Japan 2015 - A Recap and Reflection

I'm starting this post on October 8, but I doubt I'll finish this till after the long weekend. Be prepared for a long read!

Japan 2015.

It was a very familiar experience, being that I was just in Japan a year ago, yet it was a journey in the making ever since I got back in July 2014.

As I was coming home over a year ago, I recall stating that I'll be back soon. Lo and behold, I had an intense desire to return back to Japan ever since I arrived back in Calgary. The feelings persevered as I started school, with my breaks being occupied with thoughts of returning back to Japan. After a while, work kept me busy, but any time I had a moment, I would envision an upcoming trip that would be longer and more epic than Japan 2014.

And so, on the day after hosting the Career Day event at my school, I went home and had my brother book our tickets for the summer. I felt like I persevered to host such an event, and thus be rewarded with a trip that would be more epic than the one it precedes. We couldn't leave as early as 2014 since my brother worked till early-mid July. Superstitious, I didn't want to go on the 13th of July (the earliest we could have traveled), even though it had a decent deal on tickets. After fiddling with dates, we settled on departing on July 15. As for the return date, I randomly picked August 17. Why? I have no idea -- just the thought of being able to stay in the country for at least 1 month. Japan 2014 was 17 days. Coincidentally, with absolutely no thought put into it, Japan 2015 would be twice as long at 34 days in total.

The days passed by, ever feeling so slow. I installed a count down app on my phone in April and lamented on the fact that there were 80+ days to go. Nonetheless, the days seemed to go by faster in May since final exams were coming. As school ended, I counted down the final 15 days to the trip.

At that point of time, I was feeling some dread since I feared (and I believe it did turn out to be an accurate guess) that I contracted bronchitis. Knowing me, bronchitis normally lasts for a month, and with only half a month before the trip, I wasn't feeling too hopeful.

The morning of  the 15th, I was up and early playing Pokemon Rumble World. I've been hooked to this game, and not wanting to spend all my time grinding in Japan, I decided to spend money for in-game purchases. I was coughing quite a bit at this time, but at least I had a large amount of gems ready to spend on events like the following:

After checking that I had all my luggage (and ensuring that I had my inhaler), it was time to go. We drove to our friend's house to pick them up (another 4 person/ two pair of brothers trip) and headed to the airport. I brought my DSLR this time around with the intention of creating a video, so I started filming the waiting area once we passed through security.

The flight felt longer than normal due to the lack of entertainment on the on-board screen. It didn't make matters much better than the occasional cough that would escape my mouth. Since Japan was hit by a typhoon, the landing was quite turbulent -- I was feeling quite nauseous when we landed. Nevertheless, we have arrived after our long flight.

Walking down the terminal to customs was nostalgic, though something was different this time around. The sense of wonderment was not as apparent as last year. I was back yes, but it wasn't as long as the 13 year gap that preceded 2014 Japan. As such, I didn't take the time to absorb the surroundings, rather it was off to gather our wi-fi routers and book tickets for the Narita Express to take us to Shinjuku.

On the road, or more like the tracks, the weather was gloomy. I felt strangely emotionless, neither glad or sad. I guess I would say I was rather more annoyed that I was coughing throughout the entire trip and that my inhaler nor Fisherman's Friends were doing much to alleviate my symptoms. (Thank goodness though that I didn't have any large coughing fits like I would normally do during a bout of bronchitis).

Compared to my first night last year, it was quite adventurous as we quickly went out to explore Shinjuku. It was essentially past my bedtime, yet I had energy to walk many kilometers. It was also our first night where we went to eat at a restaurant. Looking at it now, I regret not eating at many restaurants last year... sampling the many different cuisines that a country holds is a must during travel -- even with a tongue as bland as mine. A friend wanted ramen, so we found one near one of the entrances to the subway.

I never had the chance to order from a vending machine before, so the four of us stood there with a look of confusion. There was an English option, so we started with that. However, every time we tried to place an order, it would reject our order with a pop up screen in Japanese. After struggling for 5 minutes or so, one of the waiters came up to us and explain that we needed to insert money into the vending machines first.

We could finally order; we placed our orders and waited at the counter for the ramen. The restaurant was essentially open to the streets outside, thus a cool breeze blew behind our backs. It was comforting with the humid heat that hits Japan every summer.

The ramen was not as good as the one I had in Sapporo, yet it was extremely palatable. I cannot recall much after eating, save wondering around areas close by and stumbling across Kabukicho, the red-light district in Shinjuku. The area was bright and filled with slightly suggestive pictures promoting various establishments.  Since our group consisted of four males, we were heckled by individuals wanting to take us to their club. A bit shocked by the attention, we quickly made ourselves out -- though laughing about journey as we headed for a convenience store to stock up for breakfast.

Despite the picture not showing it, the morning of our second day was full of rain. I can't recall being hit by rain before in Japan, but it really pours. The typhoon probably had a part to play, but I was soaked despite wearing a rain coat. I later found out that my backpack wasn't really waterproof, due to some pieces of paper having damp corners. Fortunately, my camera bag, which I kept in my backpack, had a water satchel to keep it dry.

 In hindsight, it would have been best not to book a climb up a famous mountain 3 days into a trip that crossed the ocean. I haven't had any solid sleep over the past couple days, and it really put a hamper to my excitement to climb Mount Fuji. There's a saying that goes "You're a fool not to climb Mount Fuji once, but a fool to climb it twice". I ended up being a fool. We were weary climbing up the mountain. Yes, I was more prepared in terms of clothing this time (jacket, hoodie, long sleeve shirt and a t-shirt), yet fatigue hit us all hard. We made an unscheduled pit stop at a mountain hut in which I think I had the first, longest,uninterrupted sleep of my trip. We were woken up by one of the staff members to see the sunrise. It was a bittersweet sunrise...

After our failed attempt to reach the summit, we had a smooth descent back down to the 5th station to catch the bus back to the base. We decided to take the train back, instead of the bus to Shinjuku. Like how I stated in my blog post for that day, I was reflecting over our failure throughout the train ride. Sleep wouldn't come to my weary mind and body. Even though we passed through much greenery (I wish I took photos of the trip), it was a bitter ride back.

From our arrival back to Shinjuku, I cannot recall what we did that day. I just recall having extremely weird night terrors where I had auditory hallucinations and intense vertigo. I'm quite sure, and I hope, that I was not going crazy, rather that it was due to not having adequate rest for over 36 hours.

The next day, it was off to the Kansai region. I always enjoyed travelling to Kyoto for there's so much to do. The days we spent in Kyoto were exciting to a degree. I revisited many places, but got the chance to explore new things. The food was really great as well, which eventually made my favorite convenience snacks... just tolerable for consumption. The familiarity of the places made Japan feel like home, rather than being on a journey.

Throughout our eight or so days in Kyoto, we made day trips to Nara, Osaka and Kobe. Nara was a repeat of last year, but the other two places were essentially new. Osaka was essentially a west Tokyo, but it gave us the opportunity to visit the inside of a castle and a trip to a public bathing house. Unlike Western culture, the Japanese had no issue in bathing nude in front of one another. I was extremely self-conscious for the first 10 minutes or so, but after a while, I realized that nobody cared about how you look. That greatly relieved me of my anxiety and made the bath much more enjoyable.

Kobe didn't seem remotely interesting to me, since it was essentially another city. What got my attention though was the Kobe Beef. True, we could have gotten Kobe Beef anywhere else, but I thought I might as well have the famous dish in the place where it was named after. That one hour lunch was worth every bit of its price.

I recall how the chef made cooking the beef a show. Each movement was precise as if he practiced it many many times before (which I sure he has). I forgot where I read this particular article, but it stated that a cooking performance/show can greatly enhance the flavour for the food. Like I stated before, I have a pretty bland tongue, but this lunch is memorable with the flavours leaving an impact that I can taste today.

During our time in Kansai, we met up with one of our cousins in Tokyo. Thank goodness for the JR National Rail Pass (a must if you visit many areas in Japan during your trip there), for we literally saved nearly $300 per person on travel cost. Unlike last year, this trip had some trouble, such as train delays, yet it went by relatively smoothly. Our cousin took us to the Sky Tree and around Odaiba. We haven't made much progress in Japanese, so it was difficult to communicate with one another, though we managed to get by with our translator apps once again! Like last year, it was always a pleasure to spend time with family that you don't often see!

After our eight days in Kyoto, it was off to venture onto a new island. First of all, however, we made a pit stop in Himeji. The famous white castle had recently finished restorations. The brilliant white sheen was unlike what the residents were familiar with -- though no matter to me since I've never seen the castle before work was done to its exterior and interior.

At this time, I realize I was running short on cash. I only brought a small amount, because I was relying to use my credit card for most of the trip. I haven't planned on eating at two restaurants a day, with most restaurants not accepting credit cards.

Since I was running out of cash, and being apprehensive about using a foreign ATM since I never used one before, we stopped at a Family Mart, where I knew that accepted plastic for payment. It was a somber moment, though my spirits lifted as we walk in the rain to see Himeji at night.

Perhaps our busiest day was when we traveled to Hiroshima. We wanted to hit three places that day: First with Miyajima, Hiroshima and Okunoshima (Rabbit Island). I was noticing less coughing that day, but I was hit with an upset stomach. That happened to be the first time I experienced such an unpleasantness; fortunately with it lasting only the morning.

Miyajima was a place recommended by a friend. After some research, it turns out to be one of the most popular destinations for tourists, mostly due to the Torii gate located in the sea which makes it appear to float. Unfortunately, we arrived during low tide, so we were greeted by a ever-so-slightly less magnificent view of the famous gate. I was more disappointed in not being able to see Itsukushima Shrine surrounded by water. =( Besides the cola and rice paddles, it was time to venture to Hiroshima.

 Hiroshima probably had lots to offer, but we only had so many hours left. We spent all our time at the Peace Park. Being so close to the site of where the first atomic bomb used on civilians was life-altering for me. To see the visible scars and the monuments for the fallen brought many emotions. I remember looking up at the statue of Sadako and felt extreme sadness, yet awe at the same time for what the statue represented -- movemnt towards peace.

Finally our last location for the day. I wasn't too keen on going to this island, but it did turn out to be pleasant feeding the rabbits. They, for one, weren't as persistent as the deer as food was doled out to them. The rabbits were, however, a bit more aggressive when they tried to eat the pellets. Being on Okunoshima was a bit eerie due to its past of being a chemical research island.

 After visiting this section of Japan, we were essentially just past the halfway point of our trip. Many new sights for me were mixed with the old. I guess visiting some of the old sections dulled my interest. At this point, I realized that I neglected to do my research of the places we visited. The history behind each place would probably enlightened me of places i have already visited.

 My biggest regret on Shikoku was not visiting all 4 prefectures. We were able to hit Kagawa, Tokushima and Kochi; not being able to visit Ehime. English seemed a bit more scarce on Shikoku, but the residents were as kind as ever. We sampled the Sanuki Udon in Kagawa, visited the beautiful Ritsurin garden, see the whirlpools of Naruto and visit Sakamoto Ryoma's hometown of Kochi. Internet was spotty at times, making it unbearable for my internet obsessed self. Not to mention, our hotel in Kagawa was dingy, and had weird spooky noises at night.

I was glad when we left and headed back to Honshu. The train ride was about 6 hours in total, but it went by relatively quickly as we went to Okayama, to Kyoto and finally to Kanazawa.

I think the gate represents Kanazawa well: a mixture of old traditions and recent modernization. It was a city filled with wonders like the Nagamachi Samurai district, Higashi Chaya Geisha district and Kenroku Garden. Granted, Kenroku wasn't as impressive as Ritsurin in my books, yet I enjoyed all that can be done in Kanazawa. The side trip to the Kurobe Gorge was a day well spent. It was an absolutely stunning location; though I wish I didn't purchase a return ticket along with my initial ticket. Two hours is not enough time to explore the gorge and all its beauty.

After Kanazawa, we headed back to Tokyo. We had a little pit stop in Matsumoto to see the black Matsumoto Castle. The trip from Nagano to Matsumoto was absolutely stunning. The greeness of the rice fields and other vegetation was pure eye candy. I wasn't displeased that we had a delay and that our train trip took nearly 90 minutes.

There wasn't much to do in Matsumoto besides the black castle. It was a quiet day, but satisfying in my books. The town didn't have the hustle and bustle of most places we visited to date -- a nice break and change. My only complaint was that the bed in our hotel room was smaller than other beds we have slept in. It wasn't a really comfortable night per say, but the overall trip was getting to be quite exhausting. I didn't have desires to return back to Calgary yet, but my vacation didn't seem so much as a vacation at that point. Over 3 weeks in, I started to feel at home.

I have to note though, my favorite picture that I took during this trip is the panorama shot of Matsumoto Castle during sunset. The sun gave such a brilliant warmth to the pale blackness of the exterior. I just wish that I positioned my phone a little bit higher...

It was finally back to the Tokyo area. It was mostly similar areas in comparison to last year, so there wasn't much of a thrill factor. We made day trips to Nikko, Kamakura and Yokohama. Besides Yokohama, I probably won't visit them again... though not seeing the grand entrance to Toshogu might warrant another day trip.

The most enjoyable part during our 8 days in Tokyo was visiting family. My brother and I took an early train to meet up with my eldest aunt and uncle at Enzan; where my grandfather's nursing home was located. It was harder to communicate with my eldest aunt, in comparison to my younger aunt since the former knew less English than the later. Somehow, we managed to communicate well enough.

My grandfather looked healthier than our last visit, for he seemed to have put back some weight. Like last time, he had a game of Go set up to keep him entertained. Our visit was brief, yet meaningful. My relatives took us to lunch before stopping by our family grave to show our respect. It was hot once again, yet the view was quite beautiful. I forgot to take pictures last year to captivate my sentiments of the place.

The evening of that day was filled with visits of people I have never met before. I can finally say that I have met all of my cousins! Like my youngest aunt's daughter, my brother and I were able to instantly bond with our two eldest cousins and their families. It was awkward at first due to the language barrier, but still very pleasant. I remember feeling so much regret at not being able to speak Japanese (which has been fueling me to keep on learning when I have time now a days).

The next day was peaceful and full of events. Waking up at 5 AM allowed me to appreciate the summer dawn of Japan -- one that wasn't full of heat and humidity. Visiting Kawagoe and experiencing its treats would be the last thing my brother and I did with our relatives for the year. It was off to a sad farewell, yet I'm sure we'll see each again soon.

I'm not sure why, but I always feel that I'm not as interested in sight seeing after visiting my relatives. Therefore, my brother and I headed off to Ikebukuro (ironically), a district that we haven't visited before. I cannot recall exactly, but I believe my brother was looking for a certain item within one of their large department stores. It was also here where we discovered the largest Pokemon Centre in Japan, and where our Pokemon card craze came into being... but that's for another day.

Our time in Tokyo was mostly to enjoy the few remaining days of our month long trip. We did accomplish a number of sights, which included lots of shopping. The part I was looking forward to the most was Toro Nagashi, or the floating lanterns at the end of Obon. The atmosphere was exactly how I imagined -- people coming together to send lanterns down the river to help the spirits return back to the afterlife. I wish I spent more time to check our the festival stalls, and I wish I picked a different city since there weren't as many lanterns as I hoped for in Tokyo (I heard Kyoto or Hiroshima is excellent for Toro Nagashi), yet it was a satisfactory experience.

Toro Nagashi essentially marked my trip in Japan. (Last day was in Harajuku, and essentially just relaxing). I felt like the final festivities was an analogy for our trip: we were led here to explore the wonders of Japan and that the lanterns were bringing us back home.


It's been about two months now since the day I arrived back in Calgary. As of far, I haven't had any huge desires to return back to Japan. Like last year, it was a wonderful experience, yet I felt more like I was living in Japan rather than travelling to a foreign country. Perhaps the one month away from Calgary enticed feelings of home in a foreign land for me. The streets I traveled were foreign, but familiar at the same time. My feet were sore and cracked from my sandals, yet it was an enjoyable walk for most of the time (save the extremely long hike up the mountain path in Osaka).

Being there just after a year also took away my rose-coloured lenses. The streets didn't seem as garbage free this time around, especially around congested areas in Shinjuku. There seemed to be more sketchy people this time around (experiences within the streets and certain shops) and for the first time in Japan, I had stomach issues. The forced smiles from certain workers were apparent and the amount of obnoxious tourists (perhaps we were obnoxious to some as well) seemed to have tripled from last year. The failure of not making it to the top of Mount Fuji weighed heavily as well on our minds, and the apparent lack of interesting things to do in Shikoku sometimes placed a damper on my experiences.

 Would I do it again? You bet I will, though I'll be looking for different locations to travel, save for a couple spots that I want to explore some more. Would I travel for a month again? Definitely yes! It was long, though speaking about it now, would be the right amount of time to travel out of a country for me. The two weeks and 3 days last year was terribly short for my taste.

For the next time, whenever the next time happens to be, I want to travel to either southern Japan or Northern Honshu. The hot beaches of Okinawa and the gigantic aquarium are calling out to me! The giant floats of Aomori and lands of the north are also calling out to me. There's so much to explore still and to experience. If only the cost of travel wasn't so high!

As I sign off from this extremely long post, I have one final picture:

Til we meet again Japan.

I'll probably post a quick guide on travelling to Japan based on my experiences sometime next week!