Sayonhara Japan

Wow, i can't believe that i've already been here a week. In a way though it has felt longer. I think if you're doing lots in a place, time does go slower. So, we leave Japan today and head off to Auckland where we have an apartment booked for 10 days. I should have internet there too so i can continue to bore your bums off with this blog. Sorry or "sumimasen" as we say in Tokyo.

Our first full day in Tokyo we headed in to the city and to the Imperial palace. It was odd not having the expected millions and millions of people herding us along. It was very quiet and gave us lots of time and space to explore. We then headed over to the Asakuza district and soon found the hustle bustle of people we had expected to see earlier. We fought our way through the crowds to get to the Senso-ji Temple. Here they have incense sticks burning and the smoke is supposed to bring good health. Yeah right! Firstly the incense sticks had swastikas on them and you came away coughing and spluttering and smelling like a teenager! Smokey and herbal. The main shrine was full of people paying their respects. No, proper paying. As in chucking handfuls of money into this big bin and praying. I guess it was no different to the collection plate in most christian faiths though.

We left the temple, grabbed a quick octopuss kebab and headed for another region called Ueno. It had a huge park with somemore little shrines but is quite well known for it's electronic and manga (japanese comics) stores. It was again heaving but we made it through the masses of people and girls dressed in in little skimpy manga-style school uniforms. Niiiicccceee!

After Ueno we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest and a bite to eat.

Yesterday we explored a region of the city called Shinjuku. A bustling business area with big skyscrapers. We went there to look at the observatory on the 45th floor of the government building. Tokyo is proper big! We then walked to Yoyogi park and visited the Meiji shrine. It was so peaceful and serene and you forgot that you are in one of the biggest cities in the world, a far cry from the busy Senso-ji Shrine. Serenity was soon ruined by the constant tannoy announcements they seem to have everywhere! Even in Shiga Kogen there would be a huge tannoy announcement to tell you the slopes were closing. You could hear it through the whole valley!

After paying our respects at the Meiji shrine with a complex hand washing fiasco (wash your left hand, then right hand, then drink with your left hand, then wash your left hand, then wash your cup, then pray) we headed for Shibyu. Shibyu is another commercial area with lots of shops and places to eat. It also has the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. It's not an overly big junction but when the little green man lights up people just seemed to descend from everywhere! It has 6 zebra crossings all heading off in various directions. We made it out of Shibyu alive and as it was getting dark decided to call it a day and head back. Picked up an awesome sushi picnic from the times square department store which we ate when we got back to the hotel.

I will miss Japan and although we have done a lot here i definately feel i will need to come back and check out the rest of the country. It's a shame that Japan is not really a tourist destination. Don't get me wrong we have seen our fair share of round eyes from Australia and the US but i hardly know anyone who has been here for a holiday. In comparison, i know loads of people who have been to Thailand, or China, or Vietnam. Japan is not that much further away in reality. Maybe it's because it's so bloody expensive here. Accomodation is very pricey and food is not cheap but i have spent less here in a week then i spent in 4 days in Bulgaria and that includes lift passes in our ski resort! To be fair, i haven't drank here which has a big impact as beer in our hotel is nearly 8 quid a bottle, and to get to Bulgaria cost a shed load less than it would've have to fly here. It's a shame really as Japan has so much to offer and is truly unique from other pan-pacific countries. There is a real feel of easts meets west here. It's so modern and yet so steeped in tradition. Japanese people are so aware of their heritage and history but are always looking to the future and constantly pushing technology forward. I really do strongly recommend checking it out for yourselves. It's such a pity that Japan only really gets exposed to business men, rock bands and sex tourists!

I will miss the food here. Luckily New Zealand has a large Japanese population so i may still be able to get the whale spunk pasties or penguin cocks. One thing i love here is that they don't eat cheese! (" YOU WHAT!" - I hear smoosh cry) We went to the supermarket yesterday and the cheese counter was literally just a few shelves with some cheddar on. Compared to the dried fish section which took up a whole wall! You can totally see why Japan has a life expectancy of 91! Low fat foods and tons of fish. Since i've been here i've not been able to turn my brain off due to all the omega 3 i'm ingesting! Kinda wish i was taking my GCSEs tomorrow.

So this will be my last entry from the land of the rising sun. I kinda thought i'd get some wicked pics of sunrises but you have to be up really early for those, sod that! Plus New Zealand is the first country to see the sun rise so hopefully might get to use the sunrise function of my camera yet.

So i will bid you sayonhara from the land of the rising sun, and will hopefully bid you G'day from the land of the long white cloud in my next entry.

Missing you all tons

D

xxxx