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Published: January 13th 2008
We have this theory that the places we've been least looking forward to on our trip have turned out to be the best...I wasn't too bothered about going to San Francisco again, Neil really didn't want to go to San Diego, we were both petrified about Brazil, and then didn't want to leave it to go to cold old New Zealand. So, just in case the reverse was also true, we spent our flight from Australia to Japan desperately trying to keep a lid on our excitement...this is a country I'd been dying to visit ever since seeing Shogun at the age of 6! And even though Neil was only 2 and doesn't remember that, he's always thought that Tokyo looked pretty damn cool. But, thankfully, there were no disappointments here - Japan completely lived up to our expectations, and in fact exceeded them in many ways. We both love Christmas, for example, and had resigned ourselves to missing out on the festivities this year, with Japan not being a Christian country. Well, Christian they may not be, but they certainly worship the god of consumerism, and like the Western world, they use the 25th of December as an excuse to
shop, shop, shop! In fact, we were greeted by Salvation Army carol singers as we got off the bus from the airport, and with the crisp winter weather, it turned out that Tokyo could almost rival New York for festive spirit.
With that unexpected start, things just went from good to better - Tokyo is touted as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but we were able to stay in a really nice hotel here for less than we had to pay for a hostel in Perth. And believe me, our bathroom in Perth didn't come with a toilet seat that rose instantly for you as you entered the room and an array of controls that totally baffled us at first, but that we came to regard as essential by the time we left - it's been a real hardship having to go back to a unheated seat! Food was admittedly a bit of a challenge our first couple of days- there are plently of Starbucks, McDonalds, KFCs etc, so we were never going to starve, but eating proper meals was proving mroe difficult as without reading Japanese, you couldn't always tell a restaurant from a
The famous Shibuya Crossing
A huge crowd of people spent one afternoon crossing the road at Shibuya over and over again with these umbrellas; no idea what was going on.drycleaners from the outside, and if you worked that part out, you'd no idea if it was greasy spoon or budget-blowing gourmet eatery. We soon found out, however, that if you worked up the courage to go in, there was usually an English menu available, even if sometimes that English menu was the reason you had to discreetly make your excuses and leave again ... chicken skin, neck, innard or gizzard anyone?? Whatever happened to breast and leg?!
After a few days in Tokyo, we took the famous shinkansen, or bullet train, to Kyoto for Christmas. What impressed us about the train was not so much the speed at which it travelled, but the same things that are impressive about Japan in general - the efficiency, cleanliness and comfort of the train, the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the respectfulness and courtesy of your fellow passengers - no pushing and shoving to get on trains here - an absolute pleasure! We'd gone to Kyoto to experience the more traditional side to Japan, and while it's undoubtedly the cultural centre of the country, it's also very modern in parts at the same time, a perfect blend for us. And,
as you can see from our photos, you didn't have to feel too sorry for us on Christmas day after all, as a turkey dinner was found, and enjoyed thoroughly! Along with not 1, not 2 but 3 starters, mulled wine, dessert, and a huge glass of Baileys on the house. Thank you Tadg and Mika McLoughlin, it just wouldn't have been the same without it!
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