こんにちは [konnichiwa]

KOBE, KYOTO & TOKYO JAPAN [01.24.20 - 01.28.20]

“Live your life by a compass, not a clock." -Stephen Covey

I’m not really sure where to start! Japan was quite the experience…It was filled with ups and downs and I was amazed with every aspect of the Japanese culture. From what I experienced, Japanese people are VERY clean, welcoming, helpful and respectful. I admire their ability to live in small spaces (which we experienced at our air bnb) as well as their intense work ethic. We learned that most days teachers work from 06:00 or 07:00 to 20:00!

Day 1 began in our port city, Kobe. We explored and visited many 7/11s. They’re so fun and weird. They sell almost anything you can imagine – room temp breaded chicken, sushi, hand warmers, masks, underwear, and hundreds of snacks. Another thing that was different that your typical US convenience store was that their hot coffee was pre-poured and contained in plastic bottles. They also had a wide range of alcohol you could purchase and their way of IDing was by having the customer click “I’m 20” on the screen when checking out. And lastly, let’s not forget about the sweet corn in a can in the vending machines throughout Japan. I was not brave enough to try it, but my friends did!

In Kobe our group of nine visited Chinatown for our first stop. When we entered Chinatown, there were people standing at the corner handing out Kleenexes and hand sanitizer. I am assuming they were being extra cautious because of the Coronavirus going around. In Chinatown I tried soup dumplings for the first time, they were boiling hot, but so delicious. After Chinatown, we explored the Ikuta Shrine. This is when we were informed of ISE’s (aka The Institute of Shipboard Education) decision to divert from China and spend a longer time in Vietnam, due to the Coronavirus outbreak throughout China. Everyone was shocked and sad, but I was relieved knowing we wouldn’t be at a health risk. However, we now know it is spreading rapidly throughout China so it was the best decision. I hope it doesn’t affect our future ports!

We ventured further toward the coast towards Harborland. In Harborland we got to experience our first 100 Yen store, a large mall, and a Ferris wheel ride. 100 Yen stores are essentially American dollar stores, but better! It was difficult because we couldn’t read anything on the packaging so it’s like a guessing game trying to guess flavors on snacks or candy! My roommate and I ended the day with a Kobe-style gyoza. The place was called Hyotan and they were featured in New York Times. It was a very small restaurant, more like a dive bar. The place was run by an elderly couple with only eight seats, one food choice and a few drink options on the menu. Our meal was less than $4 and we left the restaurant with full stomachs and happy hearts. Our first day concluded with a little bit of tapioca frozen soft cream. So yummy!

Day 2 started at 04:20! We headed into Kyoto for the day via an hour train ride. Once we arrived, our group visited the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. The beautiful sites of the endless bamboo is something I will never forget. We ventured down the main street of Kyoto to shop a little and have a bite to eat. I had my first bowl of tempura shrimp udon. It was interesting, but I loved trying different dishes every day! After, we hiked up to the Arashiyama Monkey Mountain where we got to witness snow monkeys. Warning: they look cuter in pictures than they actually are. We saw monkey fights; it was hilarious but kind of scary. They got too close for comfort and I would stand still hoping they wouldn’t bite me!

The next adventure was the Golden pavilion. I was expecting it to be very peaceful, but I should’ve known better. The place was bustling with tourists left and right. It was unfortunate because the scenery was so beautiful but the people in the environment made it less enjoyable. Once I finally got out of the chaos, I looked back and I saw lots of people, but none of my friends. HAHA! I knew that we would lose each other eventually because keeping a large group together and organized was impossible. Luckily I was able to turn on my data and locate them. They were looking for me while I was looking for them! After laughing about the mishap and some crying about back pain from carrying our heavy backpacks all day, we decided that it was time to leave Kyoto. We hopped on a random bus toward the train station where we were getting on a bullet train to go to Tokyo. My friend, Saherish, realized after we were almost to the train station that we forgot to grab a ticket when we got on the bus. We panicked because the bus driver told us we owed $20 for a ride that was only supposed to be $4. Luckily a Godsent women who spoke English and Japanese approached us and helped us out! She explained the situation to the man and we did not get charged extra. If only they had Uber in Japan…

At the train station, we had dinner. I translated to the server on Google translate that I DID NOT want raw meat in my salad. Guess what I got for dinner? A salad topped with a thick slab of raw tuna. The foreign language was a little bit of a challenge but flexibility is key. After taking the bullet train to Tokyo, we arrived at our air bnb around 1:30 AM. Since everything was written in Japanese, including the heat and water, we basically pressed a bunch of buttons until things started turning on! We had to adapt to the extremely small space but we made it work.

We spent the next two days in Tokyo. The first place we explored was TeamLab Borderless. It is a virtual art museum that is bursting with color and beauty everywhere you look. It has different hidden rooms and everything is black walls/curtains, mirrors and lights. I can definitely count it as one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The rest of the day we shopped on Takeshita Street in Harajuku. We didn’t eat much that day because everything was sweets and candy. Sushi was a lot harder to find than you would think! That night a group of us travelled to Shinjuku and ate at a hotpot restaurant. My friend Kathryn and I got all you can drink. Plum shochu is our favorite. It tastes like an alcoholic ginger ale - SO GOOD! To end the night, we rented out a private room and sang Karaoke for an hour. I travelled back with my friends to their air bnb. We got so close to our last stop, then the train station closed. Oh well, we walked a LONG ways but it made for some fun memories!

Our last day in Tokyo started with fresh Japanese pancakes at A Happy Pancake. We described them as “fluffier and eggier” than American pancakes. Then, we went to meet our friends at the Monster Café. This place was a great representation of the Kawaii or “cute culture” of Japan. It was an interesting experience that’s for sure – very colorful and energetic. Since I had data on my phone, I decided to venture off on my own to experience the busiest crosswalk in Japan, the Shibuya crossing, as well as shop. I never thought I would enjoy travelling alone as most people who know me know I don’t like being alone. However, it was some of my favorite times. I felt like I got to fully experience my surroundings because it was only me and my plans with no distractions. I went to a store called Loft that was seven stories. It was my favorite store in Japan mainly because it had a whole floor of stationary! We ended the day with a night pass to DisneySea. DisneySea is built around a bay which makes it a one-of-a-kind park compared to the others throughout the world. We got to watch a night show on the water and fireworks to follow. It was a magical experience, amidst the pouring rain.

The next morning we took an early bullet train to Kobe. The bullet trains were SO NICE. They were comfortable and smooth-riding with free Wifi and of course, heated toilets. When we got back to Kobe we savored our final hours in Japan by exploring the port city a little more. I stocked up on snacks for the ship at a 100 yen store and had some sushi with my friends at a conveyor sushi restaurant. Then, Kathryn and I went on a little adventure where we tried fish cakes (her fav), a few McDonald’s sweets that are unique to Japan (Belgium Chocolate Custard Cake & Mini Cinnamon Bites), and Kobe beef ramen! We took the shuttle back to the ship and I waited in the customs line for an hour. For every port, there is an “On Ship Time” and everyone is expected to have their passports turned in before that time. If you don’t, they give you dock time at the next country. Luckily, I made it on time! I was so glad to finally be back on the ship and not walking. After 50+ miles of walking throughout Japan, I felt like I definitely got a good taste of Japan.

Kobe, Kyoto, and Tokyo gave me new perspectives and experiences that taught me incredible lessons. A few things I learned: patience will make or break a situation, Japan is safer than the US, travelling in smaller groups is the most efficient, heated toilet seats are incredible, paying with train tickets on your phone is easier than paper train tickets, it’s okay to get lost, Japanese Cheetos are better than American Cheetos, plans will never go exactly as planned, early mornings aren’t all that bad, Japanese houses are extremely tiny, and smiling is a universal language. Although the language barrier was sometimes a challenge, everyone I encountered was always so kind and helpful no matter what language they spoke. And most importantly I learned, when in doubt say “Arigato!” Being thankful goes a long way, no matter where you are in the world.