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Published: November 14th 2008
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It all started at the Toronto airport when the US customs guard looked at us and said "Don't touch my moustache". Not your usual encounter with a US customs guard, but he went on to explain that Do itashi-mashte in Japanese means 'you're welcome', and it has since become our answer to pretty much everything!
Well, we've been here in Japan for 6 days now. We survived our first rush hour upon our 530pm arrival to Tokyo and met up with Matt's family without any problems. Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world with 12 million people living there so this first task was a great measure of success for us! Tokyo is easily broken down into smaller districts which each reveal their own character and is what makes this huge city so distinct and not just the booming metropolis that it is known for. The Tokyo subway and train system is so complex that it was very easy for us to get around. We explored the famous Tsujuki fish market at the crack of dawn one day which is perhaps the biggest, most vibrant and exciting fish markets in the world. It did not disappoint! Tight
rows of vendors all trying to sell the best catch of the morning, giant tuna fish being gutted and auctioned off, and everyone running around creating quite the hustle bustle the market is known for. We explored the electronics district where any and every type of media is sold and is a gamers dream come true with arcades on every corner, the Ginza district which is known for its expensive shopping and entertainment, and got a taste of the old Tokyo from the Asakusa area. We saw the crazy teen styles and fashion from the Harajuku girls, the bright lights and seedy massage parlours of the Shunjuku area, and the busiest cross walk in all of Tokyo at Shibuya station. During our stay in Tokyo we also got to experience a capsule hotel which can best be described as a hole in the wall with a curtain for your door. It was actaully pretty cool and much more comfortable and roomier than initially expected...so much so that we stayed there for 3 nights! Tokyo has a culture all of its own that is very different from the rest of Japan, and one that we were fortunate enough to experience!
We hopped on a train to visit the famous hot springs area of Hakone which is situated in the mountains and often offers views of Mount Fuji, the perfectly symetrical volcanic mountain peak. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with us and the clouds and mist of the day compromised the beautiful views we were hoping for. As this geological region has lots of volcanic activity, we did see many areas of steam coming up from the earth and experienced a traditional onsen (hot spring bath). An onsen is basically a hot bath with the mineral rich water and something the Japanese use often for the relaxation and health benefits. The onsen bath was quite the experience as it is very different than something we would ever do at home. Firstly, the entire thing in done in the nude with men and women bathing in completely seperate areas. Before entering the hot springs you must completely wash yourself first at a shower station where you sit on a small stool and thoroughly clean yourself with a bucket and soap. Only after this cleansing are you able to use the communal hot springs. You are allowed to bring a small towel
into the general area with you, however it is not allowed into the clean waters of the onsen. It was quite the sight to see most women walking around with these small towels on their heads!
We are currently in Osaka where Matt's sister lives and works and we are using her apartment as our homebase for the next couple weeks to use as a starting off point for day trips. It isn't the biggest place and with 4 extra people staying there it has become a giant fort of futons for sleeping and clothes piles! Yesterday we took the train to Kyoto which used to be the old capital city of Japan before it was moved to Tokyo. Kyoto has been described as the heart of Japan as it was never bombed in WWII so it still retains its original and great artistic heritage. Kyoto is also a temple town with over 2000 shrines and temples. We visited the Imperial Palace where the Emperor used to live and were lucky enough to be there on one of the 4 days each year that it is open to the public. We also visited the the temple of the Golden
Pavillian which is a temple that has been covered in gold leaf and relects its image onto the pond in front of it. We then went to the old part of Kyoto, better known as the Gion and Geisha area. We were there around dinner time and walked through the small streets lined with Tea Houses and we actually saw two young Geisha or Maiko as they are called walk along the street. A Geisha sighting is very rare so we were very excited and may or may not have run after them in pursuit of a picture!
Don't touch my moustache!
MandL
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Janice
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WOAH TUNA!
Holy Tuna! Linds, i can't believe that you of all people actually went nude in the onsen bath - so unfair I wasn't there!