Japan… a country that appreciates its past, yet forsees the future. It is proud, yet cultured. A little bit wild, a whole lot of quirky, yet dignified and elegant. A pinch of crazy, but safe.
Therefore, if Japan resembled man, he would be the perfect man.
I had the pleasure to visit Japan over Golden Week. In 5 days, I was able to get a taste of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima.
I always go into a new country with a jam packed “to-see, to-do, and to-eat” list. However, I usually get caught up, but still manage to cross off the highlights. That is what happened in Japan.
I pre-ordered the JRPass (Japan Rail) prior to arriving in Japan. This saved me so much time, despite the fact that I don’t remember the last time I had to use public transportation while traveling. This year I have been spoiled with the low costs of Uber and their counterparts: Didi and Grab.
I stayed at Hostel Den while in Tokyo, which was the greatest blessing without having a data plan. They gave each guest their own smartphone with all convenient apps already downloaded. Without daily use of google maps, I would have found myself in North Korea by now.
I took the JR and subways throughout the day, and my first stop was the Sensoji Temple. I followed suit buying incense and whirling it about me, wafting in its strong odor. Putting the sticks of incense into a large burner and further drenching myself in its “powers” (?). I then picked up a ladle and drank water spouting from the mouth of a dragon. Shaking gently a metal canister waiting for my lucky stick to drop, which held a number to a drawer containing a fortune. Unfortunately for me, it was no good fortune.
Apparently, what is lost will be found… eventually. Fortune and damage will visit me one by one…. spiritual trouble will come to me repeatedly… I’ll just let it speak for itself. That…. “The final small fortune” went right up on a rack. Hopefully, I tied it tight enough.
I obviously had to try this again. I went back to the incense burner… unsure of the purpose, but again threw myself into the smoke hoping to rid of that “final small fortune”.
I shook that silver canister, not politely or gently this time either. Finally, it produced the fortune I was intended to have. I must not have had the right dose of incense and “holy water” the first time around.
Feeling good, I popped into a Matcha Shop, and had my first mochi ball of my trip. I swear I could live on only Mochi balls… especially if I could get my hands on the ice cream version. Ugh, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s- you two set me up with false hope of Japanese treats. Eat them while you can in the US of A, you won’t be finding them in Japan. Trust me, I tried.
I remembered to chew the mochi ball carefully…. I read an article that mochi balls are a leading cause of death in Japan (choking)… That would be the bizarre way I’d go.
I headed to Harajuku to visit another shrine. THIS is where I derailed from my schedule, ending up at The Gap and Birkenstocks. It was golden week and stores were offering tax-free. Plus, I was finally in a country where the clothes fit and they had size 9 in stock.
Since I already messed up the timeline, I figured I’d just continue shopping. Daiso. Wow. 3 floors of items that are both weird and practical.
Did I need a dish sponge that looks like a piece of bread or pens with sumo wrestlers? Of course, I needed a chopstick set for 6… as well as, solar energy lucky cats and earrings in the shape of Mickey’s head for my upcoming Disney day.
How I wish America had a Daiso… It’d be even more dangerous than letting me loose in Target.
2 things on my first day in Tokyo that I could not stray from was the Monster Cafe and the Robot Restaurant.
Both places would be best on an acid trip… or the worst. Very few words can accurately describe each of these places.
At Monster Cafe, women dressed as monsters serve you, and gather together to put on a “show”. However, these “monsters” are more comparable to scary dolls that can give one nightmares. You are seated in 1 of 4 rooms that are connected by a carousel. The “show” accompanied by EDM music are the “monsters” dancing robotically atop the carousel which has a large, dilapidating neon cake taking center. Surrounding it are cherries and unicorns with bloodshot eyes. Super weird, but you can’t help getting sucked into the madness.
Because it was Golden Week, they offered a simple, Western-style menu, with a twist. I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and a Strawberry Shake. The presentation was really neat, super fun and colorful. It wasn’t the best meal I’ve had, but at the Monster Cafe, you aren’t paying for the food.
I leisurely made my way to the Robot Restaurant, scoping out the ‘hood that it was in. The street that the restaurant is on, is just as whacky as the show itself.
I first walked in and the place was dead, with only a few minutes before show time. There must have been a bar I missed out on because suddenly a flood of people poured in, all carrying booze.
The show. Where do I start?
Do I look right (drums beating)? Left (Blast of fire and gunshot)? Front and center (laser beams)? Giant pandas, robot fights, musical numbers, and a Mamma Mia sing along finale.
The set up was as if you were a participant on a Japanese Game Show, MC and all. Super weird, super awesome.
It’s only a few minute walk from Piss Alley (Golden Gai), which I went to for a drink after the show. Piss Alley, are rows of bars, that can only accommodate 10 or less people in each. I finally found a bar with an open seat, and wiggled my way in… which was like an obstacle course in and of itself with all of my earlier purchases.
The owner of the bar was a Japanese woman in her 70’s. A classy, vodka drinking, turtle neck wearing, cigarette smoking lady.
I told her I wanted to be her when I grow up.
I made my way back to the hostel as Jordan would be arriving. I successfully made it a day in Tokyo using public transit, solo, with minimal and minor glitches.
The next day, J and I had 1/2 the day to play around, before our Japan exploration departure. J wanted Ramen for lunch, and I wanted to check out Akhibara, Tokyo’s gaming district.
We didn’t grab our handy smart phones from the hostel as we were checking out, and what a cluster f* that turned out to be.
Once again, we were in Vietnam, with no data, in constant search of WiFi.
We wandered around desolate streets of the “Akhibara” ‘hood, unsure of where to find the “gamers” and all the weirdness.
After a few minutes on FamilyMart’s WiFi, we figured out the turns and crossings that needed to be made.
#weird is what we found.
For how dignified, conservative, and respectful Japan is… they also, sure let their freak flag fly.
Anime street art of young school girls, flashing their undies… men of all ages, playing video games in arcades with an intensity I have not seen before…. photo rooms, where you are able to play dress up in risqué and seductive costumes….
Fortunately (or unfortunately?), none of the sailor nor school girl outfits were in my size.
J and I had a blast, posing and acting silly in our photo/video shoot. After, we tweaked them with stickers and quotes. Just beware, you’re on a time crunch to bedazzle those photos. So, work fast.
Jordan hard pressed the Ramen. I kept thinking of those 5/$1 Ramen packages you find in the grocery aisles, and wasn’t overly thrilled about waiting in a 30 minute line for a bowl of sodium.
BUT oh.my.
Ichiran- dishing out only pork ramen, and a few “extra’s” ie. green onion, hardboiled egg, extra meat, spice level… has perfected their craft.
One perk of J being a “vegetarian”, double pork.
You order your meal on a vending machine. You tap what you want, put in your money, and a ticket spits out. You continue to wait in line, until a table opens up. Hand over your ticket, and your meal is brought to your seat.
The rest of my time in Japan, I’d be on the hunt for Ramen.
We grabbed our things from the hostel, telling them we’d be back in a few days to end our trip.
I had picked up my JRPass at the airport, but we needed to go the JR office at the train station to get J’s. With middle of the day lines and crowds, dragging my luggage(s) was super stressful. Adding to that stress, we were unable to reserve ANY of our train tickets. Supposedly there are specific cars on each train for those without reservation. Seats are not guaranteed. Spending $300 on a 5 day pass, and unable to get a reserved seat… I near lost my sh*t on that poor ticket agent.
We made our way back to Tokyo Station and hopped a train to Kyoto. One of my Pinterest pins was a conveyor belt Sushi restaurant in Kyoto station and we had to go. The line was long, but moved rather quickly for the limited amount of seats there were. I loaded up on sushi pairs, and after a combined 11 plates, we had our fill. If only they knew of Americans, or my, love of spicy mayo. Japan, get on that trend.
We found our way to our Kyoto Hostel, Friends Kyo. Just 2 gals, trekking that baggage.
They must have known we were struggling, because for the next 2 nights we weren’t shlepping it in the 8 bed, mixed dorm, but were upgraded to our own, private suite… including a balcony with a view of the mountains.
Thank God, for the small things.
We took a stroll through charming Kyoto, where men and women wore kimono’s. The culture and older traditions can be seen here. We came across a diner, with ice cream sundaes. Take a look at these babies.
The next morning, we took the subway, the JR Line, another train, and a ferry to Miyajima. We bypassed the long line of those waiting to visit the museum, and strolled through the streets lined with tourists.
At Miyajima Brewery, I got a tasty cold draft, to beat the heat. We did a photo shoot at the Great Torii Gate. At High Tide, the Gate is submerged, however we were there during low tide, so we were able to get up close.
Women dug clams, while others relaxed or played on the beach. Deers roamed the small island, lining up for food at the vendors and snatching from tourists hands. Ice cream vendors sold “deer poo”, so of course we got in on that. #Basic
We made the short trek back to Hiroshima. We strolled through the Memorial Peace Garden, but this time stood in the line for the Peace Memorial Museum. The Museum was beautifully done and well organized. There were hoards of people, moving along like cattle, however each person serene and moved about with reverence.
The exhibits were heart wrenching, with found remnants, pictures, and accounts from survivors and/or family members.
One in particular, moved me more than others. Sadako Sasaki, died when she was 12 years old, 10 years after the bombing. She developed acute leukemia due to radiation from the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. An old Japanese belief is that whomever folds 1,000 paper cranes, will have their wish come true. Sadako, during her last days created 1,000 cranes, with a wish for a full recovery. She passed away shortly after.
Within the Peace Memorial Park, Sadako’s classmates and friends created the Children’s Peace Monument in her honor, through various funding. Surrounding the monument are strands of paper cranes, with 10 million+ paper cranes sent each year to promote peace.
We walked along the boardwalk past the A-Bomb Dome, as well as, the Memorial Cenotaph, Peace Bells, and Peace Flame.
I remember as a child, reading John Hersey’s Hiroshima. Years later, to be where it took place- to be surrounded by the memorials and learning of the individuals affected… was surreal.
It was an emotionally and physically exhausting day, which made the trip back to Kyoto even less bearable. But first, Ramen at Incheon… to ease our hanger. It also didn’t help that I made yet another stop at Daiso, buying dishware amongst many other trinkets, having to lug it around town.
The way back to Kyoto was chaotic to say the least. These JR Trains could be much more user friendly. If I got “kicked off” one more train… Did I mention we spent $300 each on this pass?
I was having flashbacks to the night I was awoken by 2 police officers and their police dogs, being thrown off the train on my way back from Tijuana.
However, this time I wasn’t drunk, nor found the experience humorous… I was sober, tired, and peeved.
Jordan however, knowing how irked I was, decided to poke the bear…. posting all of the drama on snapchat… Annoyed, I yelled out, that no one cares that we were told to get off by the conductors, because we got on the wrong train, YET AGAIN…. except, for those 4 people that decided to comment (eye roll).
What seemed to be many miserable hours later, we made it back to Kyoto Station and our hostel. Although, kindness (or pity) was shown to us by strangers trying to help us navigate our way back…. We would have been lost, literally, without them.
The next morning we packed our bags, leaving them at a locker at the station, which was extremely convenient. Lucking out, we were able to shove all of our stuff into one.
Exploring Kyoto, we visited the Tenryi-ji Temple, Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama Park, Fushimi Inari, Old Town, and the Nishiki Market.
The garden prior to the bamboo forest was absolutely charming. It was a fabulous gateway to the Bamboo Forest, which was magical.
Walking amongst these bamboo stalks, had one feeling like Jack, standing beside his beanstalk.
We walked through the crowded, touristy streets towards Arashiyama Park… Which had paddle boats, shops lining the streets, and monkey hill.
The steep incline to the top of monkey hill would have taken 20 minutes, so I opted out. Jordan made the trek, and while she was hanging with monkeys, I browsed the local shops. I’m so glad I did, because as I was browsing music boxes, I heard a very familiar voice. I whipped around and it was Frank, one of my favorite students! The funny part is, the week before, I was told that Frank was going to Tokyo over break as well. I joked about the chance of running into Frank with the other teachers. “You’ll never see each other!”, they said.
…… and there was Frank, in the middle of a music box shop in Arashiyama. I loved it!
Jordan and I still had some more places to check out before heading back to Tokyo that night, so we hopped on the local bus… aklcweioajnf. That’s all I have to say about that.
What a cluster F*ck.
Over an hour, in a jam packed bus… and they continued to make stops, letting on more people. I just did not understand.
Uber’s were taken the rest of the day. At Fushimi Inari, again, were hoards of people moving at a snails pace. We took our photo with the thousands of bright orange gates, which forms a tunneled pathway, and bolted back to another uber.
We headed toward Kyoto’s Old Town, having a curry lunch at a nearby hostel. Holy spice level- Near burnt my mouth. In the Old Town, there were many more dressed in beautiful kimonos. There was one main road, which was the prime “tourist spot”. There were a few streets that broke off, but did not have much going on. Sadly, my expectations were too high (for the exception of the sake tasting).
We walked the hilly streets, popping into a few shops and doing a sake tasting at 336… which went down way too easily.
Ubers were way too over priced, and there were non available, so we were left to get on another bus. Once you go taxi or Uber in Japan- you don’t wanna go back. Beautiful cars, and a driver in a suit, hat, and white gloves. Ridin’ around Japan, makes ya feel like you’re a royal.
I really wanted to check out the Nashiki Market, as I was expecting an authentic market similar to Christkindlmarkt or a farmers market… Sadly, most of the stalls sold mass produced items and the food lacked appeal.
Jordan had pointed out wooden Japanese dolls to me, and I had to have one. Need? No, for sure not. Want? Definitely. I went on the hunt for the perfect one, and found one that called out to me. She’s wearing a bright pink kimono, a bow atop her head, has long eye lashes, and red lips.
We made our way back to Kyoto station, collecting our luggage, and stood in line for another round of conveyor sushi. I definitely over stuffed myself, but mmm…
In Tokyo, we grabbed a taxi to our hostel. Again, with no wifi, we had difficulty communicating the location of our hostel. For the last 10 minutes of our ride, we drove up and down a single block. Literally, forward, and then reverse… Multiple times. Frustrated, we tried to get out, but he wasn’t understanding/wouldn’t let us. We were trapped in this taxi- with the meter running. Finally, we jumped out, gestured for the trunk, paid the man, and walked the rest of the way.
We needed to rest up- Disney was in the morning!
We took the train to Disney Station, which is Downtown Disney. Once there, you had the option to walk to the parks, which is no cake walk or you had to pay $5 round trip if you wanted to take the tram…. I’ve never seen this at the other parks, having to pay for the tram, but we paid and took the festive ride around the parks and 2 resorts before arriving at Disney Sea.
Visiting Disney World and Shanghai Disney, I wanted to switch it up a bit. First things first, another pair of Minnie ears. HOWEVER, this time, along with ears, J and I twinned it up with a full on Minnie outfit.
We walked the entire park, in search of something we could eat. We backtracked to the entrance… eating at the Italian Restaurant- Pizza and Spaghetti.
We walked through Ariel’s fabulous castle, which housed an underwater themed kid paradise, through Aladdin’s (Sultan’s Courtyard) where we rode the carousel, journeyed through the Center of the Earth… where we fast passed 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea- a slow paced family ride, and visually stimulating… however, we clearly did not do our research on Disney Sea’s attractions, as we should have fast passed the coasters. We waited over 2 hours in line, for the 2 rides most similar to a roller coaster (Journey to the Center of The Earth and Raging Spirits). To amuse ourselves, many candid photos were taken… mostly J taking them of me… which did not go over well.
There were other areas such as a Mediterranean Coast, American Old Town, and an extremely small version of Toy Story Land. I love Disney, and although Disney Sea was very walkable and beautifully designed, it was a hodge podge of areas.
As we walked the park, what seemed multiple times, it wasn’t until the end of the day that I finally found what I was looking alllll day for: Toy Story alien mochi balls. I near gave up hope until I saw 2 girls, walking around the park eating them. I basically chased them down, yelling, “Excuse me!” You’d think they would be in Toy Story land, but they were at a bakery near the entrance and the nightly light show. The show at night is pretty spectacular. It showcased all of the Disney classics, music, movie clips, and all. But the highlight, was savoring every bite of those mochi balls.
Aren’t they adorable? Besides these cuties, Disney Sea had some really interesting goodies, some that I didn’t dare try. Each area also had their own special flavor of popcorn… curry, Chinese chili, garlic shrimp, and the classics like caramel and salted.
I was sad to say goodbye to yet another trip to Disney, but grateful for the experience…
We could have gotten crazy our last night in Tokyo, but instead I fell asleep in my Minnie outfit. The next morning we rolled out for our flight back to Beijing… and how depressing that was.
All trips back to Beijing hold similar emotions…. this time, in addition, I was holding my nose in flight, feeling all the things.
Bearer of Blonde News 