My feet have only just recovered: 4 days of Olympic-worthy touring in Japan

I loved Japan, it was simply a wonderful trip. Sure, I had a few qualms--taxis were expensive (I spent $110 on two taxi rides); the subways close at midnight, and I didn't understand people, but even that couldn't get me down because Japan was such an incredible host to me. I use the word host because I really did feel like an honored guest many times. Rather than receiving dismissive directions or haphazard hand signals when trying to navigate my way, on multiple occasions, I was physically walked to my destination, even if it was a bit out of that person's way--never have I felt before people going out of their way to help a lost stranger like myself.

Japan's hospitality to me was even more remarkable: while at dinner in Tokyo with two friends, we were befriended by a lovely early-middle-aged couple, Toru and Misa. We ended up spending the rest of our evening with the two of them as they escorted us to 3 different nightlife hotspots, while also paying for all of our drinks (including amazing wines) and making sure we were happy and having a fun time. This memorable night out was my first night in Japan, but also my friends' last night; for the rest of my time in Japan, I would be traveling alone. Toru and Misa refused to let me be alone on my second night in Tokyo and took me to not one, but two of Tokyo's finest restaurants for two deliciously fresh and flavorful meals. They catered to my vegetarianism AND my random cucumber allergy! I will never forget them--their generosity and kindness to me made my first trip to Japan unforgettable.

Toru, Misa, Jon, Jocelyn and Me on our night out

Toru, me, Misa and one of the chefs at the second restaurant

Aside from the hospitality experienced, Japan was amazing in its own right. Japan is a country of contrasts, where modernity and history co-exist. Urban living in Tokyo is modern and sleek, and the youth culture is experimental and liberal (which is one reason for Tokyo's flourishing art and music scene), while older Japanese are more conservative. Additionally, despite the formidable presence of this youth culture, Japan is the fastest aging society in the world, with an average life expectancy of 85, which is also quite surprising given the number of people who smoke. Smoking is quite cheap, with cigarettes at only $3 a pack; you'd think that their government would change this given the large public health costs that smoking leads to, even more since all Japanese citizens receive health care from the government.

Now, for a little spotlight on each of the places I went, Tokyo is unlike an city I've ever been to. It has one of the finest subway systems in the world, taking you just about everywhere, and unlike in New York, you usually don't have to walk too far from the station; it's also quite clean, which is an added bonus. My only complaint about their transportation is that the subways close at around midnight, which puts an obvious dent in one's night time plans, as cabs are incredibly expensive, which I've already mentioned. This is also unfortunate given Tokyo's booming nightlife, which offers a variety of scenes in areas like Roppongi and Shibuya, two areas that I went to. To solve this problem, a whole industry of specialized "love hotels" has developed to cater to Tokyo's night owls. In these hotels, check-in is always after 9pm and you leave in the morning; it is often cheaper than an expensive cab ride.

Typical sign for a love hotel

Sex shop next to a love hotel

Advertisement next to the sex shop

Tokyo is also a remarkably green city, with numerous parks and green spots. Although there are many, I was only able to go to Ueno Park, where the Tokyo National Museum is; the Meiji Shrine park area, which is right next to Harajuku, the Japanese teenybopper cultural haven; Shinjuku Park, where the famous Park Hyatt of "Lost in Translation" is; and Hama Raiyu Gardens.

Tidbits of Teenybopper culture

In terms of religious or historical sites, I thought Tokyo's sites were not as strong as those in Kyoto; the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa was very crowded and not as easy to enjoy as the temples in Kyoto, which were often in a natural environment; however, the Meiji shrine was very nice and peaceful.

Some of the touristy activities are also not Tokyo's strongest points: the Sumida river cruise I took was nice, but the weather made it difficult to enjoy; the Asakusa area were Senso-ji was crowded; the Tsujiki Fish Market was interesting to see but 20 minutes is enough; and the Ginza shopping area is equivalent to New York's fifth avenue.

Some findings at the Fish Market

The things that I liked most were a bit less touristy: the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills has a great modern art exhibition and was very well curated; I really enjoyed it. I also liked walking around Shibuya and seeing Shibuya crossing (the largest crossing in the world, the area is like the Japanese equivalent of Times Square); I've never seen so many people cross a street at one time that it was very cool to watch! I found a small independent record store (think High Fidelity) in Shibuya where I bought some great Japanese rap and house music (from a popular local DJ); I also enjoyed going into all the shops to see the latest Japanese fashion trends, which are heavily influenced by anime. Seeing all the anime was also quite a site--at video arcades too! I even think I stumbled upon some anime porn....I would say Tokyo's strongest point overall is it's unique cultural blend--of conservative business-like people; people who dress impeccably in all designer wear; the middle class who are a little more nondescript; and the young people, who are heavily influenced by art and visual media. In general, Tokyo's youth culture is like none other; you could easily identify a young Japanese person as Japanese just by the way they dress and put themselves together.

Anime everywhere

I also really enjoyed the food I ate, pretty much all over Japan; it was cheap and delicious. At the Tsujiki Fish market, I will never forget my breakfast--a curry noodle soup--that I ate at a local joint, filled with fisherman in their tall rubber boots; I was the only foreigner.

Kyoto and Nara were completely different; Kyoto was Japan's old capital and cultural center, and now the center of Japan's rich history. I arrived to Kyoto in the morning by the bullet train (Shinkansen), which only took about 2.5 hours from Tokyo. In order to take advantage of a full day's worth of sight-seeing, I checked my bags in a locker at Kyoto station (which is kind of a site on it's own and where young people go on dates!) and developed a nice touring route, hoping to hit all the major sites that day.

On the bus to my first stop, the Golden Pavillion (Kinakuji; ji means temple), I met Dan, an American doing a language immersion home-stay program in Japan, and his host brother, Koji. Koji was a university student at a Kyoto University (which I got to see!) and Dan was a senior at Stonybrook in NY. It was great to go around with both of them because they both spoke English and Japanese; Koji also knew his way around so we could just follow him all of the time, making my transportation much easier and my likelihood of getting lost much lower. They were both incredibly nice and made my day in Kyoto so pleasant. Dan, who has been studying Japanese culture for about 5 years, knew a copious amount of interesting facts about Japanese culture so I also felt that I learned a lot about the traditional culture from him.

Dan and Koji at the Heian Shrine in Kyoto

Of the sites I saw in Kyoto, my favorites were the Ryoanji zen rock garden, the Nijo Castle (the first Shogun's castle), and the Kiyomizu Temple (Kyoto's most famous temple). The rock garden was just very peaceful and have lovely landscaping. The Castle was enormous and contained some beautiful art and also some lovely gardens. I liked how the nightingale floors were made to intentionally squeak, so that the shogun could always know if someone was coming. The Kiyomizu temple was my favorite temple that I saw in all of Japan--it is on top of a hill, with the main hall perched on a cliff; the whole temple is actually built into a forest. The views of the city from the top of the temple are breathtaking and the surrounding temple seems to be an ideal place for meditation and contemplation. To get to the temple, you walk through the middle of Higashimaya, the oldest district in Kyoto, filled with wood houses, artisans, and even geishas that pass through the streets.

Part of the entrance to Kiyomizu Temple

The Golden Pavilion (Kinakuji)

Geishas in Higashimaya

Also in Kyoto is the Toji Temple, which has the tallest pagoda in all of Japan in its complex. This temple was also peaceful with a lovely garden, but I was a bit tired and templed-out by the time I got to see it. Lastly, not too far from Kyoto is the Fushiminari, which is a Shinto shirne, steeped in a misty forest. To go through the shrine, you walk through hundreds of orange Shinto gates (shrines) one after the other, uphill and into the forest; it's quite spooky and I got a bit scared that I would get lost in the forest. Unfortunately it started to pour about 30 minutes into my walk so I had to turn around and go back. I did see the other big attractions in Kyoto, but I've limited my blogging to these, which I feel were the most worthy of attention.

The Pagoda in the Toji Temple Complex
Part of the Fushiminari

The food in Kyoto was also quite good. Dan and Koji took me to a "tofu cafe," which are popular in Kyoto; they serve all sorts of delectable tofu dishes that I'd never had before. My favorite was yuba, which was a soft tofu that had an indescribable texture. While also with Dan and Koji, I went to an izakaya, a place that serves both food and alcohol, and had another memorable meal (Dan had a blue beer which was cool), while sitting on the floor with a traditional Japanese table.

In term of having a traditional Japanese experience, I did stay at a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn where you sleep on a tatami mat; my Ryokan also had a little Japanese garden in front. I had a very enjoyable experience and was able to sleep quite well; I found the mats surprisingly comfortable.

Lastly, I spent half a day in Nara, Japan's ancient capital. I got there by train early in the morning to see Nara's three main attractions: the Todaiji temple with the giant Daibutsu (large Buddha); the Kokufuji temple and the Kasuga Shrine. Horyuji temple (Japan's first World Heritage Site) is also quite famous, about 40 minutes from Nara but it was very difficult to get to, and I would not recommend it (It took a lot of time out of my day and wasn't as memorable). All of the sites are in Nara park, where there are hundreds and hundreds of deer. They sell deer cookies everywhere so that you can feed them--they come right up to you to eat it from your hand, or even if you don't have food.

One of the many deer

Of the sites I saw, my favorite was the Todaiji temple with the giant Daibutsu. I went very early in the morning before all the large tourist buses came and found it to be very peaceful, beautiful and awe-inspiring; you really do feel as if you're in the presence of something greater, which is quite a unique feeling. In the temples you can also pay for a fortune; I did this and received one that indicated the second highest level of luck, so I hope this comes true!

The giant Daibutsu

The Kasuga shrine was also one of the more unique sites that I saw: leading up to the shrine are hundreds of stone lanterns and in the shrine are hundreds of bronze lanterns. There's also one room where the lanterns are lit and the rooms are dark; I stayed in this room alone for a bit just because it had a magical presence.

Me amidst the stone lanterns
Some of the lit lanterns

Overall, my trip to Japan was completely unforgettable--I have a wonderful experience all around and couldn't recommend the country more. I learned about Japan's incredible history and saw its historical sights, got a view into modern Tokyo culture, and also got to see a good portion of the countryside, which has topiary and greenery unlike anywhere I've seen, it's very distinct.

More updates will come from Bangkok, my new hometown for the upcoming year!