Blogs from Ibaraki, Japan, Asia - page 5

The train journey was a long one from Beppu to Tokyo...7 hours! Most of which was on the Shinkansen as well...but I suppose it was about half of the country... I finally got to rest my little head in a Capsule Hotel. I had been waiting for this day for ages. It really is a strange but logical concept...just like most things in Japan! The capsule was bigger than I thought...you could actually sit up in it. I really recommend this experience to anyone who is going to Japan...although it is rare to find Capsule Hotels that allow women... I then got the densha (train) to Tsukuba and stayed for 3 nights in the prefecture of Ibaraki with my friend Minako. I met her at the same time as Namiko in Tasmania and Sydney. She had ... read more

Miserable is an exaggeration; I only used it for the alliteration! But let's say that this "farm" experience wasn't my favourite. The first problem was that it wasn't a farm. This was definitely a case of doesn't do what it says on the tin! I thought I'd be learning about bonsai making and uses of bamboo... a potentially great Japanese experience I'm sure you'll agree! But in fact the host was running a summer school for kids, including giving English lessons. So what she wanted me to do was to help with the English lessons and entertain the kids in between times! Yeah right! On my evening of arrival she asked if I'd help her with an English class the next day and suggested I may like to sing a song to the kids! Now, for ... read more