Lost in Japan – How I explored six cities in 16 days

There is something about savouring moments that makes those moments more memorable and special, usually when i get back from holidays, i'm looking forward or planning my next getaway. However, it hasn't been the case since i've been back from Japan. In fact, if i hadn't made any annual travel plans at the beginning of the year, i would have been satisfied with this one trip for the rest of the year.

I have always known that there is something special about Japan, it has been on my wishlist since i turned 30 but i never got around to it. Actually, that isn't true, it's more of me being scared of how to navigate my way through the complicated train stations, i have a fear of enclosed spaces and the thought of getting lost at the train station traumatises me but this year i decided to include it in my goals as one of the obstacle i needed to overcome. Honestly, fear is powerful and knowledge is power. I cannot believe that fear has shielded from experiencing one of the best moment of my entire existence.

On this trip, I have experienced the true meaning of humanity, found my tribe, enjoyed excellent meals, experienced a rich culture and found my 20+ energy (if we met in my 20s, you already know what i mean).

Japan! where do i begin, i thought i would have a favourite city by the time the trip was over but every part of you is different yet incredibly beautiful. Kyoto i'm sorry, i thought you were going to be my favourite but i love other cities as well. But, one thing that's different about you that i would forever cherish is the phenomenal sunrise and my 6:00 walks in the quiet alleys having meaningful conversations with myself. I remember those walks vividly and I long for those moments again.

Tokyo 

I arrived on the weekend to Tokyo, the plan was to party, get over my jet lag before exploring other cities. I had looked up a couple of clubs/great spots in Rapoongi and Shibuya that i would like to visit on my arrival before heading out as well as other famous landmarks. I was only going to be in Tokyo for 2 nights.

On arrival, i took the train from the airport, which wasn't very busy, i said to myself "oh its not bad" my internet had not started working so I had my train stop handy, i had used the airport WIFI to navigate how many stops to my hotel. However, the train had a different map, hence the confusion began. I spoke to the man that sat next to me with the aid of gesticulations and some broken English which worked well and we were able to figure out my stop. On getting to my train stop, i was met with the most astonishing crowd i have ever seen at once in my life, i have finally come face to face with the nightmare i have been avoiding. i immediately felt dizzy. My hand luggage in my hand and handbag, i stood on the side to catch my breath. While standing i immediately observed  people forming a line in the most organised way i have ever seen, this immediately instilled some normalcy. it was almost like someone was playing an orchestral in the background and people were following the music/beat. I have never seen such organised chaos, immediately my panic turned to astonishment, i was at ease and i observed these people for the next five minute. i tell people that this was indeed my first tourist attraction in Tokyo, people were respectful of one another and there was personal space even in the midst of all that chaos. It was the orderliness, consideration for another human, for the first time i saw people fully complying to the elevator rule of stand on the left walk on the right, no one made a mistake, it was like a choreography. I know japanese people are passionate and hardworking, one thing i learnt on this trip is how everyone paid attention to every detail. Oh Japan!

Unfortunately my internet still hadn't started working when i got out the train station so i politely asked some girls i met if they could navigate on their phone on my behalf and tell me how to get to my hotel given it was a walk from the train station. They did and as soon as i thank them and was ready to walk off, they asked if i would like to attend a party with them that night. Look at how the universe works, of course, it was an emphatic YES! then they said dress sexy, in my head i hadn't brought any sexy outfit with me except if dressing sexy meant pepper sprays and drinking whiskey to wither the long night. Here is the thing, as a solo traveller, i tend to stay away from overly revealing clothes or even drinking wine, i'm kind of hardcore travelling solo, i drink dark liquor and champagne at most. But you will never catch me drinking wine, which is my fave because with that i have a limit.  Anyway, i said okay to dressing sexy and wore the most revealing yet conservative dress i had packed with me.

I was trying to check in and unpack when i was met with a distraction. It was the "shower toilet" Ahh, my lady part has never felt the type of love these toilets provided. I kid you not, i must have spent an hour just on the toilet seat experimenting with all the toilet features, another tourist attraction. These toilets basically cleans you up, you can adjust the water intensity and they even dry you up. Once i was done playing with that, i went for an onsen bath, this was one of my top things to try on this trip, so when i booked my hotels, i made sure they all had an Onsen, even though i still plan to use the public ones too.

Onsen is a hot spring which I am a huge fan of, not sure if that interest is attributed to my dry skin but i do enjoy SPA visits and getting pampered. The most fascinating thing about the Onsen bath is you're not allowed to wear any piece of clothing and it's a public bath. "Think naked swimming pool". The experience for me was more than a bath but seeing different women celebrating their diverse bodies, i would be lying if i said i did not look at another woman's body in comparison to mine. Given it was a hotel that meant i got to see bodies of different women from different walks of life and which i would imagine felt liberating to all the people that participated in the activity. For me the Onsen bath allowed me spend time with myself, there is a mirror and a traditional shower section which involved sitting on a stool with running water and bowl that you use to disperse water on your body, that alone was a ritual, I spent time with my body in a way i don't normally do, i looked at every part of my body mindfully in a way i haven't done in the past while reaffirming positivity into my existence before going into the hot-spring. Once i was done, there was another section where you get ready, style your hair etc, if you're wondering how i rate the experience let's just say i only took public baths at the hotspring over the course of my stay in Japan.

 

Then it was time for the clubbing, we started at a club called R2 bar in Rappongi before going to CELAVI, i have been to CELAVI in Dubai a couple of times so i was wondering how the one in Tokyo compares. Happy to report that my exceptions were met and it was a phenomenal crowd, the folks i hung out with were a true definition of life of the party, we partied till sunrise and i headed to my hotel. The other nights ended up the same except that i have now clocked that eating ramen after a good night was part of the clubbing ritual, the rest of my nights in Japan ended with me looking for ramen on the streets of Tokyo/Osaka at 5am.

It's now my second day and i had tours i had booked prior to my arrival. Some of the tours were free while some were paid. The top of my list was seeing the 3D Godzilla Cat at Shinjuku and going to the world busiest crossing in Shibuya "BitValley". So i planned my morning around those and decided to visit Shibuya Sky in the evening. I had planned that around sunset so i could watch the sunset while enjoying the great views of the city. It was still pretty cold so i had my famous trench coat with me (a live save she was during the entire trip). I ended the evening trying out some omakese which included some fine sake. Then, i ended the night attending Deniz Koyu concert. An acquaintance i had made the precious night invited me, it was a phenomenal experience with free flowing champagne, kind of my style/vibe. Ended up eating Ramen in the same bowl with a total stranger i had met the night before. Don't get me wrong she was extremely pleasant but if someone had told i would share ramen with someone in the same bowl, i would have said never but i guess it's never say NEVER.

            

On day 3, my plans included visiting Sensō-ji, Tokyo tower, walking around the streets of Tokyo while trying different street food and savouring the flavour and that was exactly what i did.

The weather was a bit funny, a little humid but still windy but i didn't let that deter me. I was out of my hotel at 10:00 and off i went to Sensō-ji, when i got to the train station, i was confused as usual on how best to navigate to get to Asakusa, which is where Sensō-ji is located. I asked a random woman for help hoping she was going to give me a quick direction, instead she walked me to the place where i needed to board the train, this is one of the humanly gesture i had mentioned initially, i clearly saw that she was in a hurry to go to work but she still felt obliged to ensure that i take the correct train, that kind gesture humanised me and left me pondering during the entire trip to Asakusa, she was genuinely helpful.

Despite my effort to ensure i made it Sensō-ji before it became super busy, it was still busy when i arrived, i had a walk around the temple, appreciated the architecture, then went over to the streets to have Japanese green tea and sweets then i headed to Disney land. The truth is i had never been to any Disneyland before mainly because i'm not a fan of queues and anything that involves a huge number of people but i read somewhere that the rides in Tokyo Disneyland are more fun and different. So, here goes the queuing adventure! I chatted with people on the queue to pass time on every ride, the rides were so fun and brought out my inner child. I spent the rest of the day there, by the time i got back to my hotel, i was knackered, i later  went to the Onsen and called it a day.

It's now my last day in Tokyo and it was time for Kyoto, given i had rested well the previous night, i woke up super early so i could go back to Shibuya and Shinjuku to watch sunrise and see Bit valley when there is less crowd. That purpose was achieved, i was able to get people to take pictures of me and i headed back to the hotel, packed my bags then stopped at Shinagawa for lunch before taking the bullet train to Kyoto.

How I spent the two nights at the end of my trip in Tokyo.

By now, I have now been to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima. I missed Mt Fuji given i lost my sunglasses and i had to go back to Osaka to pick it up. But nonetheless, it was the most amazing two weeks ever. I feel like a local now and can navigate my way around the Shinkansen.

When i arrived back in Tokyo, i was so tired, thankfully not hungry, the first thing i did was go get an Onsen bath and spend some time with myself before taking a nap. I had a big night ahead of me still. I must have slept for 5 hours. I reluctantly got up at 23:00, got dressed and went to a bar called Tonoramon for pre-drinks before heading to CE LA VIE. At this point, i was partied out but i kept reiterating to myself that i had a day left so i powered up. While i was at Tonoramon, i met some Arab guys who weirdly took an interest in me. They initially said they were from Dubai, it did not take me so long to figure out that they were indeed from Saudi, they were curious on how i know. Anyway, we chatted and they were more interested on why i was alone, anyway at the end of the night they concluded that i was some rich kid that my father had exiled me to Japan, that's not bad in comparison to other assumptions i have heard. Funny Bunch! They later insisted that they were following me to CE LA VIE, I spoke to the hotel manager and she mentioned  they stayed there and they were decent so we all went to CE LA VIE, they had been drinking before i got there so they were wrecked. One of them went home, i ended up becaming a babysitter for the other before i was able to get the hotel manager to collect them so i could carry on with my fun. That went well! I later partied with other girls till sunrise and strolled on the street of Tokyo to find Ramen at 5:00. This moment was/is still Gold!!! I don't know if it was the alcohol that intensified the taste of the ramen but it hit differently. Ahh good Lord, i'm salivating from the thought of it.

 

On Day 2, i went TeamsLabs planet but unfortunately for me i could not get a ticket, that was a blessing in disguise because i would not have made Enoshima Island. Enoshima Island was couple of train rides out of Tokyo and was supposed to be my contingency plan for missing Mt Fuji leg of my trip given i could still view Mt Fuji from there. As the universe will have it, on arrival the mountains were not covered in clouds so i was able to see a bit of it. There was so much to see on the island itself and so many activities, i did a bit of walking, it was also very windy so i tried to leave as early as possible before it became cold. It was a full day itinerary, the only downside was i could not buy any street food or snacks given i had exhausted all my cash and they don't take cards. Anyway, once i was done with my tour, i headed back to my hotel, went to get an Onsen bath, the thought was that i would take a nap before heading out that evening. To my surprise, i woke up in the morning. You know what i think my body deserves an award still.

 

Now, it the day i go home, i woke up early had a walk around the streets of Tokyo, came back to pack my bags. Suddenly, i started craving Okonomiyaki, i asked around and i was able to find a place that makes it close enough to the one in Osaka, I had it and headed for the airport. At the airport i bought a few bottles of Sake at 7eleven which i would later drink and pass out on the 13 hours flight back.

 

 

Kyoto 

My adventure in Kyoto began with the bullet train, i have heard so much about it and i had my camera ready for when it arrived so i could capture the front of the train. Again, the train was spotless as ever, to board the bullet train/ Shinkansen as famously called, you are required to book your seat in advance to install some orderliness as with everything in Japan. Once i located my sit, i settled in, open the snacks and Sake i had bought in 7eleven and began my road trip, I sat next to the window so i looked out the entire time, i thought i was going to sleep the entire time but there was a lot to see on the journey.

On arrival at the Kyoto station, it had started raining, which means i wouldn't be able to see sunset as planned. Luckily, my hotel was not far from the station, i got to my hotel, settled in, had some food and called it a night. However before going to bed, i did map out my itinerary for the next day, studied the routes and organized the places i wanted to visit based on priority.

When i used to think of visiting Japan, Kyoto had always been on the top of my list given it's the ancient city so i allocated the most time of my trip to Kyoto.

I started day one with the visit to Fushimi Inari Temple, i have always wanted to walk through the thousands of Tori gates and hike to the top. The day finally came and it decided to rain, i thought about moving it but my itinerary was so structured that if i missed a day, i may not be able to make up for it, so it was one of those come rain, come sunshine, it had to be done!  I left my hotel at 5:00 to make sure it wasn't busy when i arrived. Given it was raining, a lot of tourist were not out, i was the only one asides the Japanese man who came to say his their prayer before  carrying on with his daily activities, so i began my solo hike. it was like a dream come true, the Torii gates were magical, i finally made it to the top but the visibility was poor. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in a beautiful weather. Nonetheless, i will choose a solo hike with poor visibility over thousands of tourists. After a couple of hours, few people stated arriving so i was able to get people to take my pictures and said my prayers before leaving the temple.

Now it was time to leave so i headed to Kiyomizu Dera, another famous temple, i had imagined that i would see cherry blossoms from there when i initially planned the itinerary but i missed it given cherry blossoms happed earlier in the year. I didn't let that deter me, i walked around the temple, said some prayers and did some rituals then headed to the streets of Kyoto. At this point my hair was wet and i was starting to feel cold instead of having street food like i planned i went to a restaurant so i could at least get some warmth and dry off. Once i felt a bit better, i took the street, i had noted a couple of lovely streets i would like to walk such as Gion, Temachom, Ninezaka, pontocho etc and i also wanted to spot a Geisha and i very well did.

Given i was now drenched with the rain continuously pouring, my shoes started rubbing against my skin, i needed to go back to the hotel and have a change of cloth and dry my shoes. I did have a bit of rest as well before i headed back to the streets of Kyoto. My hopes of seeing cherry blossoms was not over so i went to a place called Kaege Incline, this was my last attempt at seeing cherry blossoms, it was an hour walk, on getting there i was met with a disappointment, no cherry blossoms in sight. I became really hungry, as i was trying to exit, i saw some fine people, beautiful dressed and i wondered where they were headed, i decided to follow them for a bit, then i saw them entered this gated property that wasn't a hotel but looked like something important was going on there so i approached the security who then said it's a vegan restaurant but only opens in 15 minutes and there is a waiting room for people with reservations. I immediately told him i hadn't made any reservation but it's just me, he made a call and was able to accommodate me. I didn't know i was walking into the most beautiful Japanese vegan cuisine experience ever. Who knew that Tofu could taste so good, every course was a hit, served in tiny portions but meaningful enough to savour the whole experience, this was another hidden culinary experience that i had come in touch with by sheer serendipity.

After my meal, i headed back to the hotel, had a shower, straightened my hair, did my make up and took a nap. Yes! you read that correctly. When i got to the hotel, i figured that if i took a shower and went to bed, it could be the next day before i wake up, not sure if it has something to do with post 30 or it's just my sleeping habits. Having my makeup applied meant i could nap but not comfortable enough to fall asleep totally plus i had my alarm set for 23:00. At 23:00, i woke up, got ready and headed to a speakeasy.

Speakeasy is usually how i begin my nights, i tend to have a couple of cocktails, "oldfashioned" to be precise, it's always cool to see how different speakeasy's interpretation of oldfashioned. Bee's Knees called it "the Godfather" it was strong! there was no way i could have two of those within an hour. Once i was done, i headed to the club, let my hair down a bit then went back to the hotel. Actually, i didn't get back to the hotel until 4:00 and i had tours booked for 9:00 the same morning.

The plan for day 4 is to explore Arashiyama bamboo forest, Togetsukyo, Katsura river, kinkaju ji, eat some street food and be back in time for my tea ceremony at 16:00. Again, very structured itinerary. The morning was a bit rough given i had been drinking just a couple of hours before but i had my sunglasses to hide my shame. I found all the tours fascinating, it was a sunny day so that lifted my mood as well. Once i was done, i had some Takoyaki and headed to Ninenzaka to eat more street food. By the time i was done it was time for my Tea ceremony.

The Tea Ceremony is one of the most anticipated moment of my Kyoto trip, on getting there were asked to get fitted in Kimono, we were asked to choose from the sea of Kimono featuring different colours. I was lucky to find some girls from Serbia who helped me decide on the colour of my Kimono. Once we were all dressed and ready we took some pictures in the street before we headed for our ceremony. The Tea Ceremony involved being thought how to make the traditional matcha and learn about the entire history behind it, i did learn a lot but one thing that touched my heart was when the Geisha/Maiko said it was once in a lifetime opportunity, in the sense that while it is possible to have different Tea ceremonies, it may not be her performing the next one or our path may never cross again, also the tea cup will be different, makes you wonder the meaning of life. I'm glad she said that at the beginning so i paid more attention and immersed myself in the moment. Once the ceremony was over, i took a couple of picture and wore my Kimono to Nishiki market to have premium quality sashimi with some sake. That alone was a whole experience. After a couple of hours, i went back to Maikoya to return my kimono and called it a day.

Now it's day 5 when i have to explore northern Kyoto. Amanohashidate aka"Venice of Japan" is stunning and located in Miyazu Bay, in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture and i'm extremely lucky that i found it. It wasn't as touristy as other places given its off route for most people and that alone was icing on the cake.

On arriving at Amanohashidate, i bought the observatory ticket so i could see the views from Mt.Monju. On getting there, i could either ride the Gondola or use the chair lift to get to the top. Despite my fear of heights, i opted for the chair lift, the quote that was in my head while making that decision was "the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all". After surviving almost 10 minute of my self inflicted torture, we arrived at the top, lo and behold, nothing had prepared me for a view this stunning, I took it all in for the first 15 minutes before i reached for my phone to freeze the moments. I spent about three hours there, then i had a walk around the town before heading back to Kyoto, it was about 2 hours train ride, also, i was so hungry, I ran the risk of missing my train if i had lunch at Amanohashidate, so i decided to starve until i got back to Kyoto, the journey was engaging giving there was lots to see on the way back. I was spent when i arrived so i had dinner and headed straight for bed. The following day was my last day in Kyoto and i still had three different tours before making my way to Nara.

It's now my final day in Kyoto, i woke up super early given i had replenished my depleted energy, I watched the most beautiful sunrise, got dressed and headed straight for Higashi Hongaji, i made it there exactly 7:00, just in time for the monks to begin their chanting. Honestly, i had no expectations of making the chanting session so it was a huge surprise, i sat there and hummed the familiar sound just like everyone else and enjoyed the chanting. This experience made me realise that we all believe in a higher person but the medium we use in communicating is what is different. Anyway, i made my wishes and left for the beautiful Nijo Castle, i had a walk around and enjoyed the tour, history and the surroundings, it was a beautiful sunny day too. Once i concluded my tour, i went back to my Sashimi place at Nishiki to have the final taste of Kyoto.

NARA

The trip to Nara from Kyoto wasn't as long as i had anticipated, there aren't so many things to do at Nara and if i knew what i know now, i would have probably made a day trip out of it as opposed to spending a night. However, that didn't take away from the beautiful experience i had. The hotel i stayed at had the most amazing views and landscape of the mountains, i was looking forward to see the sunrise with that view when the rain spoilt the show.

It started raining 3 hours into me arriving so i opted for the Onsen as usual, took a bath and hit the street. I wasn't planning to do any tour until the following morning, i knew by that time of the day the deer park and temples would be bombarded with tourists so i decided to have some food instead, also the famous moshi pounding had ended so there wasn't much i could do.

On getting to the returant, there was a guy by the door who assumed i was french and greeted me in french and i replied not just the greeting but i said sarcastically "il fait beau ça" then he started the full blown conversation so i quickly said "je parle un petit peu fracais mais si vous parlez lentement puis je comprehend" meaning i speak french, only a little but if he spoke slowly, i will understand him. I didn't know i had set my self up for additional teaching, he called his friend, a very pleasant lady and that was how my dinner turned to a french experience and teaching in Japan. Not in a million years did i think i would need my french speaking skills in Japan. The evening turned out really well, we walked around the city together and we said our goodbyes.

In the morning, i woke up really early, it was raining again, i took my umbrella with and headed for the park. The deers had just woken up and i was the only one there, which was brilliant! Exactly how i wanted it. I had more time to walk around the deer park, visit  Kofuku-Ji temple and walk around the botanical gardens, my plan was to do as much activities as i could before the moshi pounding began. Moshi is a famous japanese sweet but the pounding itself is a tradition done by skilled pounders, super interesting to watch. I made it there just in time for the pounding, it lasted about 5 minutes, once i was done i bought one to eat and later had a chat with some English girls, we shared ideas on places to visit then i bid them goodbye.

It was now almost time for my lunch, i had heard about this famous soba so i set out to explore, on getting there, the queue was monstrous but i was just a tourist and my only purpose was to tour the country, eat good food and take pictures, so i decided to join the queue, as you would expect, people were chatting and i was eavesdropping on conversations. Then i heard this Chinese - American man chatting with someone about how he wished he had travelled more when he was younger given there are now so many factors to consider especially as it relates to his health before planning a trip. As a matter of fact, he thinks people should take loans to travel and see the world around them. As someone who sold her iPad when she was 20 so i could buy myself a plane ticket, i totally agree. The aspect that i cannot seem to comprehend is people that are so obsessed with saving for retirement that life passes them by, i think the key is balance. Live life like if you died today you wouldn't feel bad given all the money you made away because you enjoyed it as well. Anyway, i digress, i should probably do a new blog post on that.

After 2 hours, i made it to the front of the queue, i had never tried Soba before so it was more of an experience for me, i was welcomed with tea and eventually my food arrived, it was a great meal but definitely not something i would gravitate towards, i feel like the taste is unique and it will be one of those weird period cravings if i ever have it again. The okonomiyaki i had the night before was better in my opinion. Once i was done with my meal, i headed back to the hotel, on my way, i bought melon de melon, had some sake, you're not allowed to eat while walking in Japan, you have to stand next to the store, eat your food before continuing with your walk so i had to factor that time in. I finally got to the hotel checked out and it was time for Osaka.

OSAKA

Everybody i had met on my trip until now have told me how great the food is in Osaka and i should eat as much as possible. So, this has been my most anticipated moment. I arrived at 18:00 and i headed straight to  Dotombori, the first meal i ordered was Takoyaki, i can only describe it as some flour balls with octopus in it but that description doesn't do it justice, there is more to Takoyaki than that, it was hot and you had to be careful eating it or you could burn your tongue, it was delicious. Once i was done with my food i started scanning other places i could eat once i become hungry again, there were too many options but i had a list of things i wanted to try, next on my list was Okonomiyaki, i had been told that Osaka is the best place to have it, in fact, Hiroshima and Osaka compete on who has the best Okonomiyaki. One thing i love about Japan is, each city has dishes they are known for, even when it's the same dish, the interpretation is different, that's the case with Okonomiyaki.

 

Once i was done walking around Dotombori, i went back to my hotel to look up clubs i could go that night. I found a bunch but i decided to settle for a speakeasy and let the night do its thing, these days when i travel, i try not to over plan and leave room for some serendipity or chance and let life do its thing.

Speakeasys are known for their discreetness so it wasn't an easy task finding Bar Naruta, even my google map couldn't detect the exact location. I decided to go to the bar  next to it and ask and the bartender, she kindly took me there. Bar Naruta is the best speakeasy i have been till date, i really felt like i was back in time, the decor was how a speakeasy should look, miss me with all the modern touch, i like it dated. The furniture were antique and looked like they had passed through generations, there was nothing modern about it. Usually, i seat by the bar but the bar was full so i opted for a seat by the window and asked the bartender to let me know once there is an available seat at the bar. Then, i ordered my regular "oldfashioned" oh they didn't have a menu too, you will have to describe what you would like to drink, the flavour and how you would like to feel and trust the bar man to do his thing. I thought this was brilliant and if i had company that night, i would have let loose a bit but hey i'm still a solo traveller so i have to stick with what gets me through the night safely. The old-fashioned again was complex, it was different, i havent had anything like it. I then made a friend at the bar who was visiting from Seul, we headed to a club called Ghost, the music was so good.

Day 2 activities were panned around going to Universal Studios, Osaka Castle and Shitenno-Ji temple and of course eating all i could when i got back to Dotombori. Universal studios was so much fun, once i was exhausted from the amazing rides, i headed to Osaka Castle where i met someone i had made an acquaintance with the night before, we then did the tour and headed over to Shitenno-Ji together, we cracked some jokes, took some pictures and later had dinner together, I opted for Okonomiyaki and some warm sake, I was really tired when i got to the hotel and called it a night.

On Day 3, I visited Shinsekai which is an old neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half. I had their classic local dish which was fried Sea food tempura, i usually don't eat fried food so that didn't sit well with me the entire day, i became really tired and nauseous but I couldn't cancel any of my tours as they were prepaid. My next stop was Haruka 360 where i had a panoramic view of Osaka and met some trendy Japanese guys, they thought i was cool, they offered to take a couple of pictures for me and we basically had the tour together, then i headed for umeda sky, this was another 360 view of osaka tour but from a different angle. It was now 20:00 when the tour ended and i still had to go to teamlabs planet. Unfortunately, when i got there, they had closed, i was so gutted but i was also tired so i didn't stress it.

On my way home, i then released that i had lost my sunglasses, i couldnt figure out when, i checked my pictures and i noticed the last time i took a picture with it was at Umeda, so i went back there, on getting there it was now 22:00, they had closed too, then i saw the security guard who offered to give me access and walk with me to find my glasses, this is the type of gesture you experience in Japan, this is how helpful people can be, we toured the facility for over 30 minutes and i couldn't find it. Eventually, i thanked him and gave my email address for him to contact me if they ever find it. On my way back, i decided to ask the attendant at the train station if they had a lost but found and he said yes and gave me their contact number. There was really not much i could do then given i was going to Hiroshima the following day but i kept the contact anyway.

My hotel would later call the lost and found and they will have my sunglasses, I don't know anywhere that these kind of things happen. If you have ever been at the train station in Tokyo/Osaka, you will know how crowded it is, i thought to myself, did the good Samaritan that took my glasses to the lost but found not have more important things to do. It's the selflessness and service culture that humbles me. I learnt so much from that experience, in fact, i have never hugged anyone so tightly the way i hugged the receptionist at the hotel when she gave me the good news.

It was now time for Hiroshima, i took a walk around dotombori, had some Yaki Soba then headed to Hiroshima.

HIROSHIMA

On getting to Hiroshima, I checked in at my hotel and headed immediately to the peace memorial park, this trip wouldn't have been complete without paying my respect to the people that lost their lives as a result of the atomic bomb. However, when i arrived, there was a lot of noise and the tourist couldn't just keep quiet, it was meant to be a place for deep/sober reflection and learning about the soil which we stood on, I wish i had a megaphone, i would have told them off, i did a quick walk around but couldn't get the alone time i needed so i decided to have dinner and come back the following morning at crack of dawn.

On my way back the queue for the most famous Hiroshima Okonomiyaki was already closed, so i stood behind the signs, hoping that when the person in charge came i could plead with him to allow me, as it was the only chance i would have on this trip. My stay in Hiroshima was for one night. Lo and behold, he came and allowed me to join the queue, he said they had one portion left, so i guess it was my lucky day, i made friends with some Japanese on the queue and let me in on the best style of the Okonomiyaki to get. After queuing for about 2 hours, i finally got in and chose the chefs table so i can have the total nine yards of the culinary experience, my food came and it was as great as i expected but i have to say that i enjoyed Osaka's take on the Okonomiyaki more. Nevertheless, it was an exciting experience. I then headed home and that gave me the opportunity to walk off my food. On getting to the hotel, i was invited out by some guys i met while looking for ramen after clubbing in Osaka, I joined them at some gay club and we later went for Karaoke. Looking back it was a fun night!

The following day, I was up at 6:00 and i headed straight to the peace memorial park, it was quiet when i arrived and i had the level of silence i required to reflect, i saw the Genbaku dome and rang the bell of peace, it was a moment of sober reflection. Once i was done, i went to Shukukeien gardens where i saw the colourful fishes, the garden had a zen vibe which was exactly what i needed at that time.

I later went back to the hotel, had a shower and change of clothes then headed to Miyajima island.

Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views. It took me an hour by train and boat from Hiroshima. Miyajima is also known for having the  best oysters there is, oh i salivate as i write this post. I had a walk around the island for about two hours, took in the views of the Torii gate, enjoyed my beautiful oysters and other snacks made with oysters then headed back to my hotel to grab my luggage so i could head down to Osaka to pick up my sunglasses before embarking on the trip to Mt fuji, which was a myth as i could not make that trip.

When i got to the train station to book my seat to Mt Fuji, i was told i would have to make a stop in Tokyo then join the train to Mt Fuji but I may not be able to make it because my estimated time of arrival was 1:00 which means the train station will be closed by then.

I was a bit devastated, at that point i had no other hotel booked so i needed to make a plan, i was heading to Tokyo anyway the following day so i decided to go party in Kyoto and pass the night there. When i got to Kyoto, every hotel i saw was fully booked so i decided to go back to my initial hotel to see if they could accommodate me, on getting there, they said they were fully booked so i told them to keep my bags, had a change of clothes then i was out for the night. By the time i was back it was 5:00, i napped a bit at the lobby before the sunrise woke me, i cleaned my teeth, then i headed down to Nishiki market to do a bit of shopping especially buying sake, i knew i would be exhausted by the time i got to Tokyo so it was best to get that out of the way.

In Tokyo, i had planned a couple of night-out as well as a day trip to Enoshima Island which is 2 hours from Tokyo. Also, the last cash i had on me was just enough for my transportation there, the train station do not take card weirdly enough so it was clear that it was time to go home.

 

Overall, Japan is a trip for the books, it's an experience everyone should have in their lifetime. Even though it feels like i did a lot during this trip, i think i have barely scratched the surface. I will definitely be going back but for longer the next time i visit. I'm planning to go for three months and probably fit a language course in while i'm at it so it can be a more purposeful visit. I can confidently say i found my tribe on this trip and I really miss being there. I actually cried at the airport, usually people cry when they are parting with their families at the airport, i cried because i did not want to leave. I can't believe i packed my entire life in a hand-luggage for over two weeks and survived, Japan taught me i only need just enough and every other thing is a waste.

Until we meet again Japan, you will always have my heart and i will continue to long for you.

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