Japanorama

The last leg of my trip was in Japan. So after skipping from San Francisco to Johannesburg back to San Francisco then to New York and back to SF AGAIN, I finally made it to the land of the rising sun. I was actually here 2 years ago but my brother and his wife moved to Tokyo in March so this was a great opportunity to see what life would be out there! Without the pressure of sightseeing I could just enjoy the Tokyian experience and focus on the best part - the food!

My brother's place was fantastic! Very centrally located and a whole lot bigger than I would ever have guessed. My brother and sister-in-law were working during the day and I spent my time visiting places around Tokyo and eating as many delicious things as possible. We would meet in the evenings for dinner and merriment so it was a great, relaxing 10 days.

Check the time on the clock behind the sushi chef - that's right, sushi before 7am. Jetlag is a pain but at least it makes for a perfect way to visit the Tsujiki fish market. YUM.

See how the fat glistens on that toro? Yeah, awesome.

Fish market comes with all sorts of hazards.

I did make 1 (half-hearted) effort to do some sightseeing. I went to Kamakura, which is about an hour outside of Tokyo and features either the oldest or biggest buddha in Japan (I don't remember which. I've seen a lot of buddhas in my time). The best part was the sheer amount of old people and young kids - insights into the shaping demographics of Japan I guess. Either that, or they really like fieldtrips in Japan.

There was a ramen festival outside my brother's building - YES.

A $100 melon!

We went to a baseball game - Giants vs Dragons - though it might as well have been the Giants vs the Dodgers with the same colors and fonts. At least the mascots were different and way cuter. Baseball in Japan was definitely a different experience. All the chants were organized with bands and chants that were all sung in unison. It was incredible.

Me and my bro!

I came across the most systemic and organized beer festival in my life. There was a hug system with wristbands, tickets, renting mugs, returning mugs, eating spatzle and best of all there was actually a Bavarian band in full leiderhosen. I can't even explain it.


THANK GOD for the plastic food in the windows. I would never be able to order without pointing at what I wanted. And they were so realistic! Can you tell which one is the real deal?

I don't know, maybe they were shooting a commercial? I came across a camera crew filming these dudes in Sailor Moon outfits. Yeah, I don't get it either.

Lost in translation

After graduation I headed out on a mini-grand tour, this time to Asia. I had 3 months before joining the real world again so my parents and I planned on going to Japan and then Korea. After they headed back to home, I was to continue in Korea, hanging with cousins and friends and brushing up on my Korean, and then on the the Stans with my bestie Ang (Stans as in Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek - I'll explain later).

We had a great time in Japan! We started in Tokyo, went to the Ito Hanzu peninsula for the onsen experience and finally to Kyoto. Japan really is a different place and we had a great time, seeing the sights, soaking in the hot springs and best of all, eating our way through the country!

Shinjinku at night. Its just as bright during the day, maybe even a little more blinding.

English is not necessary at least when ordering food. Just point! The food was so good in Japan, even down to the little ramen stalls on the street.

The fish market in Tokyo. We went there at some awful hour in the morning to see the fresh catches come in. We also had sushi at this little shack and it had to be the best fish I've ever had. Yummmmm....

Japan is into everything perfectly packaged and delivered, even beer in vending machines. YES.

Right after the food was all the temples/gardens/castles are the things to see. They were as beautiful as they were plentiful.

Irrigation system in Japan. Genius and simplicity in one, the only way the Japanese will have it. And cute too!

Hey! Geisha are just girls too!

After 4 action-packed days in Tokyo we were ready for some serious hot springing. We headed to a traditional ryokan in this teeny town on the Ito Hanzu peninsula. It had to be the best couple of nights with outdoor hot springs, amazing massages and best of all, a traditional kaiseki meal. I would recommend it to everyone! The best japanese food I've ever had all in these beautiful tiny dishes with the most beautiful presentation. The meal also takes about3 hours because of all the courses. Food was a theme if you haven't noticed already.

The only way to travel in Japan is definitely on the shinkensen. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, which goes almost 100mph. The scenery just flies by.

Kyoto is definitely all about templing. Kyoto is a beautiful old city with amazing sites and a truly laid back feel. Just don't tell my mom who was a little freaked to be so close to the deer (they just roam around Nara).

And of course the food! We were so glad to find this teppenyaki place after (what felt like) hours of walking.

We were sad to leave but at least we were far from over...