Japan Part 2 - From Snow to Sakura

Shirakawa-go (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995)

Who would have thought: I also experience a winter wonderland on my trip! Arriving in Shirakawa-go, an original village in the middle of Japan, it was sunny but cold spring weather. When my hostel roommates woke me up very early the next morning and I saw that everything outside was white, I almost forgave them for the rude awakening. (You know me.. you never joke about waking up early with the Gablers or Knavas! 😉)

The hike through the snow up to the viewpoint was definitely worth it! We had a view of the whole village with its lovely houses. Here, all the houses are built according to ancient tradition, entirely of wood without any metal parts. The roofs are made extra thick with straw to withstand the heavy snowfall in winter, and most of the houses are over 250 years old. The roofs are said to resemble hands in prayer due to their special angle. In the village, there was a beautiful open-air museum where you could see the houses from the inside and warm up by a traditional Japanese fireplace. I spent the days together with Kosta from Serbia, Isabel from Spain, and Roscoe from Taiwan.

Off to Nagano to see the snow monkeys

Nagano itself didn't impress me as much. It might be interesting for Olympic fans. But that wasn't my main goal anyway. My main goal was the Snow Monkey Park in Jigokudani Yaen Kōen (Yamanouchi) where you can observe wild macaques bathing in a hot spring to keep warm, just like we humans do in a spa.

So, I took the first train at 6:40 to Jigokudani to increase my chances of seeing them in the cold weather. Unfortunately, despite my arrival, it was already too warm and they were only sitting at the edge and not in the water. But it was still an incredibly beautiful experience to watch the monkeys groom, scratch, wrestle, sleep, climb, relax, and eat. There were even a few babies 🥰.

After the little "hike" in the mountains, I returned to Nagano, passing by the beautiful snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Last stop in Japan: Tokyo

I took the Shinkansen 🚅 and arrived in Tokyo at lightning speed.

Once again, I was lucky to have nice travel companions and spent 2 days with a group of New Zealanders from the hostel and one day with the lovely Isabel from Spain (she works for Disney World Paris! What a job 😃!!)

My impression of Tokyo after 5 days: it's totally crazy and beautiful at the same time. It's completely different from the other major cities in Asia that I've visited so far. It can be very stressful and crowded here, for example at the Shibuya Crossing, the Omote-Sando shopping street, in the anime entertainment district of Akihabara, or in the metro. But unlike some other Asian cities, there are some quiet and beautiful retreats here, and the level of stress is much more manageable due to the Japanese politeness and orderliness. For example, people don't push and rush in the metro, and in some trains, you could hear a pin drop because everyone is quietly glued to their smartphones and no one says a word.

Tokyo can be explored well by visiting its different neighborhoods, strolling through them, and soaking up their different moods and atmospheres. The most fun parts were definitely Akihabara (entertainment/anime stuff), Shinjuku with its sea of lights from advertisements, robot restaurants, etc., and Shibuya with the world's busiest intersection, the "Times Square of Tokyo." You dive into the crowds and scramble with hundreds of others. From a shopping center, you have a view of the spectacle from above. One of the many fun Tokyo high-tech experiences was eating at Genki Sushi, where you order on a touchscreen tablet and the sushi arrives at your seat in a few seconds via a rail system. Everything is automated. And really tasty. The 6-story shopping centers like Yodobashi Akiba or Don Quijote, where you can get everything from cameras, electronics, toys, cosmetics, to food, were also not bad at all.

I can't describe all of my impressions here because Tokyo had so much to offer!

But the abundance of cherry blossoms (Sakura) and the current hype around them are definitely worth mentioning! I've wanted to be in Japan during cherry blossom season since high school, and the dream has definitely come true. I caught the best week for it in Tokyo and had already seen some beautiful cherry or plum blossoms at some places before. 🌸 There is even a separate website that tells you exactly where and when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Japan. Everyone flocks to the public parks to picnic under the trees during the hanamis, both day and night, because the trees are beautifully lit up. It's quite lively, and sake and beer flow 😉. So, the Japanese also know how to celebrate 😀.

I was very impressed by the fashion sense and special style of people in Tokyo, and somewhat puzzled by the questionable dog trends.

Lastly, something about the food: my standard emergency food was the very popular Onigiri 🍙 from the 7 Eleven. Rice with various fillings and a nori seaweed wrap. Low-budget travelers in Japan seem to eat it most of the time 😂. I also found a few excellent vegetarian ramen, udon, and soba noodles.

If you love meat, rice, and fish, you're in the right place in Japan. Overall, it was too vegetable-light for me. However, the few exceptions for really good fish were definitely worth it. In New Zealand or when I'm home, I'll definitely return to my vegetarian lifestyle for various reasons.

By the way, finally, finally, finally, tomorrow my flight to New Zealand departs where Nico and I will see each other again after 2.5 months!!! 😀😀 You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to seeing him!!! Soon, we'll have our first joint New Zealand blog 😊.