Hello everyone!
Japan, finally.
Since I was 4 years old, this is where I wanted to go. Reading mangas and playing videogames with my brother, I always dreamt of going to Japan. But it was so far, so expensive to go there that I never really thought I would have made it one day. Well, I'm 25, and it's time for me to have another life dream, because this one has come to life.
But so much pressure, I mean, 21 years of waiting, how could Japan be up to my expectations? It did. Japan is the most amazing country I ever seen, hands down. It's the future of human kind. It's beautiful, clean, fun, and people are amazingly nice. ah, and girls are all beautful in Tokyo. Like, all of them. Even the ugly ones are beautiful.
Also, Japan is not that expensive as they say. Maybe transportation is (actually it REALLY is), but food is definetly cheaper than Europe.You can have dinner in a restaurant (and not Mc Donald) for about 5 euro.
Actually living around the world I learned something. All places are expensive the same way. Let's take Shanghai and Tokyo for example. Shanghai is in China, which is known to be a cheap country. No it isn't. I mean it is if you live a Chinese life. Which means you have to buy shitty products, shitty food and live in a shitty place. Kind of things that would be cheap in Tokyo as well, but it would be illegal in Tokyo (or Europe) to sell such low quality things. You want decent/good quality life? It's gonna cost you more in Shanghai than Tokyo.
In the end, you get what you pay for.
It's almost too perfect.
That's maybe one of the two negatives I've seen in Japan. Everything it's always so perfect, you are always worried to do something wrong.
While in China you know that even being your worst self you'll still be the best behaved around, in Japan you feel like giving your best shot is just not enough. You are going to make a mistake and make people look at you with disappointment. It doesn't really happen, because Japanese people are just too nice to blame you for anything. But you just don't want to let them down.
The other negative is to get around in Japan. Definetly the most complicated place on the face of earth. I've travelled a lot by myself, and I almost never got lost. All I needed was a map and a metro map. But in Japan streets has no name. And the metro is owned by 6 different companies.You are going to get lost, for sure. And it's not even a bad thing, it lets you discover secret parts of the city.
Still, you are going to get lost. A lot.
But that's pretty much it with the negatives.
One more thing before jumping into wonderland:
I'll be writing this Japan trip blog in a different way than usual.
I'll be dividing each post into sections: the Traveler (buildings, temples and shit), the Otaku (japan sub-culture related stuff), the Weird (weird japanese moments), the Eater (food food food) and the Artist (pretentious hipster photos)
Let's get started.
The Traveler
Best time ever to leave Shanghai. While I was away, Shanghai had a record pollution week, with peaks of more of 500 pm 2.5 . It's considered not dangerous when it's under 25. You do the math.
In quite a nice and simple way I menage to reach my hostel from the airport, already delighted by the kindness of all the airport staff that helped me greatly with much kindness to find my way to my destination.
This Hostel is amazing. It's small, but clean and cheap. I think I paid around 15 euro a night or so. Which is CHEAP in Tokyo center. Actually, I was in Asakusa area (north-est from the very center) but I think it can still be considered as center Tokyo.
Anyway, I was in a 4 people room, but I had better sleep than in my own room in Shanghai. Better roomates.
Most of the visitors were from Australia and Thailand, because apparently it's summer vacation over there. Anyway, I made some good friends there that I hope I'll have the chance to see again.
Also most important thing, during my all staying I wasn't involved in any weird and grotesque sexual harrasment kind of thing. Which is unsual for me when I travel. Kind of a tradition. Almost sad it didn't happen this time.
From my window, I could see that random animal thing looking at me. Why was it there? Kinda scary.
Then it was almost evening already, So I just decided to walk around Asakusa area. And the wonder started already. Despite the high buildings, and the super modern society, culture was at every angle. You could see Japanese tradition be extremely radicated even nowadays. They love their culture, and they care about it.
Then I went to visit Senso-ji temple, one of the most famous in the city. And I walked through Nakamise-dori, a very nice food-souvenirs pedestrian street.
It was amazing to see so many people at the temple. Old, young, families, any kind of person went there to pray for the new year coming
Random girls dressed on kimonos. You could always spot some just walking around the city
On the narrow alleys around the temple, all kind of traditional style restaurants could be found. Actually, they could be spotted pretty much anywhere in Tokyo, where modernity and tradition melts in the best way possible
The Weird
As soon as a got into the airport, things weirdness started.
Obscene and immoral materials, and child pornography prohibited...in Japan. Seriously? Well I actually understand that, they already have enough of that on their own, not need to import more!
Then this random (weird?) dudes poster comes up thanking you for visiting...
...And then shower rooms appear in the airport....
...this is instead the kind of magazines you can find in the Family Mart!
The Otaku
This appeared right outside the airport doors <3
The Eater
I didn't eat much on my first day, but I could already see a difference between the Japanese Family Mart snacks and the Shanghai ones. The Japanese ones were gooooooood
two words. PIZZA. BAOZI. (chinese dumpling)
And this fried-dick thing is actually a sausage with fried potato all around. Less than 1 euro. Don't think you can find a cheaper fried-dick anywhere else.
The Artist
good for you, just one photo today!
Senso-ji at night time.
6 more days to go!!!
