and proceeded to spook Panko as she waddled out of the closet. AJ followed suit, but her mind reeled over the events that had transpired. Riku was afraid of losing her, and being alone. She had been afraid to get attached to someone for the same reasons. She understood, a whole lot. Which meant that, since he’d helped her get over her fears, she’d help him get over his. Starting first thing the next morning. ____________________ AJ was groggy the next morning at breakfast. She’d had little sleep and an early rise, thanks to Ayame being a regular brat and getting her usual early-morning snack much louder than usual. “Well, look who’s up! Morning sleepy-head.” Ayame, bright eyed and literally bushy-tailed smirked as Riku walked out and sat down, saying a brief thank you before eating his meal. AJ was quiet, watching him and noticed some dark circles under his eyes. “Bad sleep?” She asked him softly. “Hm. Yes.” Was all she was answered with, another piece of food popping into his mouth. “Uh, we’re both pretty tired. Maybe we should skip training today?” “And what, keep you here a day longer?” His comment stung, and AJ scowled. “I’m freaking sorry, okay?! I had no idea you were scared of being ditched!” Riku whipped his head around to a shocked Panko, who nearly dropped the cups of tea he was placing onto the table. “M-Master Riku! I apologize, but Lady AJ needed to know the truth!” “I was going to tell her today.” He growled. “Nonetheless Riku,” AJ sighed, “A day off would both do us some good. A nice long nap and then, well, whatever we can think of doing I guess.” “As much as I would like to AJ, I have to go and pay the yokai who gave me my information on that yokai a visit. That thing could have-!” “For the last damn time Riku, I had it!” “Both a youse shaddup!” Ayame barked and they looked at her. “Honestly your lover’s spat is putting me offa my breakfast, so I’m gonna settle it for ya! Riku, she had it obviously so stop dwelling on it. AJ, stop trying to protest it, he got it okay?! Sheesh! What am I, your mother?!” The two shared a look, and knew that Ayame had a point. “Riku, look, I get it okay. I know how you’re feeling. It’s a little different but, I get your fear. But you gotta get over it, because what if one day you just can’t save me? I have to know how to stand on my own two feet.” “But you need to also know when you’re outnumbered and need assistance. A Flying-Headed is far more dangerous, as are other yokai. And with them growing stronger, even with your powerful soul’s aura you are still human AJ, and not a yokai yourself.” He told AJ immediately afterwards and the girl shook her head. “Okay, you got a point too. But right now, let’s just eat and go sleep some more, then get on with our day. Let’s deal with this later.” “Agreed.” Even if they fought and had different standpoints on the matter, AJ knew that Riku was just looking out for her best interests. Despite the fact that, at times it could infuriate her how he kept attempting to do everything for her. She wrinkled her nose when he leaned in and kissed her forehead once finishing his meal, standing up. “Panko, I am leaving the house. No one is to as well until I return.” “WHAT?!” Ayame screeched and his ears went flat. “Aw come on!” “Did I stutter?” He gave her a stern look. “I had plans today! Unlike you three I ain’t a homebody. Tanuki are social creatures an’ there’s a party my pal Koto is having.” “No Ayame. Living here with us, you are a target as well. And the fact that we may have been lead into a trap last night, means that my informant may be working for the wrong side.” “What’s the matter? Can’t trust an Itachi Yokai?!” Riku’s look said it all and the girl grumped. “Well, screw me then!” “You heard me Ayame. Do not leave the vicinity at all.” Riku warned and turned to AJ as she stood up. “You too. The seals I put in place won’t allow a Daku Yokai to come within three feet of the house.” “Are you kidding me? I just want to sleep.” She shook her head and sighed as Riku kissed her. “I love you.” “Mhm.” She nodded, and Riku pulled away, lips thinning out a bit and then he smiled. “That tired? Well then, have a good sleep for now.” He tapped her nose and then vanished without a trace. Ayame muttered insults under her breath in Japanese, which AJ caught. “Hey, language!” “Huh? How do you know Japanese?!” The human girl shrugged. “I just have for a bit now.” And with a yawn, she disappeared down the hall for her bedroom. Ayame stood there, dumbfounded. “Ya mean, all this time I’ve been calling her a monkey-butt an’ she’s known? Dammit. I thought I was being clever.” The Tanuki grumped, poking at her rice as she sat alone. What a way to start off a day.

[ytravels-blog]

Overview of 13 Days (24 Dec 2014 - 5 Jan 2015)

+ Tokyo (4 Days) + Osaka (9 Days) + Day Trips:   > Nagoya   > Mount Fuji   > Kyoto   > Hiroshima   > Kobe   > Amanohashidate

Pre-Trip Bookings

+ Portable Wifi: eConnect Japan (13 Days, SGD 83.93)

Book online, choose your pick up location(airport/hotel etc) and before you leave Japan, seal everything into the envelope provided and drop it off into a mailbox. Easy! They even provide a portable charger to charge the Wifi device.

+ 14-Day Japan Rail Pass: NTA (SGD 540)

My pass was purchase from NTA’s website, the prices will vary, depending on the exchange rate. Tip: wait for a better exchange rate to earn a cheaper price! A JR Pass voucher will be mailed to you and you have to exchange for the pass using that voucher at selected train stations. To use your JR pass, simply go to the counter near the gantry, show it to the conductor and he will let you in. For more details on the pass, click here.

+ Universal Studios Japan (SGD 88) + Express 5 Pass (SGD 68.40)

I purchased my USJ, tickets along with my Japan Rail pass. Which will be mailed to you. I also purchased an Express Pass, to skip the queues! More details on Express Pass, click here.

+ Ghibli Museum (SGD 24.35) + Satsuki and Mei's Totoro House (SGD 9.97)

These entry tickets were purchased from a third-party website, Bridge.jpn. They have Ghibli & Fujiko museum’s tickets for purchase, however, if you want to purchase tickets and you don’t understand Japanese, you can request for help in purchasing them. I requested help in purchasing the ‘Satsuki and Mei's Totoro House’ tickets and they manage to get them for me! 

+ Train-timings: HyperDia

If you want to know the exact timings and which train to transfer to, use HyperDia. It gives you the train timings, stations and platform numbers, so you don’t need to worry about getting on the wrong train.

-TOKYO-

DAY 01

Upon arriving at Narita airport, we went to collect our portable wifi device from the airport’s post office. After collection, we went to exchange our vouchers for 14-Day JR Pass at the basement. We have to purchase the Narita Skyliner ticket(¥2,500 pp) that heads to central Tokyo. 

Narita International Airport -> Hotel Mystays Asakusa (4D3N, ¥10,724 pp)

It’s approx. 1.5hours ride to the hotel’s nearest train station, Kuramae station. It’s a 5-10mins walk from the train station to the hotel. Around the area, there are 7-Eleven stores, noodles shops and a sushi store. If you want to head out to a mall, Tokyo Skytree is just 15mins train ride away. When checking in, I received my tickets for the Ghibli Museum and the Totoro House that purchased and requested to be sent to my hotel.

DAY 02 Harajuku > Meiji Shrine > Ghibli Museum 

We have 2 more friends that will be arriving in Japan in the evening, instead of just hanging around the area, we decided to head to Harajuku, the hip and fun area, it’s like Bugis street area but bigger and better!

Hotel Mystays Asakusa -> Harajuku Station (Approx. 1hr)

Our first stop at Harajuku is the Meiji Shrine! 

(Photo 1: Entrance of Meiji Shrine)

(Photo 2: I forgot what are these)

(Photo 3: Entrance to the South Shrine)

(Photo 4: South Shrine)

The place is just massive, there are so many areas where you can explore, but we didn’t explore every inch. After exploring the area, it was time to leave my friends to their shopping spree and for me to head to the Ghibli Museum! 

Harajuku Station > Mitaka Station (approx. 30mins)

There is a loop-bus service at the South Exit-Bus Stop #09. The bus comes at scheduled timings, check Ghibli Museum’s website for the timings. The bus fare is ¥320(round-trip) and the ticket can be purchased at the ticket machine just beside the bus-stop. You will receive a movie ticket after you pass your entry ticket to the counter. The place is just breathtaking, there’s a section where it shows the artists work process, a shop to purchase all the goodies! Sadly, I was too focus on the beautiful things this place has to offer and I didn’t take any photos.

Now, it’s time to go back to my friends and enjoy the rest of the evening with good food and company. Things to look out for, Daiso & Marion Crepes! There are just to many shops to head into!

DAY 03 Nakamise Doori > Sensoji Temple > Satsuki & Mei's House

Time to head to a shopping street!

Hotel Mystays Asakusa -> 仲見世通りNakamise Doori (approx. 20mins walk)

(Photo 5: Entrance to Nakamise Doori)

Greeted by this huge lantern and gate, we were there a tad too early as the shops weren’t open yet. Most of the shops would open around 9-10am and we were there at 8am. So we early birds head to the Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple and ask for a glimpse of our future.

(Photo 6: Entrance to Sensoji Temple)

If you would love to get some amulets for blessing, there are some sold there. If you are like us, wanting to know what’s in for you in the future, try the Omikuji fortunes. Don’t worry, they have English translations for it.

Here’s how to get your Omikuji Fortune:

1. Pay ¥100 2. Grab the metal box and shake it  3. Shake it till a wooden stick drops out 4. Remember the number on the stick and place it back into the box 5. Find the drawer with that number, open it and grab your fortune paper

If you receive a bad fortune, do not keep it! Fold and tie it on the poles that can be seen near the omikuji stations. Lucky for me, I got a good blessing!

With good blessing on my side, it’s time for a trip to Totoro’s friends’ house! (Wow, what a mouthful) 

Asakusa Station -> Satsuki & Mei's House (approx. 2.5hrs)

This attraction is near Nagoya city, thus the long travel time, but it is all worth it. The house is situated in a enormous garden and it alone is just so beautiful.

(Photo 7)

Let’s now take a look at the house..

(Photo 8: Satsuki & Mei's House)

Fan’s of Totoro would be amazed by how detailed it was when this was built.

(Photo 9: Entrance to the house)

(Photo 10: The father’s office)

(Photo 11: Calendar)

(Photo 12: A rotting pillar that was seen on the scenes of Totoro)

(Photo 13: Water well)

How amazing can this be, astounding details extracted from the movie. Before we leave this amazing place and garden, let’s have a last glimpse of it.

(Photo 14) 

DAY 04 Tokyo > Osaka

It is time to leave Tokyo and head to Osaka! We catch the 8.30am shinkansen to Osaka. (Tips: If you want to get good seats, head to the train station early and queue to get good seats! ) The ride to Osaka is about 3hours, lucky for us, we managed to grab some food before boarding the train!

Osaka Station > APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae (¥8,160 pp)

Thankfully, the hotel is situated in front of the train station, Higobashi station. After dropping our bags and freshening up, we met up with the rest of our friends at their hotel. Lucky for them, their hotel was situated across the Shinsaibashi shopping arcade and the place where you can see the very famous Glico man.

-OSAKA-

DAY 05 Nara Park > Todaiji Temple > Fushimi Inari Shrine

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > Nara Park (approx. 1.5hrs)

A place that everyone will go to is..Nara Park. Get ready, because there is a lot of walking to do, but you will know when you get to Nara Park, because there will be loads of deers walking around.

(Photo 15: Deer sightings)

(Photo 16: Its looking for snacks)

Be careful on where you step as there are quite a lot of its droppings. If you are feeling nice and want to feed the deers, there are pull-cart stalls around, selling deer snacks at ¥150. Keep those snacks safe as the deers will come and grab them if it sees it. Bow to the deers and they will bow back. Wave your hands to show that you have no more snacks, or the deers will bite your clothes.

(Photo 17: This deer ain’t happy about my no snacks sign)

(Photo 18)

Walking to the other side of the Nara Park, the entrance fee to enter 東大寺 Todaiji Temple is ¥500, but we didn’t want to spend it so thus, we look around the exterior. 

Nara Park > Fushimi Inari Shrine (approx. 1.5hrs)

As you exit the train station, you will see the entrance to the shrine across the street. 

(Photo 19: Entrance to Fushimi Inari Shrine)

(Photo 20)

(Photo 21: Look at the amount of people)

If you are here to conquer those thousands and thousands of steps and maybe even the peak of the mountain. I wish you all the luck. As you head up, you will see many smaller shrines on the mountains, maybe you could stop and pray for strength to complete your journey up the mountain. 

(Photo 22: Half-way point of Mount Inari)

Climbing it to its halfway point, is a great view. I didn’t complete the hike all the way up but I guess it will be a magnificent one.

DAY 06 Universal Studios Japan

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > USJ (approx. 35mins)

The day all thrill lovers have been waiting for. USJ has definitely surpass everything from my past trips to theme parks. The crowds were crazy as it was the school holidays in Japan, lucky for us, we purchased our tickets beforehand. We rode those rides included in the 5-Express Pass first. After using up the 5-Express pass, we had to queue for the other rides and a popular ones takes about 2-4hours to get to your turn. If there was a roadshow, the rides near the show will be suspended until the show ends. The time we have all been waiting for is here, the entry to the Harry Potter World. The time slots are indicated on the ticket that you purchased.

 (Photo 22: USJ, Harry Porter Wizard World - Hogwarts)

This was the highlight of the whole trip, bringing the magical fiction to life. The ride was in the castle and oh boy, I was more than amazed, I was lost for words. In this world, you can purchase the ever so famous, Butter Beer, don’t worry there is no alcohol in it. If you purchase the large one, you’ll get a cup which you can bring back home.

In this world there are the wand shop, where you can buy the wands that looked like the ones the characters used. The candy shop, where you can buy the chocolate frog, the crazy jelly beans with weird flavours and etc. You may even buy the uniforms from each of the different houses.

Ending the day with the spectacular roadshow.

(Photo 23)

(Photo 24: Cinderella)

DAY 07/08

Since half of my friends are heading back to Singapore soon, we decided to just chill and go with flow. Most of what we did were, shopping, eating and looking for gifts

DAY 09 Okunoshima island > Miyajimaguchi

Our first location on New Years Day is, Okunoshima island, otherwise also known as the ‘Rabbit Island’. It is situated near Hiroshima region.

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > JR Tadanoumi Station (approx. 3hrs)

When you arrive at the station, head to the convenience store beside the train station and buy rabbit food, if you want to feed the rabbits, as there isn’t any feed sold on the island. Getting to the jetty is just a 5minutes walk and signs can be seen to guide you there. When you get to the jetty, purchase your ferry ticket(¥300, one-way) from the machine. Check online for ferry timings.

It’s a 15mins ride to the island, when you get on the island there will be a free shuttle bus which will take you to Hotel Kyukamura. You can choose to take it or not. We took the bus to the hotel and had our lunch there and decided to walk down to the jetty.

(Photo 25: Rabbits every where)

(Photo 26)

Besides the cute rabbits hopping around, the island has an amazing view.

(Photo 27)

(Photo 28)

If you have lots of time to spare, you can venture around the island, there is a Okunoshima Poison Gas Museum, visitor centre, observation platform and if you are adventurous enough, check out the ruins of a former powerplant.

Racing for time we decided to head to Miyajimaguchi before sunsets.

JR Tadanoumi Station > JR Miyajimaguchi Station (approx. 1hr)

When you arrive at the station, it’s a 5-10minutes walk to the jetty. Getting on the ferry it’s free, just flash your JR pass and you are on your way to Miyajimaya. Check online for ferry timings.

The ride is only 10minutes. If you are lucky, on low tides you can walk to ‘The Great Torii’, or you pay get on a boat that will circle around the torii for that picture perfect moment.

DAY 10 Mount Fuji

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > Kawaguchiko Station (approx. 5.5hrs) > Visitor Centre

Going to the Mount Fuji Visitor Centre via bus fee is ¥1,300. I would suggest to head to the visitor centre first as most of the shuttle buses ends there and it is easier for you to decide where to head first. (Tip: Before leaving the visitor centre check out the brochures as they might have coupons that will give you discounts) 

As we wasted most of our time on travelling, we decided to catch the ‘Tenjoyama Park Mt. Kachikachi Ropeway’(¥720, round-trip) and take photos of the Mount Fuji. Lucky for us, we got a discount coupon for it. 

(Photo 29: In the ropeway, heading up to Mount Tenjo)

(Photo 30: Reach the top station of the ropeway)

(Photo 31: Lake Kawaguchiko)

(Photo 32: Mount Fuji)

Though it was a short time at Kawaguchiko, but it was all worth it. If you like to spend more time here, I would suggest to stay a few nights, or have a day-trip from Tokyo.

DAY 11 Amanohashidate

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > Amanohashidate Station (approx. 3hrs)

Amanohashidate is one of Japan’s top scenic views, and i truely agree with it. Even with the JR pass, it doesn’t cover the whole journey, at a point of time the train conductor will ask you to pay an extra fee when you get to the suburbs. From Amanohashidate station, it’s approx. 15minutes walk to the location.

Walking from one end to the other end of the sandbar will take you at least 4hours. If you don’t want to walk to the other end, you can take the ferry(¥520, one-way)

(Photo 33: Amanohashidate - 天橋立)

(Photo 34: snow piled on top of sand)

(Photo 35: Perfect for the couples)

When we reach the other end of the sandbar, we wanted to take the chairlift up to the viewing point, sadly, it was closed due to snow and we didn’t want to take a 30minutes walk up the mountain. Thus, back to the other end via ferry!

(Photo 36: On the ferry)

DAY 12 Kobe

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > Shin-Kobe Station (approx. 1hr)

Spending my last full day in Japan, Kobe. I was hoping to grab a bite on that juicy Kobe beef, sadly my stomach did not agree with me and I wasn’t feeling well. We went to Kitano-Cho and looked around the interesting shops and museums they have there. Then we head to Kobe Harbourland. There are a lot of shops, food and a great photo taking place.

(Photo 37: Time at Kobe Harbourland)

DAY 13

APA Hotel Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae > Kansai Airport (approx. 1.5hr)

Early flight back to Singapore. Checked-in at the airport and placed all the portable wifi into the envelope provided and dropped it into the mailbox at the airport.

Summary

Although it was quite a tight scheduled day-trip for some, but I did not regret it. I would have prefer to stay 2-nights at some locations. Overall, it was a great first trip to Japan!