Though my time in Japan was brief it was memorable. I was fortunate enough to meet three solo travellers at a hostel in Tokyo; Fabien, Annabel Le and Andre. We decided to tackle what Japan had to offer together.
Tokyo ate me alive. Much like Shanghai the city was overwhelming. I spent more time gazing aimlessly at signs and maps rather than being where I wanted to be. If you like peace and quiet and your own space steer clear of Tokyo. The metro's were like cans of over packed sardines, I was constantly stepping on toes at bars, and walking the streets was like joining a school of fish; don't go against the current or risk losing yourself in a sea of sandal wearing goldfish tenders. (Thank you Mr Burns)
Tokyo ate me alive. Much like Shanghai the city was overwhelming. I spent more time gazing aimlessly at signs and maps rather than being where I wanted to be. If you like peace and quiet and your own space steer clear of Tokyo. The metro's were like cans of over packed sardines, I was constantly stepping on toes at bars, and walking the streets was like joining a school of fish; don't go against the current or risk losing yourself in a sea of sandal wearing goldfish tenders. (Thank you Mr Burns)
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| Tokyo, view from the Sky Tower |
From Tokyo the four of us ventured to Hakone. The town is part of the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park; less then 100km from Tokyo. Hakone is known for its natural hot springs or Onsens. We were informed that it was customary to bathe naked and that tattoos were forbidden due to their affiliation with the Yakuza Mafia. Fabien and myself both have tattoos but thought we would take our chances. It wasn't to be; the sharp eye of the Japanese caught us, we were pulled out of the water stark naked and escorted out in nothing but a towel.
Our next stop was Fuji, with the intent of climbing the 3,800m Mt Fuji. It was nice to be away from the bells and whistles of Tokyo. Fuji is a peaceful and serene town; more of what I was hoping for from Japan. Unfortunately we weren't able to get a snap of the mountain due to the thick cloud cover. I was told by a local that Mt Fuji is like a shy woman; you need to keep working at her until she reveals herself, but knowing my luck with women I didn't catch a glimpse. We did manage to climb part of Mt Fuji until rough weather forced us to turn back.
Our next stop was Fuji, with the intent of climbing the 3,800m Mt Fuji. It was nice to be away from the bells and whistles of Tokyo. Fuji is a peaceful and serene town; more of what I was hoping for from Japan. Unfortunately we weren't able to get a snap of the mountain due to the thick cloud cover. I was told by a local that Mt Fuji is like a shy woman; you need to keep working at her until she reveals herself, but knowing my luck with women I didn't catch a glimpse. We did manage to climb part of Mt Fuji until rough weather forced us to turn back.
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| Dogs can climb Mt Fuji too |
Kyoto was my final stop in Japan. It lies 400 km south of Fuji but with the bullet train reaching speeds of over 300km/ph the journey was seamless. I didn't spend enough time in Kyoto to comment on the city, but I found it similar to Tokyo, just on a smaller scale.
There are three more topics I want to discuss re Japan; karaoke, fashion and the fact that a lot of Japan seems to be living in the not too distant future; its scary. The karaoke machine was invented by a Japanese musician; Daisuke in 1971. After becoming popular in Japan, karaoke spread to South East Asia during the 1980's and subsequently to other parts of the world. Throughout Japan karaoke establishments are often fronts for gentlemen's clubs, where men pay to have females serve drinks and dance/sing with them. You can't go far in Japan without coming across a karaoke bar. I swore I would never karaoke again after a terrible performance in Barcelona two years ago, but 'when in Rome'. I had countless nights on the mic; my best performance was a duet to Single Ladies. Beyonce; my guilty pleasure, don't judge me.
Moving on, I knew that Asian's were into technology, but Japan takes the cake. Science and technology in Japan is focused on consumer electronics. Japan's research and development budget currently sits at $130 billion US dollars a year. On the metro system I struggled to find someone that wasn't glued to their phone or device. Much of the western world seems to be moving in this direction, however Japan is one step ahead.
Finally, Japan began to emulate Western Fashion in the 19th Century. By the 21st Century this emulation formed Japanese Street Fashion. At present there are many styles of dress in Japan created from a mix of local and foreign labels. Many of these styles are extreme and avant-garde, similar to the haute couture seen on European and American catwalks. One afternoon I took a stroll through Harajuku; Tokyo's high fashion district and felt like I was on a different planet. I recommend checking it out if in Tokyo, a great place to shop as well.
Finally, Japan began to emulate Western Fashion in the 19th Century. By the 21st Century this emulation formed Japanese Street Fashion. At present there are many styles of dress in Japan created from a mix of local and foreign labels. Many of these styles are extreme and avant-garde, similar to the haute couture seen on European and American catwalks. One afternoon I took a stroll through Harajuku; Tokyo's high fashion district and felt like I was on a different planet. I recommend checking it out if in Tokyo, a great place to shop as well.
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