Hello Japan - Thank you very much

The excitement and curiosity about new things started again on October 7th. In the luggage for a month is Mimi, and who could stand our joint travel story could be quite good, the first destination is Japan. After a slightly elevated heart rate, we were able to enter the country without any problems. Let's go.

For the first few days, we will be in Tokyo, where we will get used to the foreign & fun, but very organized culture. We will explore the different shrines, temples, neighborhoods, and streets/markets by subway and on foot. The lack of English knowledge can be a bit challenging when it comes to asking for directions, but it is also very amusing when you don't understand the menu and have to rely on the beauty of the characters or a very poor Google translation. A visit to the Samurai Museum, looking out from the Metropolitan Tower at the skyline, seeing how long they say hello in shrines (brutal laugh), observing the tribe in the Shinjuku district, or a karaoke session, we can do all these things in this 14 million metropolis.

With the Japan Rail Pass (worth it), which allows us to use trains for free throughout the country, we will head to Mount Fuji. Japan's iconic mountain. Unfortunately, since it's summer, or rather autumn, we have around 25° all the time and we always wear shorts, the inactive volcano (Fuji 3,776m) is no longer covered in snow, so the view is beautiful but not postcard-worthy. We can't go further than the 7th station (the peak is the 10th) due to bad weather that is coming. Therefore, we will explore the beautiful 5 Lakes District area around the mountain. This bad weather turns out to be worse than expected, and so we experience the worst typhoon in Japan for 60 years. Apart from 1.5 days of heavy rain & wind, we are lucky and our area is not heavily affected. We will spend this time in the hostel in Kawaguchi eating, playing, planning, and watching rivers (see photo).

We quickly recover from the storm damage on our way to Kyoto, and so we arrive in the cultural capital in 2.5 hours (the Shinkansen train travels at 320km/h - compared to the Swiss ICN at 200km/h). There is so much to see and since cycling is the most flexible way to get around, we rent bikes for 3 days - highly recommended. In Arashiyama, we can walk around with great views, visit the cool bamboo forest, and see the famous snow monkeys. On the other side of the city, in Inari, we can wander for hours through the Instagram-famous orange torii gates (+10,000 gates) and try to take the perfect photo. The Nishiki Market is great for strolling around, observing and trying out culinary specialties (mostly seafood). From the Daimonji Yama hill, we have a wide view over the city and a peaceful welcome. In the meantime, there are many temples, worth visiting small streets, and well-maintained parks.

We have decided to stay in one place for 3-4 nights and make day trips from there because packing and unpacking the backpack all the time is not fun. From Osaka, we will visit several places; Kobe, it's not particularly special, but it has a small Chinatown, a good view from the 'Herb Garden,' and at the top, there is a beautifully lit harbor. Nara, known for its hundreds of freely roaming deer and the great Buddha statue. Hiroshima, especially historically interesting, on August 6, 1945, at 8:15 am, the first atomic bomb exploded there, causing about 140,000 deaths and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum are a must-see. But there is also the charming garden 'Shukkeien' and the island of Miyajima with a beautiful ferry ride that we will visit again. Osaka itself is known above all for the district around Dotonbori and it really has it all. So crazy, dazzling, and loud, the ultimate big-city experience in Japan. For those who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, there is also the castle, which is imposing in the city center, or a short ride outside the city, and then a few kilometers on foot in Hoshida Park. There, we were also treated to an ice cream in a house, which an English teacher retiree makes.

Now, it's slowly time to return to Tokyo. Spending the night in a capsule hostel is definitely a cool experience, but not necessarily one that we would want every night. All you can eat is fun when you don't understand anything, but it's not necessarily worth repeating when it comes to the subsequent meal and stomach ache, so we prefer to stick with noodles (soba, udon, ramen), dumplings, or rice dishes like sushi. We can also make a further day trip to Nikko out of curiosity, but it is not necessarily essential, especially because we have already visited the Light Illusion Museum in Tokyo.

Conclusion about Japan:
- Everything is very precise, so flexibility is not really necessary, but therefore the system works well. Don't stand out and people won't pay attention to you - even tourists, unless you try exceptionally hard.
- The cliche of the comic-reading, prudish, childish, constantly gaming, and very correct Japanese people who bow all the time is true.
- One of the best things is definitely just sitting down and observing the crowd. It's even more fun when you can criticize them in a 'not meant to be bad' way - right Mimi?
- Smoking is still a big tradition, especially among Japanese men and unfortunately in most restaurants (except for some more modern ones) and bars. But in the larger cities, it is forbidden on the streets and public places. This is probably my only negative point about the fourth healthiest country.
- Oh wait, there's something else. Plastic, plastic, and even more plastic. Every banana is individually wrapped, everything you buy is double-packaged, and the amount of waste is insane. And it's extremely difficult to avoid it.
- The boy group type is extremely popular, especially with a baby face and no trace of manliness left - so I am totally out with my beard.
- The high price level is justified by the super infrastructure, such as public toilets, drinking water, public transport, and excellent accommodation.
- Fun fact: it's tough to find trash bins (like in NYC). After a terrorist attack in 1995, they removed most of them and are slowly bringing back new ones.
- A fall trip to Japan definitely makes sense, the weather is still very pleasant, it's no longer the peak season, but everything is still open.
- So, if you want to experience an Asian country without sacrificing comfort, I highly recommend Japan. Two weeks should be enough. Don't forget to take a lot of photos and say mmmm & hhai :)

Conclusion Japan:
- Everything is perfectly organized, which means there is little flexibility, but at least the system works. It doesn't matter if you walk strangely, as long as you behave, people won't pay attention to you - even if you are a stranger.
- The cliché of Japanese people reading comics, being prudish, childish, constantly playing games, and being extremely correct is completely true.
- One of the best things is definitely to sit down and watch the people. It's a funny crowd. It's even more fun when you can criticize them in a good-natured way - right, Mimi?
- Smoking is still a major tradition, especially among Japanese men and unfortunately in most traditional restaurants (and bars, of course). Thank goodness, it's forbidden on the streets and public places in the bigger cities. This is probably my only negative point about the fourth healthiest country in the world.
- Oh wait, there's something else. Plastic, plastic, and even more plastic. Every banana is packaged again, it's double-packaged and there's so much waste. And it's extremely difficult to go without it.
- The young band type is extremely popular, ideally with a baby face and having lost any masculinity - which means I'm completely out with my beard.
- The high price level is justified with fantastic infrastructure such as public toilets, drinking water, public transport, and great accommodations.
- Fun fact: garbage cans (like coin lockers in NYC) are hard to find because of a terrorist attack in 1995. They were all removed and are now slowly being rebuilt.
- If you want to experience Asia without sacrificing comfort, Japan is highly recommended. Two weeks should be enough. Don't forget to bow a lot and say mmmm & hhai :)