Our trip to Japan is utterly unforgettable, not because of the blinking neon signs, high rises, or endless temples and Japanese gardens, but because of its distinct culture! My biased and stereotypical conclusion, based on a short 11-day trip, is that the Japanese have organisation OCD, are germophobics and obsessed with bowing, apologizing and using vending machines for everything!
For travel planning, we largely followed the itinerary suggested by Japan-guide.com and bought the Japanese Rail Pass before arriving in Tokyo.
Tokyo - first day, an eventful day and start of a series of culture shock!
We spent a total of 4 full days in Tokyo and stayed in an Airbnb studio apartment in Shinjuku, because any alternative hotel accommodation would have been seriously expensive.
Day 1: we arrived early morning via a red-eye flight from Hanoi. Right off the plane, we already noticed that people are walking so fast. I was quite impressed by the push carts designed to work on both escalators and elevators.
Day 1: we arrived early morning via a red-eye flight from Hanoi. Right off the plane, we already noticed that people are walking so fast. I was quite impressed by the push carts designed to work on both escalators and elevators.
Having arrived too early to check in, we found a Gyoza place near our rental flat to have some brunch. Shortly after, groups of construction workers swooped in for lunch. Good timing. It seems that uniform and loud greetings from all staff, when you enter and leave the restaurant, is the Japanese way! I also read that leaving tips would be an insult to the Japanese.
We were happy with our cosy, but functional flat - the bathtub and the washing basin shared the same tab. It makes sense as it saves space. Admittedly, I was more intrigued by the supply of Japanese black q-tips Lars found in the flat. We both slept until late afternoon and then decided it's about time to get out for some Tokyo culture.
We popped by the nearby observation deck in the Metropolitan Government Building. The view was alright, considering it is free to get up there. We then headed towards Shinjuku area to find out what the fuzz is all about. On the way, we got distracted by several arcades. The sheer scale of the video games and types of vending machines is incredible. I couldn't resist but wasting monies on the stuffed animal machines. As you would expect, I didn't get anything at the end. :(
Once we reached the fringe of Kabukicho, Tokyo's Red Light District, we were greeted by several bouncer-looking black guys. They are super friendly and asked if we want to have some fun ... we continued walking around and didn't spot anything extraordinary, nor any pretty girls. Although there were a lot of blinking neon signs, we expected more. On the other hand, we spotted many karaoke bars instead of night clubs.
Feeling hungry, we went to Omoide Yokocho area which is characterised by small local eateries. We hit the jackpot by stumbling upon a famous Soba noodle bar. We only decided to sat down at this local joint, because there were seats available. Only a few minutes later, a queue was developing and a local claimed that he has been coming here for 20 years as the soba here is his soul food. We loved what was presented to us after we simply pointed to what others were having - the broth, buck wheat noodles, slightly cooked egg and the veggie tempura. It was nothing fancy, but simply hearty. There was only one problem for Lars - it was very noisy ... because the locals were all slurping full speed:P Still, this did not deter us from coming back again.
Once we reached the fringe of Kabukicho, Tokyo's Red Light District, we were greeted by several bouncer-looking black guys. They are super friendly and asked if we want to have some fun ... we continued walking around and didn't spot anything extraordinary, nor any pretty girls. Although there were a lot of blinking neon signs, we expected more. On the other hand, we spotted many karaoke bars instead of night clubs.
Feeling hungry, we went to Omoide Yokocho area which is characterised by small local eateries. We hit the jackpot by stumbling upon a famous Soba noodle bar. We only decided to sat down at this local joint, because there were seats available. Only a few minutes later, a queue was developing and a local claimed that he has been coming here for 20 years as the soba here is his soul food. We loved what was presented to us after we simply pointed to what others were having - the broth, buck wheat noodles, slightly cooked egg and the veggie tempura. It was nothing fancy, but simply hearty. There was only one problem for Lars - it was very noisy ... because the locals were all slurping full speed:P Still, this did not deter us from coming back again.
Completely satisfied with what is now in our stomach, we then headed to Golden Gai area for drinks. This lively night-life district is filled with small local bars and pubs, some of which charge a hefty cover charge. We eventually settled in a more "multi-culture" one, where we won't stick out like a thorn thumb. The Aussies and Americans seem to already claimed most of the territory in the bar. It turns out the bar tender-owner had gone to the US to study and returned a few years ago to be a musician. In fact, an old Japanese man was the minority in the bar. He had been chatting with a American girl and he rushed off to catch his train, after being stopped to take a photo with the American tourists.
We got acquainted with two other couples - a Canadian couple with Italian roots and an Italian couple living in Hong Kong. After sharing many travelling stories, to our surprise, the old Japanese man had returned! He explained that he missed the train, because of the photo session ... he never likes photos, he says. We then started chatting. It turns out that he is a retired English teacher and had been coming to the bar for years. It is absolutely normal for him to come out on a Saturday night and his wife and children do not mind at all. We talked a lot about Japan, the economy, his students, politics and the sensitive topics about China and Japan. In fact, the grandfathers of both the teacher and the bar owner all served in the military during WII in my home town Dalian, China and spoke fondly about my city.
The Americans eventually left and as they were leaving, one guy put in 8,000 yen (40 GBP) into the tip box. The bar-owner was so shocked that he thinks the guy made a mistake. After some more chatting and drinking, we left at some ungodly hour. On our way home, we were stopped by the police! Its only the first day in Japan! It turns out that we had just crossed the street when the light was still red, even though there was absolutely no one, or car for that matter, at 3.30am in the morning ... He said, "YOU DO NOT DO THIS, THIS IS JAPAN!"
We got acquainted with two other couples - a Canadian couple with Italian roots and an Italian couple living in Hong Kong. After sharing many travelling stories, to our surprise, the old Japanese man had returned! He explained that he missed the train, because of the photo session ... he never likes photos, he says. We then started chatting. It turns out that he is a retired English teacher and had been coming to the bar for years. It is absolutely normal for him to come out on a Saturday night and his wife and children do not mind at all. We talked a lot about Japan, the economy, his students, politics and the sensitive topics about China and Japan. In fact, the grandfathers of both the teacher and the bar owner all served in the military during WII in my home town Dalian, China and spoke fondly about my city.
The Americans eventually left and as they were leaving, one guy put in 8,000 yen (40 GBP) into the tip box. The bar-owner was so shocked that he thinks the guy made a mistake. After some more chatting and drinking, we left at some ungodly hour. On our way home, we were stopped by the police! Its only the first day in Japan! It turns out that we had just crossed the street when the light was still red, even though there was absolutely no one, or car for that matter, at 3.30am in the morning ... He said, "YOU DO NOT DO THIS, THIS IS JAPAN!"
Day 2: We continued with sightseeing and checked out the famous Shibuya Crossing. It is quite a scene to see people walking from all directions. We also passed through Yoyogi park and the Olympic Stadium and saw a huge queue of young girls, apparently waiting to buy tickets for a boy band performance. After, we visited the Meiji temple, which I found quite grand. This is the first time we saw the Japanese torii gate and also commercialised fortune telling - I fell for it and bought a "lucky poem"!
Finally, we took the metro to go to Pier's, who is a good friend of Lars' and had been living in Tokyo for years. One word on Tokyo subway lines - you think London is confusing? Wait until you see Tokyo's. We ended the evening with yummy BBQ steaks and catching up between old friends. We are super lucky that Pier's new BBQ had just arrived the day before!
Day 3: We had to go to the Chinese embassy to sort out our Visas for China. When we arrived, the visa office was like a market - super busy and chaotic! Although we managed to get all documents ready eventually, we found out that we couldn't expedite Lars' visa so we had to ask Pier for help and pick it up for us a few days later. Pier, we are so lucky to know you!!
We spent the whole morning at the embassy and decided to try another type of soba noodles in the nearby Roppongi Centre. I even helped with the translation for the French intern sitting at the next table. After lunch, we were sitting on the bench outside of the square and that's when we felt a good shake. I told Lars not to shake the bench, but only to find out later that it was an earthquake (it was the 4.8 magnitude earthquake near Sakai)!
We visited the Imperial Palace after and wanted to go to the Imperial Garden, but it was closed on Mondays. Bad planning. So we ended up walking through the financial district (boring!) and checked out the Marunouchi District and a bit of Ginza (up-scale shopping area). On the way home, we went to the Southern Terrace, which was quite difficult to find. Shinjuku station is like a maze. Under Pier's recommendation, we went for sushi at a small place near the underground station. It was good value.
We visited the Imperial Palace after and wanted to go to the Imperial Garden, but it was closed on Mondays. Bad planning. So we ended up walking through the financial district (boring!) and checked out the Marunouchi District and a bit of Ginza (up-scale shopping area). On the way home, we went to the Southern Terrace, which was quite difficult to find. Shinjuku station is like a maze. Under Pier's recommendation, we went for sushi at a small place near the underground station. It was good value.
Day 4: We spent our last day visiting Asakusa and Odaiba districts. We hit the Asakusa temple first thing. The shopping street leading to the temple is quite quirky and interesting - it was filled with young school girls. We tried some of the local snacks and it's a bit hit and miss, in terms of taste. The temple itself is also quite big and interesting.
After visiting the temple, we went to Sumida River Park and took a sightseeing ferry to Hama Rikyu Garden. It was quite interesting to see how the boat could park inside of the gate to the garden. After spend some time in the nice garden, we took the elevated train to Odaiba. Let me tell you, the train ride was amazing. The view was spectacular and it's a highlight for us.
Once we arrived at the modern part of Tokyo, we found a good spot to watch the sunset, while having some Ramen, which tasted average. The night view of Tokyo is quite impressive. We walked around a bit more after and headed home. After we got out of the station, I persuaded Lars to go back to the Soba place we discovered on the first night in Omoide Yokocho. Speaking of power of persuasion!
In summery, Tokyo was really interesting for us and 4 days were not enough to really know the city. The people are much more relaxed than what I expected. Other than accommodations, Tokyo does not seem to be as expensive as we expected. Everything goes in terms of fashion - from conservative suits and shirts to animated costumes. Lastly, everything can be bought from the vending machine. Any type of drinks and snacks is a given, but many restaurants only accept orders after you've purchased a ticket from their vending machine!
Atami - a real Japanese experience, but Japanese breakfast is YUCK!
Because of Pier's excellent advise, Lars booked us an overnight stay at a Ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period) in the hot spring town Atami. Everything about the stay was weird and interesting at the same time.
First, dressing up in the Yukatas required some practice. We then squeezed into our tiny private outdoor hot spring. Its not until much later we realised that the hot spring was just for one person ...Oops... After we had our 15-course Kaiseki dinner (mostly seafood), we decided to check out the public Onsen.
After getting in, I quickly washed myself while sitting on a small stool, which I thought was made for children... I then followed the others and put the little towel on top of my head while in the pool. I couldn't stay too long because it was so hot! And then I realised that the other women were spending most of their time cleaning themselves, rather than soaking in the hot spring! Feeling being roasted, I had to leave after 15 minutes. But when I saw the Shiseido products provided at the change room, I spent a lot longer sampling different creams from my favourite cosmetics brand. LOL
Because of Pier's excellent advise, Lars booked us an overnight stay at a Ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period) in the hot spring town Atami. Everything about the stay was weird and interesting at the same time.
First, dressing up in the Yukatas required some practice. We then squeezed into our tiny private outdoor hot spring. Its not until much later we realised that the hot spring was just for one person ...Oops... After we had our 15-course Kaiseki dinner (mostly seafood), we decided to check out the public Onsen.
After getting in, I quickly washed myself while sitting on a small stool, which I thought was made for children... I then followed the others and put the little towel on top of my head while in the pool. I couldn't stay too long because it was so hot! And then I realised that the other women were spending most of their time cleaning themselves, rather than soaking in the hot spring! Feeling being roasted, I had to leave after 15 minutes. But when I saw the Shiseido products provided at the change room, I spent a lot longer sampling different creams from my favourite cosmetics brand. LOL
Sleeping on the Tatami also required some skills. Poor Lars reported severe back pain in the morning. Then, there is the legendary Japanese breakfast ... it still gives me chills when I think about it. Some dishes tasted foul... Oh, I made sure to try out all the buttons on the Japanese toilet (that one was fairly modern and not from the Edo period). Overall, this was such an interesting and novelty experience that we will never forget it!
Kyoto - completely temple'd and garden'd out!
We took the high speed bullet train or Shinkansen to Kyoto. It was so fast that I felt dizzy when I looked out the window. Everything is so clean and quiet. People don't talk in the carriage - if they have to make a phone call, they step to the corridor. The attendant bows to the passengers whenever they enter and leave the carriage. The toilet on the train is, as expected, super clean. However, the weirdest thing we witnessed has to be the hand gestures the train staff gave after a train passes by ... we are not talking about salute towards to the leaving train, we are talking about talking and waving to a train that's no longer in sight ... google it, you will see this is how the Japanese avoid accidents.
We spent the following 4 days in Kyoto and visited the standard sights. We stayed at another Airbnb apartment in the shopping district.
We took the high speed bullet train or Shinkansen to Kyoto. It was so fast that I felt dizzy when I looked out the window. Everything is so clean and quiet. People don't talk in the carriage - if they have to make a phone call, they step to the corridor. The attendant bows to the passengers whenever they enter and leave the carriage. The toilet on the train is, as expected, super clean. However, the weirdest thing we witnessed has to be the hand gestures the train staff gave after a train passes by ... we are not talking about salute towards to the leaving train, we are talking about talking and waving to a train that's no longer in sight ... google it, you will see this is how the Japanese avoid accidents.
We spent the following 4 days in Kyoto and visited the standard sights. We stayed at another Airbnb apartment in the shopping district.
Day 1: We had to see the Fushimi Inari-Taisha, or the famous torii gate shrine, for ourselves. It was quite impressive to have all the gates lining up next to each other. Afterwards, we headed towards Gion district and walked around in pursuit of geishas. But at the end, we only spotted two different geisha in a car - they seemed to be going to places with their clients. The area was surprisingly quiet. We ended the evening with a meal at a nice Japanese restaurant in Pontocho, overlooking the river.
Day 2: The Nishiki Market nearby was not as good as expected. The variety of snacks is rather limited, or maybe because we are not a big fan of pickled and fishy things. We had our share of mochi balls though. In fact, I was suffering from these sticky rice (in various forms, but all in Green Tea flavours) for days.
After "brunch", we went to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. The actual temple is quite nice but it was packed with tourists and local students.
After spending an hour there, we walked to Rzoaniji (the Rock Temple) for its famous zen Garden. When I first saw the Zen garden, I was extremely disappointed - it was tiny. It's nothing more than a few rocks randomly arranged on gravels ... I eventually sat down and start to stare at the rocks in disbelief ... that's when I start to get it ... I did feel a sense of peace and quietness once I calmed down and focus only on the garden. Okay, not all that bad.
By the time we walked to the Ninnaji Temple, it was closed. We took the bus home, but still had to walk quite a bit after. The public transit in Kyoto was not great. I should have practised biking more in London!
Day 3: We explored East Kyoto by starting at Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion). The history of this zen temple is interesting. The dry sand garden would have fetched much more excitement from us, had we not seen the zen garden at the Rock Temple. We then walked along Philosopher's Path... too bad it was not the cherry blossom time. We spotted some gigantic fish in the river stream though.
We continued to Nanzenji Temple and spent some time at the Sammon Gate and Hojo Rock Garden. Seriously, I was so tired of rock gardens by then that I could throw up! We then followed a secret path near the brick aqueduct at the back of the temple and came across an interesting water damn. Gladly, we somehow ended up on the main street after more walking.
We rushed to Kiyomiyudera Temple, only to find out that it closes much later than the other temples (typically at 5pm). If I had to pick one temple in Kyoto to visit, it would be Kiyomiyudera. It's not because it is more beautiful, bigger or fancier than others, but because it is the best representation how superstitious the Japanese are and how commercialised and systematic the temples can be to make money! Fortune telling boxes are everywhere and you can purchase different lucky charms to improve your luck. There were 10 or 20 shrines for different type of fortune - family, study, career, etc. Donation boxes are, of course, wild spread. It was very interesting to see!
We headed back to Higashiyama shopping streets afterwards and they are indeed very cute and traditional. We spotted 3 real Maiko (Geisha apprentices) here! Unfortunately, I realised it too late that they are real (judging from the paint on the neck). We didn't get a good picture of them. But we got close to 2 other fake ones who volunteered to take pictures with us. :P
Finally, we went to Yasaka Shrine for some pictures. We also wanted to visit Kodaiji gardens, but it was closed. We ended up passing by the Gion Corner and went inside to check out some of the videos and pictures on the wall.
Day 4: We spent the last day in Arashiyama District. We started at the Monkey Park and played with the red faced monkeys, which was good fun. The park also has a good view of Kyoto.
We then headed down and crossed the Togetsukyo Bridge. A nice view of the lake. Can't believe we stopped at another temple, Tenryuji. I do not even remember what's special about this temple. They started to look all the same to me.
Last stop was Bamboo Grove, which is quite scenic. I also dragged Lars to the Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street. What a mistake. It was a long walk to get there and back. The streets don't look particular appealing and are not much different from Higashiyama streets. We were completely exhausted after that. We went back to Kyoto station and did some window shopping.
Overall, we had our fair share of Temples, torri gates and Japanese gardens after 4 days in Kyoto! The city was slightly underwhelming because we had seen so much temples in other parts of South-East Asia already. We also expected bigger and fancier gardens, albeit the Japanese gardens are very well manicured. But it's definitely a good representation of Japanese history, culture and architecture.
Miyajima - stunning view and paper-eating deer!
We left Kyoto in the morning and made our way to Miyajima by lunch time. We first tried the famous Unadon (eel with rice in a bowl) at a local restaurant near the port and then spent half day on the beautiful island.
First shock happened when we saw so many deer roaming around the islands, and they eat paper! We spotted some chewing on cupboards and one was trying to eat my map. They can be aggressive once they think you have food. I've caught one bad deer on camera!
We then spent lots of time taking photos and playing around near the famous torii gate. As it was low tide, we walked up to the gate and saw many locals picking sea snails from the mud.
Bad planing on our part, by the time we reached the top, we only had 1 hour to go to the observatory and come back. We must have created a record by running up and down and at the end, had 5 mins to spare before the very last lift leaves. But the view was stunning on top. Definitely worth it. We then watched the sunset by the torii gate, very romantic until a boat with a couple blocked everyone's view ... we all shouted at them.
First shock happened when we saw so many deer roaming around the islands, and they eat paper! We spotted some chewing on cupboards and one was trying to eat my map. They can be aggressive once they think you have food. I've caught one bad deer on camera!
We then spent lots of time taking photos and playing around near the famous torii gate. As it was low tide, we walked up to the gate and saw many locals picking sea snails from the mud.
Bad planing on our part, by the time we reached the top, we only had 1 hour to go to the observatory and come back. We must have created a record by running up and down and at the end, had 5 mins to spare before the very last lift leaves. But the view was stunning on top. Definitely worth it. We then watched the sunset by the torii gate, very romantic until a boat with a couple blocked everyone's view ... we all shouted at them.
I had to try the oysters here because the island is famous for oyster farms! I had steamed-grilled ones and they are definitely bigger than the ones in Hastings. We also tried Okonomiyaki, which are gigantic noodle pancakes. I am not a big fan, because I think its farmer food. But Lars really enjoyed it. :P
For the night, we stayed with a local family, Yuca and her family. She is super nice, always worried about not taking good care of us and constantly apologizing. Her husband is Russian by birth, but lived in Japan for a long time. Her son is so cute and naughty, and tried to scare me with bugs. I will always remember her tasty breakfast - rice balls and Japanese chicken curry.
The second morning, we headed back to Tokyo and visited Himeji Castle on the way. The castle looks beautiful from the outside, but not much much to see from the inside. It was really convenient that lockers are everywhere in the train station. Once we reached Tokyo, we met up with our beloved Pier for some Japanese tapas, and to pick up our passports. Pier, if you need visa runs in London, you know who to contact.
We got to our hotel near the airport around 11pm. We didn't expect much as it was just a cheap business hotel, but were pleasantly surprised. The hotel was very nice and equipped with well designed appliances. We almost wished we could have stayed longer.
Overall, Japan was a real culture treat for us. From products to appliances, from cuisine to
people's manners, surprises are waiting at every corner. It is the most developed country in the East for a reason. Unlike most other SEA countries that we travelled to, public places especially toilets are clean and orderly. People are super polite. No one litters or speaks loud in public. Three things I associate the most with Japan: green tea, hello kitty and bowing. It is such an interesting country to visit! I am just not sure how its relationship with China and Korea unfolds in the future, and if its economic growth is really as worrying as the West makes it out to be. Better visit now in any case!
