I'm back!

Hello! I made my way back to Tokyo for the summer of 2011, thanks to the generosity of Richard U. Light. This is my last chance to take a break from all the craziness in the school year and enjoy the summer since I will be starting my new job at the Yale Investment Office in August.

さて (well), let's get to it then. I have several goals this summer: visit all parts of Tokyo that I haven't been to or seen, watch Japanese movies, and incorporate Japanese in my everyday life.

So far, there hasn't been too much action. The Sun Academy program structure transformed this year with the new home stay system. Everybody is living with a host family instead of congregating in an apartment complex. Coordination becomes infinitely more difficult, and I have a premonition that weekends might be a little different.

That didn't stop me and some fellow students from exploring though. Monday, I walked around Ginza with Michael Ohta and Gabriel; unfortunately I forgot my camera on Monday. Yesterday, I explored Shinjuku and Tochomae. I can't say I am a stranger to these places, but I have never been to the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tower. According to the Lonely Planet, access to the observatory tower is free, so I decided to make the most of my free time. Below are some pictures from the top.




And then, here is yours truly with the tower in the background.