The best of Japan

Come July 2018 and we were still together! Whoop! I made my way to Paris (see my blog post about that trip here) as our flight was departing the following day from CDG airport, but returning to LHR. That’s probably why the ticket was so damn cheap. We were flying Aeroflot, and stopping over in Moscow too. So a pretty long flight, but you gotta compromise somewhere eh? I’ve structured this post around Tokyo and Kyoto in a Q&A format. So here goes: 

We landed in Tokyo many, many hours later and passed customs with ease. Mike grabbed his bag off the conveyor belt, but mine was nowhere to be seen. Eventually I was called to the Aeroflot counter and told that my bag was still in Moscow, along with half our flight’s luggage. They had forgotten to put it on the flight, but not to worry, I would receive it a few days later. This was the first time in my life I had travelled without hand luggage and I was pretty screwed. I had NOTHING. I had packed a few contact lenses in Mike’s luggage but that was it. After crying and throwing a fit in Narita Terminal, the sweetest Japanese lady told me in broken English that I would get $100USD as compensation. My tears of sadness turned into tears of joy, and I forgot all sense of worry as I was able to go shopping in Tokyo FOR FREE!!! 

Was transport easy to follow?

Yes and no. Transport in Japan can be pretty confusing because English translations are not everywhere, and so a lot of patience is required. They do have an underground, similar to London, which is run by numerous companies, and so you have to keep buying new tickets for different legs of your trip. Strange, but that’s how it’s done. If you plan on doing more than a few cities – I suggest getting a JR Rail Pass, as it turns out cheaper than doing single journey tickets. I really loved the train journey from the airport into the city of Tokyo – not only was the view so lush with greenery, but the chairs would swivel in whatever direction the train was moving – which was super techno and gave me my first taste of ultra cool things to come. When we arrived in Shinjuku (the area we stayed in) the friendliest lady came up to us and told us we looked lost (LOL) and she ended up walking with us for 15 minutes to show us our platform. I asked where her train was and she said it was where we had first met her, 15 minutes walk in the opposite direction. I was so humbled and fascinated at how incredibly kind she was, and I thought then and there I loved Japanese people. My love for them grew and not once did I have a sour incident – what a humble and helpful nation!

What was a street that stuck out for you?

I would say Takeshita Street in Tokyo was really unique. Not only is the name catchy (take a shit) but it’s one long street running right through Harajuku packed with cool vintage shops, boutiques, food stalls and cafes. (You have to try the crepes here too) The fashion in this area is an eye full and just a great place to people watch. There were loads of quirky teenages in futuristic wear, an elderly folk the most fashionable I have seen. I would suggest stopping at a cafe and just taking it all in. I also loved seeing random members of the public driving in Mario Karts on the street. Just a short walk away is the famous Meiji Shrine – a full on forest in the middle of the city, with huge trees creating a canopy (yay for shade) which then leads to an enchanting temple. 

What’s the most cultural thing you did?

Hands down – visiting Kyoto. This is a MUST visit place even if you have a few short days in Japan. It is so different to the modern metropolis of Tokyo, and it only takes a few hours to get there on the bullet train, which is an experience in itself. The old historic capital is just exquisite. There are dozens of shrines dotted around the quaint city and little cobble roads that lead into even more gorgeous gardens I just couldn’t get enough of. What’s more is that people wander the streets in their kimonos and go right back to their roots. It’s dreamy. 

What’s the most active thing you did?

Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto whipped us into shape. We took the tram to this super cute village and then walked around the town for a bit. Once we had psyched ourselves up, we began the torii gate trek, which lasted for around 3 hours and in sweltering heat. The view from the top was incredible, as was my sweaty asthma attack induced face. WOW. I saw elderly Japanese men climb the hike, along with women in high heels! If you are able bodied, there is no excuse not to do it. 

What was the most delicious thing you ate?

Too much to just choose one. The sushi in Shinjuku was a winner. Sushi of course originated in Japan, and the fish there is just something out of this world. The portion size was SO generous and the salmon was delicious melt-in-your mouth quality. The udon noodles in Kyoto were also scrumptious and made by a local granny who was over 95 years old. I think I just had more fun playing with them because of their ridiculously long size. How does that even fit in my tummy? PS. The beer is delicious too – locally brewed Asahi all the way. 

Weirdest place you went? There are too many to mention so I will just stick to 3 for brevity. 

1. Piss alley

Named for its early years, when it was a shady destination for criminals to get their drink on, the place wasn’t very built up back in those days, so instead of using a toilet, people just relieved themselves wherever they could. The narrow side street is lined with rows upon rows of tiny (and I mean tiny) bars right next to each-other, which fit in around 7 people max. Some are even smaller. Friendly locals welcomed us in, while others demanded a small fee for “tourist tax”. It was a great boozy evening learning about our bartender and tasting what was on offer – countless G&T’s along with some complimentary dried fish and nuts. 

2. Maid Cafe

Ok whoah – this was a strange one. A maid cafe is basically a cutely decorated cafe with scantily clad waitresses dressed in revealing maid outfits. It’s just weird because you have lone men sitting at tables (which are decorated in bright pink paraphernalia) clearly there to cop a feel only to get shouted “no photo” at. When we arrived, we were given cat ears to wear and instructed to “meow” when ordering, along with learning a cheesy dance. We had to check out the hype for ourselves but I think we would skip this if we went again. 

3. Monster Cafe 

This was a super cool cafe in Harajuku and what a way to welcome us to Japan. It was a Kawaii inspired colourful experience from the moment we walked in, to the food we ate and the groovy dancing we go to do. The girls dressed up really well and interacted with us the entire time. Our food was actually insanely delicious and I was just agog at how awesome this place was. Definitely recommend for all ages. 

Did you relax at all?

After hours of walking and doing way more than our 10,000 steps, almost every night we lulled in our hotel onsen for hours. (An onsen is a typical Japanese bath) shown below and we only booked places that had them already. Talk about indulgence. At the onsen, you go in butt naked, right after rinsing yourself in the shower and hop from hot steam room to cold bath, and back again. I had to hide my tiny tattoo as you are not allowed in if you have one – this is a sign of being in a gang and anti-social I was told. We also got a full body massage which was delicious. Funny story, we were pointed to a massage parlour, which looked a bit “dodgy” from the outside, but we didn’t want to rule it out. We walked down the alleyway and into a dark lift, until we reached a basement which was totally a makeshift brothel. A lady in lingerie unhooked the makeshift curtain, took one look at both Mike and I and said she wouldn’t be able to entertain the both of us, and we should choose who was going first. We were in hysterics and ran out of the building as fast as we could. 

Any cool tips for fellow travellers?

Definitely! I suggest building your itinerary from this website. It was super helpful and we got some great advice. Savvy tip: We also saved our moolah by avoiding the Tokyo Skytree and heading straight for the Government Metropolitan Building for a bird’s eye view of the city. It cost us nothing and the vantage point was incredible. You should do it too! 

What was the most adventurous thing you did:

We took a day trip to picturesque Hakone, where we saw the tip of Mt. Fuji poking its head from the clouds. We walked around the beautiful lake Ashi, which stretched on for miles, surrounded by the most enchanting forest – which used to serve as the gardens of the emperors. It was utterly breathtaking. 

Most embarrassing thing you did?

Too many to mention! The bus network in Hakone doesn’t make you pay when you get on, but rather when you get off. Mike was our treasurer and I could see him looking pretty panicked when the bus price was hiking and we were going further up the mountain. We clearly couldn’t afford the trip and the cash only rule didn’t help us. I suggested we just give as much money as we could and then jump off like unsuspecting tourists. We tried that and our driver stopped the bus, began yelling at us and made us do a walk of shame in front of a full coach. I also latched on to the back of an English speaking tour group in Kyoto, and followed them around for 25 minutes, ducking and diving into shops whenever the tour guide suspected I was eavesdropping. After being able to recite the life story of the Geishas of Gion, I swept up and down the street, eagerly awaiting to see one with my own eyes. My hard work paid off, because out of a traditional wooden machiya house, glided a gorgeous geisha – right into a cab for her evening appointment. The tour came up behind me and said I should tip him and not be so cheap next time. Whoops! 

Any other weird and wonderful things?

Japan is the place of weird and wonderful. The toilets need to get a mention!Not only are they clean and neat, they are equipped with every button and function under the sun, such as playing music, warming the seat, spraying gentle streams into your you know what and and and. Going to the loo was a novelty I couldn’t get enough of. 

Vending Machines are everywhere in this country and what a welcome surprise they were. Randomly placed on street corners you could grab a drink of water – Pocari Sweat being a favourite choice for all. Ordering hot food from a vending machine was also a really cool experience I think everyone has to do. 

A memory you will treasure forever?

We played cards in our hotel room one evening until about 2am. Mike is the most competitive person I know, and when I kept winning he wouldn’t go to bed without a rematch. I told him if I won the next round, he would have to come with me to the 7/11 to buy food for a midnight feast. Of course, I won and off we went strolling around Tokyo at midnight in our hotel kimono gowns in search of snacks. PS. Watching Mike play with the kittens in the cat cafe was also pretty heartwarming!

In retrospect, would you have changed anything?

I definitely think holidays are a great learning experience, and this was no exception. Although I loved every bit of the holiday, Japan was HOT. We were there during the Summer 2018 heat wave and the temperature was at least 35’C and climbing. Although places are equipped with aircon indoors, outdoors was really, really humid. Everywhere I sat, I left a huge pool of sweat, and even though I am from sunny South Africa, I have never been in heat like that. So I would suggest avoiding Japan in the summer months, and go for the cherry blossom season. Here is a few more awesome pics from our adventure: 

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and if you’ve ever been to Japan, let me know the coolest experience you’ve had…