Crazy Japan

Hello everyone. Unfortunately, I'm a bit late again with my Japan blog post. But here it finally comes ;-)

On the second day of Christmas, we arrived in Tokyo and first had to find our way to our hostel. That was quite elaborate and complicated because there are countless different private train providers in Tokyo. When we finally found the right connection, we went directly to the accommodation. On the first evening, we met up with Pia. Pia is a friend of a friend of Merle, who has been living in Tokyo for several months due to an internship. She showed us around the city a bit, showed us crazy Japanese shops and funny actions that Tokyo is known for.
The next day, we set off on our own and explored another part of the city. In general, Tokyo is not known for its specific sights, but rather for its versatility. Each district is special in its own way, and it's already a highlight to walk through the streets and observe what's happening around you. Something is happening everywhere, everything is lit up, and people do many unusual things in our eyes.
Before we started the new year in Tokyo, we took a 2-day trip to Mount Fuji, which is about 2 hours outside of Tokyo. We explored the area by bicycle and marveled at the beautiful mountain and its magical atmosphere.
Back in Tokyo, we celebrated the new year at the Asakusa Temple. When 'Drawing luck for 2018', we didn't do particularly well, but the turn of the year was a beautiful experience and totally different from what we are used to at home.
On the 2nd of January, we took a bus to Kanazawa, a cozy place in the mountains. This was the first time we experienced sub-zero temperatures, and it paid off that we had been carrying our thick jackets with us for the past few months. We visited the old castle of the city and its famous Japanese garden.
Our next stop was Shirakawago, a village designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knee-high snow, old Japanese houses, and mountains as far as the eye can see make Shirakawago a true winter wonderland. After a few hours here, we continued to Takayama. Here we met Pia and her friend Fabian again, who, like us, were making a small round trip over the turn of the year. The next day, we walked through the streets again, visited some shrines, and hiked through the snow to a small hill outside the town.
The next morning, we took a bus to Kyoto. Here we visited the castles and temples in the area. In the afternoon, we walked back to the hostel along the 'Philosopher's Path' next to a small stream.
In Kyoto, we had the best ramen we ate in Japan. So good that we ate in the same small restaurant twice. The first time, we even had to wait outside the shop and only entered after 30 minutes, but the wait was worth it.
From Kyoto, we also made a day trip to Nara. Nara is another small town famous for deer roaming freely throughout the city and allowing tourists to pet them. As the end of our time in Kyoto, we went to an onsen, a type of spa or sauna consisting of volcanic springs. In Japanese culture, visiting an onsen is for cleansing. There are strict rules here. For example, tattoos on the skin are very unwelcome and are even prohibited in some onsen. Also, before getting into the baths, you have to wash yourself thoroughly twice. No part of the body should be forgotten. Strict and scrutinizing looks from the Japanese ensure that tourists perform this procedure even more intensively. Once you are 'clean', you can enjoy the hot springs and relax.
After the traditional and cultural program of Kyoto, we went to Hiroshima. History was mainly on the agenda here. We visited the Peace Park and the Peace Museum. Here, the consequences and some background information about the atomic bomb dropped by the US in August 1945 were presented. The visit and especially the intensive interviews with eyewitnesses were very interesting but also very depressing. Despite these mixed feelings, we really liked Hiroshima because the city has recovered very well and offers a calm, peaceful, and cozy atmosphere. In addition, Miyajima Island is easily accessible from Hiroshima.
In addition to the once again freely roaming, tame deer, we visited some shrines and temples.
For the last 2 days, we headed back to Tokyo. We spent a day in Tokyo and visited all the places we hadn't seen during our first two visits. In the evening, we went to Pia's for the last night and had a delicious dinner together. On the last day, as a conclusion, we visited another onsen in Yokohama before heading to the airport in the evening.

Japan was a true culture shock. On the one hand, the people are incredibly friendly and polite, but also very superficial. It is very important to them to always make a good impression and to care about what other people think of them. On the other hand, they are very extravagant, wearing striking clothes and having crazy preferences when it comes to food and leisure activities. The food is absolutely delicious and diverse. In general, the stay in Japan had fewer scenic highlights but all the more culinary ones to offer. The three weeks here were a lot of fun. It was great to meet Pia, as she could give us some tips that we would have surely missed out on otherwise.
Now we are glad that we are finally going back to warmth. We will spend the remaining 3.5 months in Indonesia, Myanmar, and Malaysia.

Best regards
Fabian