Romping and Nguyening

It wasn’t until August 7 that we finally pulled the trigger on purchasing tickets back to San Francisco.  We had literally been stalking united.com every morning and evening for at least a week until the desired seats became available (direct flight from Narita to San Francisco, 9 hours, business class “saver” for only 65,000 points) for Monday, August 11.

Before August 7 we looked forward to going home, but once the date was set in our calendars, the realization that we were finally going home slapped us hard in the face.  Our desire to breathe the Bay Area air, our excitement to fall asleep in our comfortable bed, and our yearning to get back into the rhythm of daily life quickly accelerated from there.  We were soon counting the days to pack up one last time.

Even before our final days, we were both already writing up long lists of to-do’s for our return; we would only have a week and a half before taking off again for Burning Man.  We clearly were looking forward to diving back into our busy lives in San Francisco.

On our way to the airport we took our final shot of backpacking in the subway in Tokyo:

Soon we were at Narita Airport.  We boarded on time, departed on time, and landed on time; it was an incredibly smooth flight with hardly any turbulence and an effortless landing.  What made the journey more superb was the business class service and food. THE FOOD. Oh my. It was the best food I’ve had on a plane, even yummier than the royal laurel first class food I had on Eva Air from SF to Taipei.

We selected the business class seats in the 747’s upper deck, where it was quiet and private. 

Our comfortable, wide seats configured into beds. 

All business class window-seat passengers got a HUGE storage bin. 

And all business class passengers received a nice little care package for the flight.  The care package included mints, hand sanitizer, a tissue packet, lip balm, hand cream, ear plugs, hair comb, pen, socks, sleep mask, and toothbrush/toothpaste. 

Finally, the FOOD.  OMG.  In addition to the usual non-alcoholic beverages, they served bottomless champagne and a selection of white wines and red wines.  We both chose the red wine, which was delicious.  Chris claims he gained weight from the flight.  Here was the lovely menu:

Our appetizer seriously had some of the best salmon ever:

For the main course, I chose the chicken.  Chris selected the beef.  We both agreed my chicken was tastier.

Dessert was amazing, and I’m not just saying that because it was paired with a port.  The sundae was huge.  Truthfully, we should have shared the sundae but we each had our own.

It wasn’t too hard to fall asleep after finishing all the courses.  We were over stuffed and suffering from food coma.  Chris even had to point out that the regular cost of a business class ticket was comparable to a two or three year salary from someone in Myanmar.  In that regard it almost felt too lavish.

Our “bedtime” only lasted a total of four hours, as we were woken up again for breakfast during this already short-ish flight.  Because I was still full from dinner, I just opted for the simple breakfast of cereal.  Honestly, due to the comforts of business class seats, I almost wished the flight was longer.

It was the perfect summer day in San Francisco when we landed; sunny, clear, and refreshingly cool.  One of our closest friends picked us up from the airport and took us home, where we spent the remainder of the day struggling to fight jet lag.  The Romping and Nguyening SE Asia + Japan tour was officially over and now it was time to plan for the annual Romping and Nguyening Burning Man Extravaganza!

We left Kyoto on Friday morning en route to Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city by population.  Yokohama is not an exciting city by any means, but our sole purpose of visiting was to meet my former host family Koji and Erisa Kawaguchi and their two children from when I studied abroad there one summer 9 years ago.

I found this awesome Japanese style hotel/long-term residence for only ¥5500/night, where we spent our final days in Japan.  Not only was it equipped with a fridge and portable stove (with cooking utensils available for rent, free of charge), we even had our own, private washing machine!

Since the beginning of our trip in March, Chris and I looked forward to this weekend the most. The plan was to hike to the top of Mt. Fuji for sunrise with Koji, his son, and another American student he had hosted 5 years after me.  That Friday night after arriving, we excitedly packed our weekend bag for the epic hike, only to wake up the next morning to the news of an approaching typhoon.  I’m not going to elaborate on how upset, disappointed, and frustrated we were, but our hearts sank low, especially since we had just solidified our plan to return home that upcoming Monday.

At first, we only hoped that the Japanese were being overcautious (as they typically are) and we considered doing the hike ourselves even if Koji backed down, despite the bold, red danger warnings on websites.  However, a quick weather search led us to an animated gif of an approaching swirly ball of death: 

NO THANKS.

That morning was calm, but it was reported that there would be sporadic rain with the gnarly downpour on Sunday.  Winds would gust up to 50 mph.  The peak of Mt. Fuji often reaches freezing temperatures (it was forecasted to a low of 4ºC that day), and the thought of spending a day and evening fighting the winds and snowstorms quickly turned us off.  (After that weekend, Chris found this article related to the typhoon. Yikes!)

It was a clusterfuck of a morning.  Since we were no longer hiking Mt. Fuji, Chris spent his Saturday in the hotel room for some much-needed time catching up on work.  On the other hand, I, along with Megan (former host student) and her friend, met Koji at the subway station as planned.  Koji at the last minute decided to take us on a day trip to Nikko, a popular tourist destination for the Japanese located high in the mountains, about a 3 hour drive from Yokohama.  Due to its high elevation, the air was crisp and refreshing, which was a pleasant getaway away from the heat and humidity.

Since we couldn’t hike Mt. Fuji, we hiked another mountain in Nikko instead.  However, we arrived at the foot of the mountain at 3:20pm, when everyone else had just descended. Flabbergasted, others warned the hike would take a total of 5 hours roundtrip, not to mention the typhoon that was on its way.  Although we continued the hike anyway (which was brutally and painfully steep filled with paths often obstructed with boulders and tree roots), we only made it to Station #8 (there were a total of 10 stations).  When we reached the station, it was 5pm and slightly drizzly and slippery.  With darkness rapidly drawing nearer, we decided for the best and began our descent.

As we descended, it began to rain. 

The last hour of our hike left Megan, Roquette, and I whimpering like sad dogs.  We trudged on in pitch darkness and fog, convincing ourselves that we were “almost there” when we were nowhere near our final destination.  Hunger and muscle fatigue took its toll; we were drenched in the cold rain, and our hands became hard fists of ice.  Even with my poncho, I was miserably wet, as the wind showed no mercy and my even my GoreTex shoes could not withstand the gushing rain.  With each squishy step down the mountain, I gratefully told myself how calling off Mt. Fuji was a wise choice.

Because we also took a different route down the mountain (safer but longer), we ended up being further away from the car than we would have preferred.  We reached the car by 7:30pm and spent the long car ride back to the Tokyo/Yokohama area defrosting our bodies. Koji dropped me off at my hotel shortly after midnight, and we planned to meet the next day so I could hang out with his family.

Sunday, our final full day in Japan and our final day of the entire trip, was spent in Yokohama with the Kawaguchis.  We met at the Landmark Tower Plaza, where Pikachu was tearing shit up.

After lunch we made our way to the Kawaguchi’s house, where I had once resided for two months.  Chris bonded with the children in the car.

Once we arrived at their house, Koji took us to meet the neighbors to see if they remembered me.  After all, it had been 9 years. And they DID remember me!  Mr. Muroka proudly showed us his bonsai collection, which turned out to be phenomenal.  

Apparently Mr. Muroka is the proud artist of a number of award-winning bonsai plants (see framed awards below).  We felt fortunate to have been given a tour of his bonsai garden.

Chris posing with an award-winning bonsai:

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Kawaguchi’s house, where I spent a few hours speaking the Japanese language I thought I had forgotten.  To my surprise, a lot of my vocabulary and grammar came back to me.  YAY!  Chris also satisfied my cruel desire of making him try natto for the first time.  I don’t think he’ll be trying it again. (Chris’ note: Agreed.)

Finally, it was time to go.  It was honestly the perfect way to end the trip in Japan–hanging out with my Japanese family, reminiscing on good ol’ times and getting lost in translation along the way.  

As Chris and I waved goodbye from the front of their house, Koji snapped this photo below.

For some reason, this photo stirs a simultaneous feeling of bittersweet happiness and sadness within me.  It represents friendships and bonds all over the world, with long periods of time between each personal encounter.  Despite all the new stories, growth, and change, the memories and friendships will continue to last.  It had been 9 years since I last saw the Kawaguchis, and here I was now hanging out in their home, conversing for hours as if nothing had changed in a foreign language I had not used in 7 years.  The next time I see this photo with the Kawaguchis, our sentences will begin with, “Remember the time when…?” And who knows when that time will be.  Hopefully it will be less than a decade when that time comes.

I have this same feeling for everyone we met throughout this trip–family and friends from Hanoi, and all the new friends from around the world we met in Southeast Asia.  I know I’ll meet them again.  Although our bodies and faces will have aged, our memories from some of the most amazing times in our lives will prevent us from being strangers.

I’m already looking forward to meeting all my new friends again in whatever country it will be in.  I’m especially looking forward to revisiting all those countries again, along with the new countries we’ll be seeing in between.

From 794 to 1868, the historical and cultural city of Kyoto was the capital of Japan and residence of the Emperor.  Throughout this millennium an innumerous amount of palaces, castles, shrines, and temples were built for emperors, monks, shoguns, and continue to stand strong as a result of the bombing restriction the U.S. had on Kyoto during WWII.  As this city is also considered the birthplace of the geisha, a number of cultural geisha performances continue to exist today for locals and tourists, albeit highly expensive and exclusive. Presently, Kyoto is Japan’s seventh largest city with a population of ~1.5 million and is equipped with a state-of-the-art central train station, plenty of high-end shopping, and luxurious department stores.  However, the true gem of this cultural capital lies beyond the modern bustling city, and once the traditional structures and gardens are discovered, one can easily embrace the beauty of Japan’s culture.

Large and spread out, Kyoto is composed of a number of districts that each hold a famous attraction and often a World Heritage Site.  Although unpleasantly crowded, the high seasons of spring and fall are the most popular times to visit for tourists and locals as the trees are either filled with infamous cherry blossoms or tinted with dramatic crimson leaves.  Nowhere else in Japan are there slews of women who proudly stroll through the streets in their colorful summer kimono, giving photographers ample opportunity for a picturesque souvenir photo of Japan.  I enjoyed seeing cliques of kimono-clad women in the subways.

If one wanted to discover Kyoto at a leisurely pace, I think four or five days would suffice to gain enough appreciation for its hidden treasures.  Our packed schedule only spared us two days, which was barely enough to get a glimpse of Kyoto.  Sightseeing in Kyoto is definitely expensive; in addition to admission fees (¥300 up to ¥1000) for almost every attraction, subway fares of a couple bucks add up, not to mention bus rides (¥500 for a daily pass). If there is one thing we Chris splurged on, it was the hotel room.  So far in Japan we had stayed in bare tatami rooms, and one night in bunk beds in Miyajima.  Before that, we were crammed in a closet-sized room in Hong Kong for a week.  And even before that, we were in Myanmar guesthouses, which were all poor attempts at making the Westerner feel comfortable.  Budget hotels in Southeast Asia are also filled with a variety of discomforts at the sacrifice of cost.  For the first time in over four months, we had a “normal” hotel room with English-speaking staff, impeccable service, and spotless, functioning amenities. I’ve sampled a bunch of desserts all over this journey, and sadly enough, my favorite dessert ended up being the surprisingly flavor-explosive chocolate cake and cheesecake from 7-11. Since we pampered ourselves with the hotel, we spoiled ourselves further with this cake plate and red wine from 7-11.

Both mornings began early.  Because I didn’t want to waste time eating breakfast at a restaurant, I filled our fridge with food instead.  We were able to enjoy breakfast in our own room thanks to the fridge, a luxury we rarely had in Southeast Asia.

I never mentioned how insanely expensive fruit is in Japan.  Peaches are easily sold in department stores for ¥500-¥1000, and grapes were anywhere from ¥2000-¥3000.  We happened to walk by a fruit vendor in the subway who sold fruit for significantly cheaper, so we splurged on the most expensive grapes we’ve ever eaten.  I wanted to eat grapes in Japan before I left! Here you go, a bunch of grapes for ¥1100 (about $11 USD).

Now on to the temples! I will list them in the exact order of our visit.

Day 1

Overlooking the city and nestled in the eastern hills stands Kiyomizu-Dera, one of the most touristy temples typically packed with tour buses and tour groups with flag-waving leaders.  The large, red gate at the entrance is perhaps one of the most-photographed gates in Kyoto.

The mercantile streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera are two preserved streets, showcasing a bit of what the old Kyoto had once looked long ago.

After Kiyomizu-dera we walked over to Chion-in, where everything is massive in scale. Unfortunately the main hall is under construction until 2019.

Just down the street was Shoren-in, a temple originally designed for a residence.  Because tour groups always skip this place, we enjoyed the serene and quiet Japanese garden.

Noon rolled around so we returned to Central Kyoto where we ate lunch and explored the traditional Nishiki Market.

Nijo Castle, originally a residence for shoguns, wasn’t too far away.  This castle was MASSIVE and came with fortifications and a moat.

I saved Fushimi-Inari Taisha for last, which is considered THE most impressive place in Kyoto.  Literally hundreds of red shrine gates line a number of paths into the Kyoto mountains, creating a fantastical and surreal experience as one disappears into the arms of the gates.  We enthusiastically arrived just before dusk; shops were closing and the shrine was slowly emptying out.  There were still a number of people, though the further up the mountain we traveled, the fewer tourists there were.  We ended up walking to the peak of the mountain since it wasn’t difficult. The road leading up to the shrine:

A map of the mountain:

The shrine:

In certain areas, the gates were more spaced apart.

We would pass by a number of shrines.

Sunset on the way down:

Running around temple-hopping in Kyoto on an incredibly hot summer day drove us both of to complete exhaustion.  Fortunately we got the most out of Day 1, with just a few more to go on Day 2.

Day 2

We ventured over to the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, famed for its bamboo grove and gardens.  Tenryu-ji was our first stop.

From there it was a quick stroll to the incredible Bamboo Grove. 

Then it was a detour in the fork of the road to Okochi-Sanso Villa.  We believe the costly admission of ¥1000 is designed to keep out tour groups.

Admission includes matcha tea and a treat in their quaint tea house nestled in bamboo.

A quick lunch was scarfed down before proceeding to Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto’s famous and perhaps most photographed temple.

Finally, we ended up at the enormous complex of the Daitoku-ji Zen temples.  The Daitoku-ji subtemple was regrettably closed, so we walked over to the gardens of Koto-in.  I can see why this place is highly visited in autumn.

The mosquitos there quickly hurried us off to Ryogen-in, a subtemple housing a number of traditional Zen rock gardens.

By late afternoon we completed our two-day itinerary for Kyoto and happily returned to our hotel for some more 7-11 cake!

After touring the Angkor Complex early last June, we thought we were templed out.  After visiting the temples along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river in mid-June, we thought we were templed out.  After exploring Bagan’s city of temples and shrines, we were pretty damn sure this time we were done with temples.  But finally, we spent two more days temple-hopping in Kyoto.  After our FINAL temple-tour of this trip, we agreed that the Japanese temples were the most well-kept, cleanest, and peaceful temples we have ever seen.  Southeast Asians hardly give a shit about anything including their monuments, historical sites, and money-making tourist attractions; as a result, trash and rudeness runs large.  Japanese culture embraces politeness and tidiness in their homes and public spaces, and this notion is clearly reflected in their cherished sites.

When I return to Kyoto someday, I plan to stay for at least four days and I would come during the autumn, where no words can describe the beauty of the sky-blazing foliage.  Hell, I’ll even see a traditional geisha show in Gion.  Truthfully I am surprised that having visited Japan on two other occasions, I have never been to Kyoto until now.  But hey, now I can say I got my temple on in Japan!

When we arrived in Hiroshima the late afternoon of August 2, I spent a bit more time researching about possible activities within Hiroshima other than the Peace Memorial Park. I quickly discovered the Mazda Museum; apparently Mazda was founded and headquartered in Hiroshima. Mazda also happens to employ a large percentage of Hiroshima residents. The museum offers free daily tours to the public for a limited number of guests; reservations can be made up to one year in advance on their website.

There was still availability for August 5, so we decided to stop by Hiroshima on our way from Miyajima to Kyoto to exhibit the museum. Again we lucked out; a couple days after I made the reservation, their entire reservation list was booked through the next two weeks!

Although the tour was rushed through 1.5 hours, we still thoroughly enjoyed the Mazda museum. The best part was the line of production—the factory where people and robots worked in parallel to create brand spankin’ new Mazda cars! (Unfortunately photography was prohibited within the line or production.)

At the start of the tour, we climbed onto a bus that drove us through their campus.

A timeline showcasing the history of Mazda was illustrated along a wall. The founder of Mazda is Jujiro Matsuda, hence the company name.

Mazda’s first vehicle was a three-wheeled cargo cart.

Shortly after production of the three-wheeled cart, the most adorable cars went into production. These vehicles were considered some of the most reliable in Japan at that time.

Mazda achieved their lifelong dream when the Mazda 787 won the World Sports Car Championship in 1990.

We briefly studied the variety of engines.

The science behind paint.

In the design stage, industrial artists draw numerous concepts. Final concepts pass through to clay modelers. Apparently Mazda consumes the most clay out of any other car factory for their models.

There was a nice skeletal breakdown of vehicles.

Crash test!

2011 concept car.

The museum wasn’t just fun, it was also FREE! Just make sure to make reservations at least a few days in advance. =)

If Hiroshima is on the list of destinations in Japan, then Miyajima must be next on that list. Albeit touristy with not only Japanese flag-waving tour group leaders but also Chinese flag-waving tour group leaders, the variety of activities and beauty of the island amount to an action-filled enjoyable day.  I especially looked forward to spending a day in Miyajiima since the day before was filled with remorse and grief at the Peace Memorial Park.

We began our morning by strategically relocating to accommodation within the vicinity of Miyajima. Hiroshima is only 25 minutes by train away from Miyajima, but by staying literally a two-minute walk away from the ferry, we were able to make multiple visits to the island which made it easy to observe both low and high tide. Fortunately two weeks before, I was able to book the last two bunk beds in a mixed dormitory for ¥2500 each. This was actually our first time on this trip spending the night in bunk beds; it was fun for that one night, but it was definitely uncomfortable and disturbing due to this one fat guy (who was Vietnamese-American) whose snores were comparable to a giant troll’s.

After dropping our bags off at the hostel, we hopped onto the nearby ferry.

The ferry was so smooth, we didn’t even know we were moving. It took exactly ten minutes to cross the waters, and we arrived in Miyajima before we knew it!

I was warned that there would be deer everywhere, but holy shit, I didn’t expect that warning to be literal. They were lazy jerks.

We rushed through the shops to make our way to Itsukushima Shrine, where the world’s largest torii gate stands. Low tide was scheduled for earlier that morning; it was around 11am then and we wanted to waddle in the water. Along the way, we passed by the world’s largest rice scoop…pretty random.

The final attraction! It was definitely low tide.

Next up in our itinerary was the hike up Mt. Misen via the pathway leading through Daisho-in Temple. Seriously, Japanese temples have the most adorable statues and picture-perfect rooftops.

There are two ways to reach the top of Mt. Misen: ropeway or hike. With the ropeway (gondola), it costs ¥1000 one way or ¥1800 round trip, which is incredibly expensive. We chose to hike up and down which was obviously more rewarding, adventurous, and scenic. It also collectively saved us ¥3600, and anyone who knows me knows how much I love to save money! There are three different routes one can take for the hike; we took the most scenic route through Daisho-in Temple. It is said that the hike should take anywhere from 1.5-2 hours. It took us exactly 1 hour and we did not see anyone else hiking up. WHOO! Granted, it was more or less like the stair master for the entire hour, but with extreme humidity. We were drenched with sweat as if we were in a sauna.

When we reached the top, the views were partially obstructed by clouds. They sporadically drafted in and out, allowing just moments of the scenic islands and ocean below to be glimpsed.

Once we felt our time lingering at the top of Mt. Misen was enough, we promptly returned to the base of the mountain in order to observe the torii gate at high tide which was scheduled for around 4pm. We conveniently dropped by the 5-storied pagoda along the way.

We also crossed paths with some more lounging deer.

And we made it back for high tide!

After snapping a few final shots, we left Miyajima with the intent to return in the evening for low tide. The timing couldn’t have been better. Within minutes of disembarking the ferry on the mainland, it began to rain. And it rained hard. In Hiroshima the day before, it rained on and off, and both of us dreaded the possibility of a storm in Miyajima. Wading in the ocean waters and hiking up a mountain wouldn’t have been my cup of tea (but we would have done it anyway). The weather worked in our favor that day and exploring Miyajima under the overcast sky worked out perfectly.

Within a couple hours the storm passed through and we returned to Miyajima that night. The entire town is typically deserted by 5pm (all the tour groups have thankfully departed by then), so when we arrived at the torii gate at 9:20pm we were greeted with soft murmurs and tranquility. Low tide was scheduled at 9:04pm; the gentle water was shallow enough for anyone to walk out and touch the dramatically lit columns.

On the way back, there were few deer here and there hiding within the shadows.

Overall I would say that a day in Miyajima is a day well spent. With such a convenient location and easy-to-navigate route catered for tourists, it isn’t difficult to enjoy an excursion on this tiny, beautiful island.

Hands down–this will be my least favorite post.  I’m not a military or war buff.  I even hate reading about it. I put off this post for a bit because I knew it wouldn’t be fun to write. However, despite how awful one might feel in response to the horrific events in history, it is important to see and learn in order to understand and grow.  As appalling as it sounds, the suburban city of Hiroshima is a “tourist attraction” because it was the first city to be nuked by an atomic bomb.  The absolute must-see places are the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where one can dive deep into the history of Hiroshima: how it birthed into an industrial city and a key strategic military port that eventually led to its tragic destruction.

I’ll begin with the fun stuff first.  Chris rode the shinkansen for the first time for our journey from Tokyo to Hiroshima, the fastest network of high-speed railways in Japan. Some trains can even reach up to 200mph! The shinkansen is highly more comfortable and convenient (and sometimes even more expensive) than traveling by air.

The “must eat” cuisines in Hiroshima consist of okonomiyake and tsukemen.  I was never fond of okonomiyake, but I gave it another shot.  We both agreed that the flavors were too strong for our liking, and I probably won’t be trying it again.

Tsukemen was so delightfully scrumptious, we ate it for dinner and again for lunch the next day.  It is a “refreshing” dish to ramen: a plate of cold noodles, boiled cabbage, cucumber, green onions, and chashu pork is served with a bowl of sesame-covered spicy broth.

You dip the cold cuts and noodles into the spicy sauce and chow down!

We spent a day and a half in Hiroshima.  To our surprise, our first full day began on August 3, 2014,  exactly sixty-nine years after the U.S. selected Hiroshima out of three other cities for the atomic bomb.  Now every year on the anniversary of the tragic day of August 6, thousands of people gather at this park for the Peace Memorial Ceremony. A myriad of chairs were already set up for the ceremony, covering the lawns of the park.

Though the exterior of the museum was quite an eyesore, the inner walls and displays provided in-depth information about the history of Hiroshima from its rise to its downfall, and its restoration.

The first floor beautifully illustrated the history of the city in the late 1800s, describing the major ports and railroads that were constructed during this time. Further along the timeline, light is shed upon the brutality of Japanese reign during their era of imperialism: the invasion of Manchuria, the Nanking Massacre in China, the occupation of Korea, the First and Second Sino-Japanese wars, and the surprise attack on the U.S. at Pearl Harbor.  As Japan sank deeper into war, Hiroshima (along with most of the cities in Japan) became the grounds for military support; men were taught to fight, children were given jobs to destroy old buildings to create fire lanes, and women became factory workers and nurses.

The second floor was reserved for information on the U.S. post Pearl Harbor: it presented exquisitely detailed information regarding the intelligence of its military, the secret WWII atomic bomb research and development project known as the Manhattan project, the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico, copies of letters between the president, military leaders, and scientists, and the details leading up to the decision of Hiroshima being the selected target.  Of the four cities that were selected, Hiroshima became the final target because it was confirmed that it had no prisoners of war. It was on this floor where I learned the true definition of unconditional surrender.  Previously, I thought the term “unconditional surrender” was a simple, “I give up! You win!” Boy, was I wrong.  Understanding its definition helped me better understand why the Japanese were as determined and unwilling to surrender as they were.  It was decided on August 3, 1945 that the U.S. would drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.  Three days later on August 6, 1945 at 8:15am, it happened.

The third floor described the day of the bombing, its aftermath, and its toll on society today. Quotes, maps, and 3D city displays showcased the scale of the city, the size of the bomb, and where it was detonated.  There was also a section on radiation and its causes and effects on the human body.  This floor was the most heartbreaking floor, portraying graphic images of victims dead and alive, and actual artifacts from that horrific day. 

Toward the end of the visit, the messaging on the museum walls campaigned for world peace and the Japanese desire to eliminate all nuclear weapons.  Charts were presented, showcasing all the countries that had either signed or not signed treaties prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons.  There were also maps depicting the amount of nuclear weapons that a number of countries possess (with the U.S. being #1). Every year the mayor of Hiroshima sends a telegram to leaders of countries that conduct nuclear tests to protest, and copies of these telegrams are displayed on numerous walls.  Their advocation for the abolishment of nuclear weapons continues to persist today.

The two hours I spent at the Peace Memorial Museum taught me more about the history of August 6, 1945 more than any U.S. history class has ever taught me.  The majority of the opinions I hear about this event (both in Japan and the U.S.) tend to oppose what the U.S. had done at 8:15 that morning. “What the U.S. did was just too much,” I often hear. Having not completely understood the history leading up to the events, I had no opinion.  I do now. With the definition of “unconditional surrender” now understood, it’s much easier for me to understand why the Japanese persisted, despite the weakening of their country post Pearl Harbor.  What really hits it home for me is the fact that they refused to surrender even after what happened on August 6.  If they refused to surrender, even after all that, what would it have taken? A second attack. And even after Nagasaki was nuked, a military coup almost broke out in Japan when the emperor considered accepting the unconditional surrender.  Due to their culture of dying in honor for one’s country, the military absolutely did not want to surrender even after the second atomic bomb! (I’m leaving out the Russian involvement immediately after Nagasaki, as that’s opening a new can of worms.)  If the first A-bomb couldn’t secure an unconditional surrender from Japan, what would it have taken?

With those thoughts in mind, we exited the museum and strolled through the remainder of the park. 

We sauntered over to the A-bomb dome, the only remaining building near the hypocenter of the blast. Although the glass dome had shattered to smithereens, the building remained quite intact, because the force of the blast came from almost directly above instead of from the side.  As the city was rebuilt, it was initially easier to leave this building than it was to destroy it, and now it is preserved and remains as a historic sight.

For a bit of decompression, we continued on over to the Hiroshima Castle. It was…boring.

But we enjoyed our stroll through the pristine gardens of Shukkeien.

Despite this being my third visit to Japan, it was my first visit to Hiroshima. I didn’t even know Hiroshima would be on the list of destinations until the week before! Albeit a sobering experience, a visit to Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Museum is absolutely worthwhile; the studies of a country’s culture and history is equally if not more important than the travels there itself.

Our culture shock from Myanmar quickly wore off within the first few days in Hong Kong, so by the time we departed in the wee hours of the morning from Chungking Mansions for Tokyo, we were pretty damn stoked.

On a side note, Chris and I were able to fly the $600 4-hour flight to Tokyo for FREE using points. With US Airways, Chris flew economy. YAY for the free flight, but BOO for economy (I know, I know, we’re spoiled). With American Airlines, I flew business class. SCORE!

After I finished my delicious complimentary breakfast in the business class lounge, I strolled up the stairs to the top deck business class section of the 747.

Behold! My private seat:

Literally right behind the pilot’s cabin:

Within minutes of settling in, I was served a beverage.

After taking off, a delightful breakfast was served.  The options were a Western, a Cantonese, or a Japanese breakfast:

Despite being painfully full from the breakfast I already chowed down in the lounge, I opted for the yummy dim sum and Hong Kong style milk tea.

Before landing, the pilot announced Mt. Fuji could be seen from the window.

Getting into Tokyo was smooth and painless. We received the necessary stamps, picked up our ~$230 USD 7-day JR Rail Pass (which by the way can only be purchased OUTSIDE of Japan and is totally worth the cost if you are considering travel throughout the country), hopped on the train from Haneda Airport en route to Shinjuku, and even managed to get lost within our first 15 minutes outside of the airport (accidentally went toward Yokohama instead of Shinagawa on the JR line)! Immediately when we boarded the train, the unique smell of the air conditioner mixed with the plastic seats and humidity triggered memories from when I was in Yokohama-Tokyo for one summer exactly nine years ago. Tokyo, I thought to myself, 久しぶりですね! (It’s been a while!)

At this point, we were so accustomed to the public subway systems similar to BART in NorCal, the MTR in Hong Kong, the MTS in Bangkok, and the LRT in Kuala Lumpur that the Tokyo rail system abruptly stumped us. Normally there are only TWO trains that travel in opposite directions—quite the no-brainer, right? In Tokyo, with the combination of up to 16 platforms at one station, along with lines that have local, express, and rapid express services and random changes only announced in Japanese, it isn’t difficult to get lost and frustrated. The JR lines (which run above ground) run in parallel with the Tokyo subway (which run underground).  Although public transportation in Tokyo is considered the best in the world, it can be quite the clusterfuck.

In addition to the slight subway learning curve, I was also saddened with the reality of my wasted degree in Japanese. Despite studying it for three years in high school and two years at Berkeley, most of my grammar and vocabulary have been forgotten…it’s been seven years since I’ve graduated and I haven’t used it once. Not one bit. My reading and writing is comparable to a child’s, and my speaking and listening has gotten worse. At least I can still order food, ask for directions and prices, and make reservations. ざんねんですね!

Shinjuku was our first stop, where we stored our bags in two of the dozens of lockers and ventured not too far from the station to purchase SIM cards. Apparently Japan likes to make it difficult for foreigners to use mobile phones within its country; they mostly rent out SIM cards or mobile phones or sell data-only SIM cards at unreasonable prices starting at 1500¥ for 100mb. Chris got us both 1gig data cards at a price I am too ashamed to share, especially after being able to get unlimited TRUE data cards in Thailand for less than $10 USD.

After Chris purchased our SIM cards, we continued our short 10-minute ride to Asagaya, a local stop off the Chuo line. Thanks to my sharp eye for bargain-hunting, I was able to score an incredibly sweet deal in Asagaya for our first 4 nights in Tokyo: ¥4000 per night for two people in a 3×3 tatami room in a shared apartment. Included in the apartment was a tiny (hardly functional) kitchen and small bathroom. Being only 10-15 minutes away from the popular stations of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku, this was a winner. Thanks, Craigslist!   

The apartment we stayed in was a 3-minute walk from Asagaya station. It sat on a narrow, adorably charming, unusually quiet street adorned with bars and restaurants. This was literally the facade of the apartment:

The entrance was along this wall on the right:

In addition to the McDonalds, Pachinko parlors, and strip club at the end of the street, there were massage parlors and my favorite Yakitori shop. 

Within hours of arriving, both of us agreed that this was the fastest we have ever fallen in love with a country. The cleanliness, the politeness, the courteousness, the quality of life, the cuteness, the quirkiness, the efficiency of the people and transportation and services…it all comes down to the finest combination of modernity and culture. We slightly regretted we couldn’t stay in Japan longer, but decided it was better that we didn’t; otherwise we’d see money leaving our savings accounts faster than the shinkansen!

During our three full days in Tokyo, we explored some of the famous landmarks and visited a couple of the quirkier places. Photos and descriptions can be found below!

For ¥1000/hour, one can hang out at one of many cat cafés all throughout Tokyo. Some cafés have 15 cats. Some have as many as 50! Cat Café in Ebisu:

The notorious Shibuya Scramble has been, and will always be, a rush. In the mornings, it is much more pleasant. 

In the evenings, it is much more lively. 

The view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building would be better if…well..the view was interesting. Tokyo truly is a mass of concrete.  At least there was no admission!

We took a quick stroll through Yoyogi Park for a break from the city. We found that Japanese temples were much more spacious, clean, and peaceful than any of the temples we saw in Southeast Asia.

Other random Japanese quirkiness include…
The famous square-shaped watermelons!

Hello Kitty HEAVEN!

Warnings against perverts:

Unfortunately our stay in Tokyo did not last through the weekend. Although we couldn’t see Harajuku on a Sunday, I was still able to take some worthy photos on Takeshita Street. 

Harajuku is the birthplace of Tokyo’s latest fashion trends. Both Japanese men and women come here to see and be seen. It’s not just the Lolita girls or cosplay locals who make appearances—all the people who stroll through Takeshita street wear flashy outfits that are more on par with costumes in my opinion, but I dizzied myself by looking left and right every few seconds to enjoy the variety of hairstyles, socks, shoes, piercings, tattoos, etc. It’s obvious that people carefully select their outfits before coming here to enjoy an afternoon. Harajuku has been and will always be one of my favorite places to people watch. 

Hands down, our absolute favorite place was Akihabara. The tall department stores filled with every electronic knick-knack you can possibly dream of are plastered with anime-style advertisements.

In addition to the electronic goodies, there are numerous duty-free shops and a number of silly, rigged space-machine games filled with the wackiest prizes.

There are a number of themed cafes. We didn’t go to AKB48, but we checked out Gundam Café. 

And finally, my favorite—the maid cafés. Akihabara is full of these cafés that cater to the otaku clientele, from geeky, nerdy anime freaks to the strangely perverted hantai geezers. Maid cafés have become increasingly popular; some have even opened in Bangkok! Maids are all over Akihabara, passing out fliers to lure tourists into their maid café. We went to MaiDreamin’ on our last night in Tokyo, where there was a typical ¥500 cover per person.

A maid handing out fliers during the day: 

The “bait” in the evening:

What is a maid café? In a brief summary, it is a cafe/restaurant/bar with cute, innocent-looking teenage “maids” who are eager to serve you. When you enter, they greet you with, お帰りなさいませ, which translates to, “Welcome home, Master/Mistress!”

Sometimes they even put kitty ears on their guests. When guests need something, they call out, “Meow, meow!” to get their attention.  How creepy/cute.

The elevator ride up after being lured in from the street:

This was the stupidly cute menu:

Throughout our dining experience, they were energetic and playful, often clapping and making heart shapes with their hands, and speaking in cutesy, girly voices. This was our food:

Inside the cafe:

When we left, they raised both hands close to their faces and excitedly waved goodbye. I heard in some cases maids can pretend to cry/whine when their guests leave.

In addition to spending quite a bit of money on food and drinks, you can spend even more to play games and take pictures with them. Sometimes they even provide entertainment by singing on stage. Apparently, guests can get a member card and earn points from games (I’m not quite sure how you get a card and what you do with it but one creepy guy came alone while we were there and he was clearly a member). Guests are not allowed to take pictures of them, but I of course managed to take some anyway (ninja!). =) It was incredibly silly and ridiculous, but we had a great time. I highly recommend it.

Following the maid café in Akihabara, we took the subway to Roppongi which is gaijin central. I’ve had many amazing all-night memories in Roppongi when I was 20. My classmates and I would regularly party every weekend until the subway stations opened at 5am to catch a ride home. While the sidewalks, nightclubs, and subways are quite a site when the skies slowly lighten from black to blue, we knew we weren’t young anymore so we called it an early night and caught the last train around midnight back to Asagaya. I was however glad to see that the streets were still the same; well-dressed Japanese and African men continued to line the sidewalks in attempt to lure partygoers into their bars or nightclubs. The street culture was rambunctious and lively, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. 

As expected, our three and a half days in Tokyo ended quickly, and though I just shared our experiences and excursions from beginning to end in this post, I cannot publish my entry on Tokyo without writing about the FOOD!

For practically every meal, we hunted down reputable restaurants which rewarded us with absolutely amazing food. Five months ago I was dining on the world’s finest Vietnamese cuisine along grimy sidewalks and now we’ve just stuffed our faces with the world’s tastiest Japanese food within izakaya-style shops. In the small, elbow-to-elbow restaurants, Japanese chefs are known to specialize in a single dish that everyone queues for. And boy, the traditional Japanese dishes we had the pleasure of devouring brought the most eye-closing satisfaction.

Cique’s ramen in Asagaya is known for the stewed tomato, but I also noticed that the fatty pork was remarkably flavorful and tender. The best part, however, was the creamiest soft-boiled egg, which I savored as if it was a dessert. 

Chris literally polished his ramen bowl. Holy shit.

Chris and I did not want to spend a fortune on sushi, nor did we want to queue up in a one-hour (or longer) line at a sushi shop. Based on a recommendation, we ate sushi at the Food Show below the Shibuya station two times! Incredible sushi at incredible prices (¥1000-¥1500 for generous cuts of fresh fish) can be found at Uoriki Kaisen Sushi. 

Hashida-ya is a restaurant that specializes in chicken, and is known for their oyakodon during lunch. AMAZING!!! 

Chris found the hands down most amazing tonkatsu we have ever had. Chefs here don’t flatten their chicken by tenderizing it; instead, plates are topped with a thick slab of slowly fried chicken with the lightest, crispest panko ever. 

When I was in Japan 9 years ago, I spent the entire summer in the Yokohama-Tokyo area. Tokyo is obviously freakin’ AMAZING, and I am fortunate to relive that time within the past three days, but the rest of Japan has yet to be seen. With about a week and a half left in Japan (and before finally returning home), I decided to split our time between Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto, Yokohama, and Mt. Fuji.  That’s a lot of action-packed Japanese fun and I can’t wait for the final days we are about to encounter.