Yeaaaa, I bet the festivals are super crowded...and unfortunately expensive. Sigh T^T;;
I think it would be amazing to be there around New Years time. xD
I hope to live in Japan someday too, so hopefully we'll get in all our culture things then, ne? :3

It's not something that you really see everyday, greenery and ice. I really enjoyed the waterfalls. There is one that we liked to go to that had nice hiking trails, but I wouldn't be able to spell it for the life of me. It starts with an M.
...oh wait. Google tells me it is Multnomah Falls. Sooooo pretty. *___*

I see, I see. o3o
In that case, avoid the childrens books like ze plague and find something else to your liking. .:nod:.

Strange says:
Elyka- Haha, yeah. Actually when I went up to Mt.Hood last it was in the middle of summer dubbed by my dad as the family trip. And we went to Crater Lake and such too but yeah anyways my brother and I took a picture up there and we were all in our flip flops and shorts XD while we were standing in the snow. Come to an hour away from that, we were burning up on hot leather seats.

You should spell my name as ストレンジ　or ストレーンジ, whichever is to your preference.
Kyoto? Well, let's see. I went on tons of tours, of new and old parts. I really love how you can walk from a busy metropolitan area and walk right into a traditional, beautiful temple- white sand, sake kegs and all. I specifically remember going to Gion Corner, The Golden Palace, Kyoto Tower, Kyoto Station, Kyoto Kintetsu Mall, New Miyako Hotel :heart:... Ahh I don't remember the names of others. I have distinct memories of what they looked like though. I suppose that is from the assistance of photographs. Lol. Actually, the banner that I made for this thread (in the first post) was created from a photograph taken by me in Japan. ^^;

*reads on* .. Oh! you must mean Tanabata! I hear the most enthusiasm about this is in Hokkaido ^^; at least according to my former Japanese teacher. [See more here]

Multnomah Falls? Ah I must have been there half a dozen times. I have a picture of some of the water lol looking soo cool like it is frozen :D I'll look for it when it's not so late XD Yeah it is really pretty there. There are a few other places that you should definietely check out if you are in that area. That is, the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. and if you're in the mood, you can stop and play on the playground or at the Zoo. They are all in the same area ^^ Like a cultural fun center I guess. Oh and there is a science center there too XD yeah. All that available in basically all the same place.

Festivals, eh? :lol: I've been to one in Japan. Well there is usually just a lot of walking. It's really your choice of if you buy anything or not. I mean obviously you're not forced to buy anything if you really don't want to or can't. Like the festival I went to was like.. lanterns, (festival) music like bells and drums. Well I must admit some of the men weren't wearing much. I mean the taiko players xD like.. loin cloth sort of deal. But there weren't too many of them. (Most of the other people were in kimono, yukata, or just casual clothes with their friends. Money wise, yeah. People do try to raise money. And there are a lot of people. So stick close to your group unless you have good communication lines on where to meet up or like cell phones and whatnot. I was in a group of 9 people and we would lose each other sometimes and at one point I remember being all alone in a sea of people. It was fun but you do have to make sure not to space off too much. if it's in the summer ya like I said, bring a fan XD Free stuff do come along sometimes. Like if you walk the streets of Japan enough you are sure to get samples of one thing or another. That is one way they advertise. Like I still have a sample of tissues and I got a fruit cup or something another time too. Soo yeah. Like my sister looked older. She just got handed a glass of beer lol. Off the side of the street. (She accepted it but ya lol). If there are enough games and appetizing food, I mean sure, esp if you're not there very long, try things out. But no one is forcing you to empty out your wallets, just saying : P

I hope this wall of text wasn't too overwhelming. I do have a lot to say on these topics considering my past as an Oregonian and Japanese culture. XDD

ストレンジさん：　Haha nonono, that wasn't overwhelming at all. Any and all info on Japanese related things makes me very happy indeed. xD That way when I go there I'm not a complete n00b. ...though I probably will be no matter what I do. .:sigh:. Haha

Yes! I do mean Tanabata. It's big in Hokkaido though you say? So....far....from Osaka. T-T;;

I've always wanted to make it out to the Japanese Gardens but am never able to. >3<;; My sister, who is going to school up in Portland right now, is always like "Yes we simply /must/ go~" ...and then we never do. ;-;
I really like going out to Beaverton and going to Uwajimaya. Mmm. x3

I think I'd like to just walk around and see what the festivals have to offer. ^_^ Take it all in as a cultural experience and such. Self-control will be my bff so I don't overspend. Haha

Yay, a fellow learner ^^;. I just feel really weird lol. We are talking about two things I know a lot about. My dad has lived in the same house in Beaverton for about 30 years. So i know about the tattoo shop next to the library someone mentioned earlier, I know PSU, PCC, and random other smaller colleges nearby. Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts, Heald College, ect ect ect. I know the park next to PCC, the benches, the Thai carts. I know the MAX stations- red, blue, yellow and green, and where they go. I feel sooo weird talking about it lol.

Just for the reference, that Uwajimaya in Beaverton ... lol. My whole Asian life wrapped up in seaweed. LOL. No but like. Of anywhere in Beaverton, that is my favorite place to go. It reminds me of my grandma (whom I adore). She is 100% Japanese btw lol. I have been going to that store since I was born. XD Fubonn is a nice place but far away, but Uwajimaya? Nah, just take the 54 over. LOL. Ahhh really I'm having a spazz attack for how excited and creeped out I am inside. @[email protected]" Sowwy

Yeah but for reals? You should visit the Japanese Garden next time you're up there. There aren't a whole ton of places that have that much concentration of Japanese culture developed in the city. But Portland is one of them. Or if you are in Washington, there are plenty of Uwajimaya as well ^.^ In Seattle, Renton, and Bellevue. (three cities i have lived in with my Mom XD) - Let's just say I grew up in the Northwest. Like all of it. LOL. But Beaverton/Portland? Oh, how I love thee. XD

Ooh, you're going with your best friend? Let me just say now. Prepare to be amazed. LOL. Nah lol you will be confused sometimes, quite possibly every day, but I expect fun out of that. I do hope that you know someone in Japan who you can trust and who can help you a bit in that situation. I was lucky to get to stay with my relatives in Japan ^^; got plenty of them and they are very generous, and very happy about our stay. But I know that if I didn't have that we would be a lot more lost on what to do. So if you don't have that, be sure you two do tons of research ahead of time. Maps would be verryyyy helpful. Like building numbers? They were done in order of when they were built. Like the first building built is building 1, second one is building 2, and so forth, regardless of the geographical location. And you may want a pro to help you to find the most priceless, hidden treasures that tourists wouldn't usually know about. That, and good deals. Do you have a travel agent? Mine I got upstairs of Uwajimaya XD Azumano Travel Agency. They are Japanese so know tons of how to help. They helped get my dad his passport despite his birth certificate being lost for a while and being in Japanese (for being born in Japan). And they got us JR passes. ^^; They were really helpful. But more than anything having someone there with you to help guide you when you are actually on your trip is extra helpful. :yes: But make them safe. You will be in a totally different country.

How long do you plan on staying there? If you go to Osaka, the main things I can say about that is, people love to find good deals there and you may be able to as well, for shopping. And besides that it's mostly about the food and the comedy. But I'm sure there is more that I don't know about. Hmmm what else. The Pokemon Center, and I have also heard about "Okay-Pocky" Museum in Osaka, because it is manufactured in Osaka.

First off:
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!!! .:throws confetti:.
(...I always forget the word for New Years in Japanese. *fail* xD)

ストレンジさん: Hahah aw. Why do you feel weird talking about it? xD No need to apologize for talking about stuff that you know well. :3 Everytime I venture up to that side of the country, Uwajimaya is one store that I must go to. xD I usually go to the one in Beaverton, and I've been to the one in Seattle once. 8D I bought this one little...Pandaapple backpack up there back in like my sophomore year of highschool and still use it to this day (lawl, junior in college *-*; ).

No, I'm not going with my friend. Sorry to be confusing. xD;; I just meant that I'm going to have to exercise self control when I go so I don't spend all my money. Haha. I actually...know maybe one girl in Japan and that's about it. I'm going to try to meet back up with her and hope to figure things out from her. @[email protected];; If I'm lucky then a Japanese family I met this past semester will be up there around July, and they offered to show me around. I think it would be awesome to travel with people who know the area-- like you said, with them I'd be able to find things other than the usual touristy stuff. ^_^

I'll be there for about 4 and a half months. I'm all up for good deals on shopping! Haha I'll have to learn how to find deals like a pro. And I've heard good things about the food in Osaka. Mmmm. I look forward to trying the food. xD The Pokemon Center? Haha.

あけましておめでとう! I just got back from celebrating New Years in Tokyo. :)

Which shrine are you talking about? Was it the one near Tokyo Tower? I was there for New Years. They released thousands of balloons when the clock struck midnight, but we weren't there early enough to get one. It was really cool, but I was almost crushed in the stampede to get out of there. :gonk:

It was a lot more organized the next day at the Imperial Palace for the Emperor's New Year greeting. There were even more people, but they all shuffled out very carefully and quietly. I skipped out of the early morning New Year sales in Tokyo since I was sick of feeling packed like a sardine. XD I got a new camera for cheap later in the evening, though.

I missed my chance at New Years on Okinawa, I am back in the states until later this month.

ahh crap, sorry I bailed again!! I fail >.<
But, みんあ、あけましておめでとうございます！今年もよろしくお願いします！！

Apologizing in advance for not typing in Japanese, I'm afraid this computer doesn't have this option turned on and I can't really look for it right now. That's also the reason why I decided against using romaji, using romaji on internet forums reminds me of these fangirls that add unnecesary and excess Japanese to their sentences (I tend to use romaji only when I'm too lazy to write in kanji and kana while doing my homework O_o; )

I've been taking Japanese classes for a few year, but I'm still nowhere near fluent and I really fail with kanji. So far, I haven't had the chance to actually visit Japan, but I hope I'll be able to go with my friend once we graduate high school. I really wished I could go with my Japanese language class when they were visiting Japan this summer, but they refused to let anyone under eighteen take part in their trip D:

Eh, it's all good. I hate romanji as well, so I feel your pain ^^
That'll be cool if you can go! I'm hoping to go...eventually...haha no money right now, but I may end up working there at some point, so who knows?
Ah, it's belated, but はじめまして！黒です。どうぞよろしく！XD
And I think I spelled that right...damn the double う's!! >.<

Ah! Nihongo no thread wo shiranai! D:
Henna Yume wa atamagaii!
Namae wa Shishunki desu. (Warawanadekudasai =w=' )
um.... nananen wa nihongo wo benkyoushita. Demo, gakkou de ninen wa nihongo wo benkyoushimashita.
Yoku wasurete...
(Computer wa kanji ga daisuki kara romaji wo kakanakuchaikemasen.)

Um.... @[email protected]' I hope that's okay. I'm a bit rusty (not in classes at the moment), but I need to keep working on my Japanese. I love that someone made a thread to talk.

はじめまして、ししゅんきさん！黒です！どうぞよろしく！私も日本語を勉強している。今三年生だよ。とても 楽しいね。
あ、今授業があるのでじゃあまた！

Jouzu~! Yoku renshuushitaradoudesuka. ^^v

IkuAki- thank you! I am enjoying my time here for now. :)

HEY GUYS :D
Missed ya...
明けましておめでとうございます！　どうでしたか。　パーティに行きましたか。　私は楽しいパーティに行き ました。　いいなずけの家族とでした。　２０１０年１２月３１日から２０１１年１月１日でした。　えいがを 見た。　パーティでみんなさんは「HAPPY　NEW YEAR!!!」とよく言った。

Elyka: Ahh lol ok well I guess it's just I don't usually expect people to talk about Portland/Beaverton area. Not to mention specifics about the city that I have been surrounded by for all of 18 years XDAnd yeah I don't blame you for wanting to go to Uwajimaya when you are there : D It is awesomeness, yo. XD lol. Ahhh but yeah. Pandapple is fricken adorable :D I wish I had a Pandable backpack! I just have a plaid blue one. But it's ok i guess lol. Not like I really should be saying anything about this though when I have tonssss of Hello Kitty items. @[email protected]" :rofl:

..... Yes, yes you will. I went to Japan when I was 14. I came with $200 and ended up with $300 as presents .. Yeah. I spent all of it. XD Which utterly surprised me because in America I barely went shopping at all. But like. Just as an example I thought it was totally cool that the Claire's in japan had more.. how to say it.. Jrock items. That I actually really like XDD I am sooo going back and getting more 8D Hopefully when you go, that family will be free to show you around. I think that would be really nice for you ^^; But besides that ya ... you can research and ask questions here or whatever. There are plenty of us who can answer questions or share experiences ^^

4 and a half months? Ooooh you will have so much fun and don't be scared to boost your learning :D it is the prime time to do it :D I was only up for 10 days because of parenting visiting issue.. Haha, I wouldn't be surprised if you picked up the "great deals in shopping" thing. xD 4 and a half months :3 wheeee ... XDlol sorry just daydreaming and it makes me excited :lol:

Iku: By Northwest do you still mean Seattle as is in my memory? XD And yea festivals are very crowded because they are very popular :D like citywide parties XD

Ferra: Yeah, that makes sense. When you're in a festival you're more so on your own but when you're at the Imperial Palace well it's more like.. well you show honor and respect and so you don't do as much as that you normally would like to if you were just aimlessly wandering around for fun. It is really interesting though, don't you think? The gardens are soo pretty too ^^ I love the Emperor's Garden :D Did you go all around it on a tour or some other method?

Liu: Oh, you're back then? What all did you get to do while you were there?

Kuro: はい、今年もどうぞよろしく！　黒さんのはresolutions何ですか。

takohako: はじめまして。　ストレーンジです。　どうぞよろしくおねがいします。 タコハキさんは何才ですか。

Shishunki: どうぞよろしくおねがいします。　アタシのあたま？　まあまあいいでしょうか。　ししゅんきさんは七年日本 語を勉強した？　本当？　すごいなぁ！
えぇ？　コンピューターは漢字が大好きから？　大好き？　すみませんが、その文を分かりません 。
じゃ、ししゅんきさんはお元気ですか。

@Strange: No, anyone was allowed to go for free and unaccompanied because it was the emperor's special address. The address itself was super short though, so it was kind of disappointing after waiting so long. XD; But I am glad that I got to see him and his family. I wasn't able to stop and take as many pictures as I would have liked, but we did get to go around the whole garden area. きれいですね！

Ooh, okay. That makes sense. It is really nice when you are able to take a lot of pictures, however even then, some places are restricted from photos. On a tour or in a group it seemed that the flow of people went slightly fast for much picture taking, but maybe that is just my complete awe speaking XD lol... that I couldn't capture it enough. It will certainly be nice to go back some time and relive it all. ^.^ Do you ever plan on going back?

If someone else wants to go along, sure, but I think I saw enough of it to be satisfied. :)

Gah! I wrote "Daisuki" instead of "Daikirai". D:
m=_='m Gomennasai.

Ferra- Ooh ok ^.^ Then where would you go instead?

Shishunki- 1. You have such a cute avatar right now :yes:
2. Ii desu yo
3. Then what exactly did you mean? Your computer can't handle kanji? Or do you mean you personally don't like it (on the computer)??

I like Kanji, but my computer refuses to let me load any program to write it. So I can't even use Hiragana/Kanji/Katakana sentences without taking more than 10 min. for one "complex" sentence.
><'
So it's easier to write romaji.

And thankies~:heart: I love the use of gold in your outfit.

@strange: Well it's a nice park-like place in Tokyo, but there are plenty of other castles or scenic beauty places within Japan that I'd rather visit. I've been to Kyoto, but I don't feel like I saw enough of it during my short stay. I'd like to see the Silver Pavilion (I already saw Kinkakuji) and the other major temples that I missed. I'd also eventually like to climb Mt. Fuji. I've climbed Mt. Bandai in the north, so I think I can manage another mountain climb. :)

Shishunki- Ohh have you ever heard of Microsoft IME? That is what I use. It automatically comes on both Mac and PC.
And thanks about the comment about my avi :)

Ferra- Ohh yeah, that sounds like fun ^.^ I feel very lucky that my relatives were willing to take us around Kyoto so much. They signed us up for several tours. Ohh, you know what? If you haven't gone there I would really suggest going to Gion Corner and watching the performances there. It's very fun, especially if you are learning Japanese. ^.^ Oh, you went mountain climbing? How was that? I've never done that before :o