Why Japan? どうして、日本の？

           I've never been to Japan, yet I feel like I’m so familiar with its culture from all the Japanese novels I’ve read, all the TV shows I’ve watch and all the Japanese folk and pop songs I’ve listened to. And so many scenes are taken from real scenes, like the famous romantic anime 5 Centimeters Per Second

           and evergreen family show Totoro

           These are all real places near Tokyo. One of the best experiences in Japan would therefore be immersing in and reliving the scenes I’ve seen on screen and have read in books, which are so familiar that I almost feel like I've been there before.

Biggest preparation for this trip

           The rule of thumb of surviving alone in a foreign country is to speak the same language as them. Unfortunately, with a 99% literacy rate, Japanese education system in English is surprisingly disappointing. In places other than big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, it is of little chance to find an English-speaking person for help. Knowing this fact, I have started taking Japanese lessons about 2 years ago. And by the end of this school year I will be at the intermediate level of Japanese and use common expressions with no effort!

Get on the road...

           I will leave for Tokyo from Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 29^th, 2014, and arrive Tokyo later the day of April 30^th. I will spend the first night relaxing from the long flight and try to adjust from jetlag.

How Will I Get Around in Japan

           Japan has one of the most advanced railway system covering nearly the entire country. The shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) travels between the major cities with speed up to 199 mph.

           I will be getting around the cities mainly by Shinkansen. With the purchase of a biweekly rail pass for $470, I will also be able to travel by bus and ferry.

May 1-3 – Tokyo Metropolis 東京都

There are a few must-see sites in Tokyo: the Sky Tree, which is the world’s highest freestanding broadcasting tower.

            The biggest fish market in the world, Tsukiji Fish Market, is located in Tokyo Metropolitan central. For non-retailers like me, the fish market means an access to the nearby restaurants for the freshest sushi in the world.

          

  Unagi (Japanese freshwater eel) rice and Tako-yaki (octopus balls) are usually offered at Japanese restaurants in Canada, but what beats an authentic Japanese Unagi Bento (Eel rice lunchbox) that’s made in Japan? Eating Tako-yaki while visiting the street would also be a fresh experience!

Shinjuku 新宿

            Another must-go place in the Tokyo Metropolitis is it’s Shinjuku District, the commercial and adminivstrative centre of Japan. By simply immersing myself in one of the highest populated district in the world, feeling its red and green, it is an experience that’s hard to forget already.

            The most famous district in Shinjuku, Tokyo must be Kabukichō  歌舞伎町. This is the biggest red-light district in Japan, which is also known as the “Sleepless Town”.
I once read an autobiography written by a Chinese man living in Japan as a “Kabukichō guide” (generally known as hawkers), Kabukichō Annainin, (The Guide of Kabukichō), and was awed by the different lives so many people are living under. This might be the biggest reason why I want to visit  Kabukichō  even though I’m not interested in clubbing, not mention any activities wilder than that. A walk across this district will be satisfying enough. And I’m looking forward to running into the Xiaomu Lee, the author of Kabukichō Annainin.

Akihabara 秋葉原

            Akihabara, nicknamed the Electric Town, is the biggest shopping center in Japan for household electric goods. But apparently I’m not going there to shop humidifiers! Akihabara is also known for its Otaku culture, which is a rising subculture in Japan focused on anime and manga fandom. Akihabara, in return, tries to create an atmosphere as much like the anime and manga worlds. Imagine a walk along the Akihabara main street, seeing people dressed up as your familiar anime characters and walking towards you. What a blast would that be!

            A nice afternoon at the unique Otaku-style maid café, would be another memorable experience to this trip.

Miyazaki Hayao’s Wondrous World Déjà vu
I grew up with Ghibli movies. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing the animated world come to life. Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo features almost all the distinctive characters and architecture from the movies directed by Miyazaki Hayao. I’d love to shake hands with the robot from my favorite Ghibli movie Castel in the Sky. This place to me is like Disney to princess dreamer kids – the sole trip to the Ghibli Museum will make my Tokyo trip worth its while.

May 4 – Mount Fuji 富士山

           I’ll be leaving Tokyo Metropolis in the evening of May 3rd. And arrive at the Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes) resort at the northern foot of the mountain, which offers a great view to Mount Fuji on a clear day in May. Mount Fuji won’t be open for climbing until July, so I just plan to stay at the lake resort and appreciate this perfectly shaped active volcano from far. Although the cherry blossom season would perhaps be already passed, there is still some chance to see the late blossoms viewing from the lake.

Budget

Food $20

Hotel $50

Total $70

May 5 – Izu 伊豆

            When I was in high school, I read the short story The Dancing Girl of Izu by Yasunari Kawabata. The elegiac story almost took my breath away; this dreamland had been added on to my bucket list for trips even before I knew where it was on the map of Japan.

            It turned out that Izu Peninsula is also the heaven for Onsen (hot spring) lovers. After a day’s trip re-visiting the recognizable landscape from Kawabata’s short story, I will end my day with a complimentary hot spring at Sawada-koen Rotenburo Onsen at Dogashima. It is an open-air hot spring located on top of the cliffs in Sawada Park. Due to its special location, you can actually vie the Pacific Ocean while soaking in the warm spring water!

Budget

Hotel $30

Hot Spring $10

Food $20

Total $60

May 6-7 – Kyoto 京都

            In the morning on May 6^th, I’ll be leaving Dogashima for the historical city Kyoto. Being one of the oldest Asian metropolises, Kyoto has a lot more to offer than historical sites.

Of course I will go to the famous Kinkaku-ji, for the sake of one picture. (But maybe I will fall in love with this place!) Also Nanzenji、Arashiyama、Bamboo Grove and Ise-Jinguu.

Another big deal about Kyoto is that I will be able to eat authentic Kaiseki, the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. Its delicacy is supposed to let the proud French people step back. A kaiseki dinner usually costs over $100 and I cannot afford that much for a single meal. But what’s great about Kyoto is that most restaurants offer Kaiseki Bento (lunchbox) that has the sample courses for about $50.

KaisekiKaiseki Bento

 Memoirs of a Geisha Déjà vu

Fushimi Inari-taisha, the head shrine of Inari, is made more famous for its appearance in the famous movie Memoirs of a Geisha. I want to visit the red toriis (gate entrance to the shrine) as if I have watched the movie scenes again.

Budget

Hotel $60

Food $50+30

Admission Tickets $40

Total $180

May 8-9 – Nara City and Yoshino 奈良市と吉野

As an animal lover, I cannot miss the Deer City – Nara. According to the Japanese people, deer are regarded as heavenly animals in Japan that protect the country. Taking a stride in Nara Park, there will be deer seen everywhere.

            On the 9^th I will be arriving in Yoshino, a small town visited by few foreign tourists. Pasted the peak season of the sakura-gari (cherry blossom hunting), I will be able to avoid the major crowd, and successfully get a room at the Sakoya-lyokan, the oldest Japanese-style hotel in Yoshino. It will be slight pricy, but the hot-spring-featured hotel room will weigh out all the financial concerns.

Spring in Nara Déjà vu

            This time I will get to walk into the famous guohua (Chinese brush painting), Spring in Nara by the Chinese artist Shixiong Liang.

            With the late spring sakura blooming, doesn't this scene look like it's walked out of the painting?

Budget

Hotel $260

Food $50

Total $310

May 10-12 – Amami Ōshima 奄美大島

            In the morning of May 10^th I will be leaving for Osaka and fly to Amami Ōshima, the largest island of Amami archipelago. The climate is quite different from other parts of Japan. Amami Ōshima is a heaven for snorkelers. Krystal clear waters also make this area a great diving spot. I will basically spend the first two days in the water, and the last day visiting the coastal city.

Amami Folk Song Déjà entendu

            Amami folk song is my favorite Japanese music style. I was firstly attracted to this music style by songs of Hajime Chitose. This time I will be able to sit in traditional Izakaya (Japanese pub) and listen to the authentic folk song with the company of sanshin, the traditional Japanese string instrument. This might be a brand-new listening experience for me, simply by imagining how genuine it will sound without the influence of J-Pop on it.

Budget

Flight $366

Food $60

Hotel $90

Entertainment $120

Total $636

May 13-15 – Hokkaidō 北海道

            To wrap up my trip, I will fly from the very south part to the northeast island of Japan, Hokkaidō.

            The first thing I want to do might be eating Kobe beef, the finest beef in the world. Having Kobe steak for lunch might be too big a meal, but it’s only half price as a Kobe steak dinner.

            For the last two days in japan, I want to end the trip with visiting a national park each day. The bullet train will take me to Kushiro Shitsugen National Park and Akan National Park, where I will linger to savior the last memories in this beautiful country.

Ban’ei Déjà vu

            I learnt about Ban’ei, the special kind of horse racing from one of my favorite manga Silver Spoon, a story that sets in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaidō. The Ban’ei horses are the tallest and powerfully-built of Percheron, Breton or Bergian breeds. I will try to make my way to Obihiro Racecourse and see the racetracks. It will be like re-living the manga scene!

Budget
Flight $782
Hotel $40*3
Food $50+20*3
Total $1012