Second Trip to Japan!

Well, we finally did it; we got our visas! Now we are embroiled in the process of obtaining our full alien registration (and then comes health insurance! finally!) We had our health checks on Friday, with everything from hearing and vision tests to chest x-rays to the naked theft of various bodily fluids. So now we wait. And gather up money for the next round of bureaucratic fees.

Anyway, back to Japan...
This time we just went for an overnight trip, getting up at 5 am to start our journeys. Once there, we proceeded to the Korean consulate, where we were embroiled in another epic SNAFU involving a certain 7s employee and various governmental offices scattered across East Asia.
This picture illustrates the general tone of things during the long 3-4 hours we were at the consulate...


After that, we arrived at our hotel, the Grand Hyatt at Canal City in Fukuoka! Canal City is a massive complex of shopping, entertainment, and FOOD centered around a canal in Fukuoka. The complex towers half a dozen stories above the colorfully-lit water beneath. We once again spent WAAAAAAY more money than we should have on UFO catcher games, allowing us to come home with a massive array of cute stuffed animals.

Because there were no rooms with views of the Canal, I opted for the city view instead. Unfortunately, it was more like the "industrial wasteland" view, though the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon"-style building (seen in the center of the picture) looked pretty cool.


And what would a trip to Japan be without encountering random semi-useless robots?
Here is Amy with some random Canal City automaton of mysterious function.


We returned to the amazing Ohori Park in Fukuoka, and this time we caught the Asian Art Museum when it was open! There was a special exhibit of Japanese prints on loan from the Boston MFA that was stunning! Sadly, it was extremely crowded, as it was the weekend before the exhibit closed. Here I am with this random but epic fiberglass pumpkin sculpture located on the museum grounds. Go Steelers! The museum also had plenty of traditional Japanese art, as well as modern Japanese/European/American offerings, including TRASH like Warhol.


It was a hectic yet ultimately rewarding overnight stay in Japan.