Japan Flashback! Part 5: Gion Corner, Instant Ramen and Going Home

Hello and welcome to the fifth and final part of my Japan Flashback! (Sad, I know). If you missed the previous parts, you can find them here:

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Day 9 (Evening): Gion Corner & Train Drama

After a lot of walking and temple-visiting, we finished off our day in Kyoto by going to Gion Corner - a popular theatre that puts on performances of things like traditional flower arranging, puppetry, tea ceremonies, dance and comedy. It was a lovely way to end a long day, finally getting to see some of the things I'd read about in action.

Unfortunately though, it wasn't quite the end of the day. Japanese trains are renowned for their punctuality, but sometimes, accidents happen. The train that we were supposed to be taking back to Osaka was cancelled and we had to brave the crowds of rushing business people. We spent almost an hour on the very quiet subway instead, which ended up being quite peaceful. It wasn't an altogether pleasant series of events, but it turned out to be a nice memory.

Day 10: Instant Ramen Museum & Saying Goodbye

Our final day in Japan was finally upon us, and so too was the highly anticipated trip to The Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda. Leave it to Japan to build a whole museum about cup noodles.

It wasn't just a exhibition on the history of ramen and how it's made and packaged. We also got to make our own cup noodle to take home and save for later. We were of course limited by what we would be allowed to take through customs, but it was fun to design our cups and see them filled and sealed. And they were a great thing to have on hand after arriving back home completely exhausted.

We found some lunch, made our way back to the hotel to collect our luggage, and were off on the express train to Kansai International Airport. I was so tired that I didn't even notice that the whole thing is built on its own artificial island.

While we were waiting, I did one last exciting thing - had my first Starbucks experience. Yes, 17-year-old me had never been to Starbucks. 17-year-old me didn't even like coffee (oh, how things have changed). I ended up getting a Double Choc Chip Mocha, which I'm fairly sure we've not had in Australia, and it was pretty damn good. I also probably definitely needed the caffeine.

So, finally, after many hours on planes and not much sleep, we made it back into Sydney. I slept for 16 straight hours once I got home. I'm not exaggerating.

Japan was such a great experience and I miss it all the time. It was my first time being immersed in another country's culture, and I think that's a beautiful feeling. I'm definitely going back again sometime, especially now that my Japanese has improved by a lot.

I hope you enjoyed my little series! I'll hopefully be able to do more travel posts at some point in the future. Feel free to share your favourite place I went, or some of the places you've been in the comments! 

xx

Japan Flashback! Part 4: Temple Visits in Kyoto

Welcome to the penultimate part of my Japan Flashback series! If you missed them, check out parts one, two and three!

Day 9: Temple Explorations and Lots of Walking

Although we were staying in Osaka, Kyoto was just a train ride away, so we went on a little day trip. Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and is famous for it's abundance of temples. Although we obviously didn't get to see very many of them, the ones we did visit were beautiful, and the weather was perfect, too.

Kinkakuji (金閣寺)

Kinkakuji, literally meaning "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" (you can see why) was our first stop after having some lunch at a particularly Western-style restaurant. The water was so still and the pavilion itself was one of the shiniest things I've ever seen. 

There was so much nature around, everything was surrounded by green trees and was very calm and quiet. We stopped at the gift shops on the way through, where I bought a pretty little fan (because it was awfully humid), and we got ice-cream as we were leaving.

Then we were back on another bus to our next stop.

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)

Kiyomizu temple (or the "pure water temple") is located halfway up Otowa Mountain, so it was a pretty intense walk. The road on the way up is lined with shops the whole way, so while we were all out of breath by the time we got there, it wasn't as unpleasant as it could have been.

Obviously the advantage of being halfway up a mountain is that the view is absolutely incredible. You can see pretty much the whole of Kyoto from up there. The sun was starting to set as we arrived, which cast everything in a soft orange glow. I'm fairly sure it was the most beautiful thing I saw on the whole trip.

The temple was unfortunately under construction when we visited, but there was still plenty to do. The grounds are little like a bush-walk. The paths are all nestled into the trees with small sculptures and gardens dotted along the sides. We stayed late enough to watch the sunset, which is without a doubt the best sunset I've seen in my entire life to date.

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And there we have it! Make sure to come back next time to catch the final part of my Japan adventures.

Hope you enjoyed!

xx

Japan Flashback! Part 3: Hiroshima

It's time to continue the recount of my adventures in Japan! If you missed the first parts, go and have a look at Part 1 and Part 2!

Day 6: Travelling & Okonomiyaki

Most of our sixth day was spent on a shinkansen (bullet train), which was such a welcome relief as I was still feeling ill and my ankles had started to swell from the excessive amount of walking we'd done. We bought eki-bens (station lunches) before we left, and we all had a pretty chill time. I actually managed to have a nap somewhere along the way. Either that or I just passed out, I'm not sure.

In Hiroshima we were actually staying in a proper hotel with proper beds and individual bathrooms, which were definitely luxuries we'd taken for granted prior to staying in the hostel in Tokyo. We also had a TV in the room, so after arriving and been given time to rest, we tried to make sense of some of the Japanese television. It ended up being quite funny to just make up our own stories as we watched.

As it got dark, we went for a walk to the shopping district and had an explore. We also went to one to the fabled photo-booths, the effects of which are as scary as you've heard.

To end the day, we were all instructed to find Okonomiyaki places for dinner as we were going to a class to learn how to cook it the next morning. Okonomiyaki is basically a savoury thin pancake piled with cabbage and other toppings and fried. They are literally the size of a dinner plate and are so filling that I only managed to finish half of one.

Day 7: Cooking and Miyajima (宮島)

The next morning I slept in a little (whoops, a comfy bed will do that to you), and didn't have time for breakfast. But if there was any day to skip it, it was this day, because our first item on the agenda was our Okonomiyaki cooking class.

It was quite fun to try getting your pancake as perfect as possible and watching everybody else's attempts around you at the same time. We all sat down to eat our creations when we were done, and despite not having eaten, I STILL couldn't finish it. Seriously if you ever embark on eating okonomiyaki, make sure you take enough mouths to feed.

Progress shot!

After our strange sort-of-brunch, we got on our bus to get the ferry to Miyajima (宮島). Miyajima (also known as Itsukushima) literally translates as 'shrine island', and it's absolutely beautiful. You've probably seen a stack of photos of it around the place (yes, it's the one with the floating gate), and I can say that if you've ever thought of visiting, it's well worth it.

The tide was out during our visit, but the seaweed-covered banks were still beautiful, and we actually got to walk out and under the shrine gate, so it was probably better that it wasn't flooded with water. The view of the hills surrounding us were also absolutely gorgeous.

It was another day of walking, but it felt worth it (despite the perpetual sinus headache I remember having at this point). We walked all around the shrines, temples, shores and little shops, ate ice-cream and hung out with some of the famous deer.

After getting back to the hotel, we (and by we I mostly mean my history teacher who was accompanying us) made the last minute decision to go to a nearby baseball game. Baseball is a pretty big deal in Japan, so it was an interesting atmosphere to be in. I'm not a big sports person, so this was just about the first sporting match I'd ever been to in my life. As far as firsts go, baseball with your friends isn't bad at all.

Day 8: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & Leaving for Osaka

Day 8 was a day that I will remember for as long as I live because it was such a impacting experience. We caught the streetcar to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and the first thing we saw was the A-Bomb dome. They had signs posted around it giving historical background, which was a good place to start before actually entering the Peace Memorial Museum.

I took a few photos inside the museum, but I've decided not to share them here. The museum really drove home the devastation, suffering and loss of life that was experienced after the dropping of the bomb and many years afterward. I think it's really something you have to experience as a whole yourself.

Afterwards we walked around to the memorial itself and to where some school children were gathered on a visit, speaking and learning about the history of Hiroshima and it's bid for world peace. It was a strange thing, to see the destruction that was caused by humanity alongside the good-heartedness of these people that live with this history. It really makes you hope that we can progress and make the world a truly better place.

Straight after visiting the Peace Memorial Park, we were off on another shinkansen to Osaka!

Hiroshima is my personal favourite city that I visited in Japan. It has such a rich history and a sense of openness and calm that was refreshing after the overwhelming mass that was Tokyo. Visiting Miyajima also definitely played a part. I've made it a goal to return at some point in my life.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of my adventures! See you next time!

xx

Japan Flashback! Part 2: More of Tokyo

Here we are again, reliving my Japan memories. If you missed the first part, click here to read it!

Day 4: End of Homestay, Harajuku and Akihabara (原宿と秋葉原)

The morning of day four went quite quickly. I woke up, had a traditional Japanese breakfast and started to pack. I was also starting to get ill on this particular day (trust me to get sick the one time I really didn't want to), so my host mum made me some kocha (Japanese red tea) for the trip, which really helps sore throats, as it turns out. My three host sisters came with us to the goodbye meet-up, and they were so adorable, clinging on to my arms the whole way. All the families reunited and told some stories about what we'd done, and then we all said goodbye! I got a little teary. I'm so happy that I had such a nice experience of homestay. It just goes to show that doing things that scare you doesn't always turn out badly.

After we'd all said our farewells, we went off in the rain to Harajuku! The first place we went was Kiddyland, a five storey toy store which was incredible. I had to hold myself back. I bought mostly gifts for my friends, but I nabbed myself a Tanooki Mario plushie like a colossal nerd, which is super cute. I wish I could go back there and go absolutely nuts.

We unfortunately had to skip out on our plan to go to Yoyogi Park and see some of the amazing cosplay that's usually in the area because of the rain, but that just gave us more time to shop down Takeshita street (yep, the one everyone goes down). I didn't end up buying anything (clothes shopping in Japan doesn't really work out when you're tall and have giant feet), but it was interesting to see the kind of shopping experience that is considered normal in Japan, like just casually putting a model of a plane in a shop because that just makes so much sense, right?

After dark (and crepe eating, yum), we got on the train to Akihabara. Akihabara is amazing at night because everything is lit up. We went to a bookshop, where I bought some manga (in English, because I didn't feel like breaking my poor brain), and went through some of the arcade areas. I really wish I'd stopped to at least try and win a Rilakkuma plushie (y'know, because I need more soft toys, apparently) because I now have a small obsession with it, but alas, I'm two years too late.

We ended up eating pizza for dinner like disappointing tourists. I think we were all just sick of miso soup for breakfast. Then we walked back to the hostel (I'm surprised my feet hadn't fallen off yet. There is nowhere to sit and take a load off in Japan), and tried to get a semi-decent night's sleep before DISNEYLAND, the day of our dreams. 

Day 5: Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド)

I didn't take all that many photos at Disneyland because I was too busy going on rides, but I got some of our arrival and just before we left. Tokyo Disneyland is the first (and only, so far in my life) Disney park I've ever been to, and it was a pretty magical experience, even if a lot of it was in Japanese.

Some of the rides we went on were: It's a Small World (it really is creepy, trust anyone that says so), Pirates of the Caribbean (which was really quite beautiful), The Haunted Mansion (the ghosts were amazing), Splash Mountain (we literally waited in line for two hours and I'm still not sure if it was entirely worth it) and Space Mountain (because I was obviously feeling brave, even if it didn't turn out to be that intense).

The whole place was decked out for Halloween, which I personally didn't really enjoy that much. I'm not a very Halloween-y person, and I feel like all the themed merchandise took over all of the regular fun Disney-themed stuff. But I guess that just gives me an excuse to go again at a different time of year.

Overall, I had a really nice day, despite being sick, sore and sunburnt by the end of it. We stayed late for the fireworks show and for some last minute gift-shopping. Everything looked so beautiful under the evening lights, and I managed to find a little Minnie Mouse plushie (another one, I know), to commemorate my time there. I just wish I'd been able to find some Minnie ears that weren't Halloween themed. I guess I should have looked harder.

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That's it for Tokyo! Tune in next time for my adventures in Hiroshima.

I hope you're enjoying this little series!

xx

Japan Flashback! Part 1: Tokyo

For those of you that don't know, I went to Japan as part of a school trip back in September 2012. Recently I've been missing it A LOT after watching Dan and Phil go to Japan (love them) and continuing my Japanese study at university. 

When I went to Japan, I was still at quite a low beginner level of language acquisition, but now I'm studying at an advanced level! It has been a lot of work and is stressful and overwhelming at times, but holding on to the sense of accomplishment I feel in learning the language and my continued fascination with the culture has pulled me through this far. I hope to continue working hard and pass the most advanced level in about a year and a half, so when I go back to Japan (which will DEFINITELY happen), I can immerse myself in the experience like I've always wanted to.

It occurred to me the other day that I've never really properly shared the things I did in Japan with the world, but after being so inspired recently, I decided that there is no time like the present. I hope you like the photos I took and find some of the things I did interesting!

Day 1: Arrival

Day 1 was mostly exhausting and anxiety inducing, due to it a) marking the first time I'd ever left Australia and b) having to wake up at 4am to spend the entire day cramped on planes. The flight wasn't that bad, due to it being during the day, so I spent it watching The Avengers and listening to music (J-Pop, of course, to get myself in the mood). By the time we touched down at Narita International Airport, night had fallen and we could see the lights of Tokyo below us, which were so much more impressive than any tiny city in Australia. 

After leaving the airport, we got on a bus and traveled for what felt like a long ass time to our hostel. The most we did after we arrived was wander the few streets surrounding where we were staying and get confused by the need for so many FamilyMarts (a Japanese convenience store that is literally on every street, sometimes even on both sides). We had bento boxes for dinner and then absolutely crashed in preparation for our first proper day.

Day 2: Senso-ji Temple (浅草寺)

Senso-ji Temple and the shopping street on its grounds, Nakamise-dori (仲見世通り), was our first experience of the culture and lifestyle of Japan. We caught the train into Asakusa (浅草), which was absolutely insane because the stations are so complex and the trains are almost always busy, depending on where you're catching it to.

The first thing we did was enter the temple itself and experience customs like cleansing your hands and praying for the first time. The temple was really beautiful with a lot of gold embellishments and detailed art and flowers. And as you can see, there was a lot of red, my favourite. A lot of the photos I took are really blurry or crooked because I was in a constant state of oMG JAPAN I MUST TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING. I don't regret it.

We then walked up and down Nakamise-dori, our first experience of Japanese shopping, which is as nuts as it sounds. I'll admit to being a bit frugal because of being unfamiliar with the true value of yen and still having a lot of the trip to stretch my funds out for. BUT I did buy a little Totoro plushie, which was something that was definitely on my list. 

Exploring Shibya! (渋谷)

After Sensoji (and before homestay, which I was terrified of at the time), we went into Shibuya for lunch. I took a few photos of the city because it is SO different from anything you'll find in Australia (and therefore, anything that I had ever seen before), in that it is SO OVERWHELMING. There are so many sights and sounds to deal with all at once that it probably helped that I couldn't understand that majority of things that were being thrown at me.

We had lunch at a restaurant that was so high up a building it was ridiculous. The view was amazing, but it started to rain while we were up there. After lunch, we were put in taxis to go down the road to meet our host families! (The taxi experience was scary, just FYI).

We were introduced to our host families and played some games, and before we knew it, it was time to go. My host family lived in Yokohama (横浜市), so I got a chance to chat to my host mum on the couple of trains we needed to catch in order to get home. I was then introduced to her three daughters, their bird P-chan and their dad. 

I played some games with the girls (who were all between the ages of 5 and 9) like Uno, and showed them where I lived in Australia. They couldn't speak much English at all because they were still so young, but we were able to communicate with actions and simple Japanese words, which was still really fun!

We decided to go for a walk to what they called a "department store", which is NOTHING like what a department store is like over here. It's basically a whole lot of mini stores in one, like a Disney store, a newsagent, a cake shop, just anything you could ever want. I wish we had them.

We ate my host mum's amazing cooking for dinner (while I struggled with chopsticks) and then I went to bed. Turns out sleeping on a tatami mat isn't really all that uncomfortable.

Day 3: Homestay Continues

The next day I woke up and ate an actual Japanese breakfast! After that I got a sushi-making lesson from my host mum and sisters and we went to the park to play badminton (not properly, just randomly on the grass), which I turned out to be pretty good at. 

Later that afternoon we went to a "host family party" which three of my Australian friends were at, so it was a bit more relaxing. We got to know some of the kids, got quizzed on some kanji, were asked about how Japanese culture is received in Australia, and ate some of the food we'd made that day. It was fun to be around old friends and new ones at the same time.

Before we went home, we went stopped off at a cake shop to get CAKE FOR DINNER! The cake shops over there are so cute and all the cakes are really beautiful: they sell individual slices and package them up all nicely. We also had some rice cakes to celebrate the Harvest Moon, although we didn't actually end up going moon-viewing, as is a custom.

I unfortunately didn't take many photos myself during homestay, because my host mum took a lot. One of the last things we did was sit down and make a little scrapbook/photo album for me to keep. It's so sweet, I still cry a bit when I read it! I did, however, get this shot of the path to the park when we went out. It was nice to visit an area that wasn't all buildings and crazy noise. (I was starting to feel a little closed in by this point).

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I hope you liked this first part of my Japan trip! We spent 10 days travelling (5 of them in Tokyo), so there will definitely be more to come!

Stay tuned!

xx