Japan Now!

The more advanced a nation is, the more vanilla it gets…unless you are in Japan! Japan is bonkers! You will always be entertained no matter where you go! From clean streets to crazy good food, from men casually carrying women’s purses to crazy toy shops, everything was beyond my expectation…

Japanese folks are very polite and courteous. I was happy that they hardly spoke any English, this definitely enriched my experience. The only Japanese I knew was, “arigatou gozaimasu” (thank you) . I am sure, I butchered it many times and I used it for everything. Context and hand gusters are very strong part of human communications. I was able to survive there with human instincts and “Google Translate”.

Most of the folks dressed impeccably, especially in Tokyo. Women dress western but on the conservative side! Men wear same ‘bland’ white shirt and black pants to office. School children are everywhere in their unforms, in the buses/trains without adults. Some of them even wearing sweaters in this sweltering heat!

One of the first things that struck me about Japan was its impeccable cleanliness. Finding a garbage bin is amost impossible in Japan, even in a crowded railway station. The expectation is to carry your garbage back home! I wonder how they keep their streets clean….

Most common sweet tooth snack! Custard filling

The quality of food in Japan is exceptional, and the prices are surprisingly affordable (one-third US prices). My breakfast was mostly from 7-11s, FamilyMarts, and Lawsons. 7-11, unlike in US, has awesome selection of food and coffee. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, eat something that looks most attractive…Could be egg sandwitch, fried chicken or some noodles! Vending machines are everywhere and serve everything you need…I even saw one serving hot ramen! You need to keep your coins ready for the vending machines (Water: ¥130, Coke 500ml ¥180). There just too many Four Star Michelin resurants! But you need to stand in long queues to get in them and they are NOT cheap. But remember that there are no tips in Japan!

Transportation: One of the reasons why I feel Japan is one of the most advanced nations, is because of its public transportation: Cheap, Efficient and Always on-time. This is especially true in Tokyo where public transportation system is a breeze, thanks to the IC cards such as Pasmo or Suica (please load them before you go!). These cards made traveling hassle-free. Google maps definitely helped me navigate the Tokyo’s complex maze, that is its public transportation. It is extremely accurate.

My most favorite was traveling in ‘Shinkansen’ – The bullet train. Though not visually appealing and dated looking 70’s infrastructure, the N700 trains are spacious, fast, clean and are always on time. We took advantage of our JR-passes to do our loop Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto – Osaka. Our straight Journey from Shinagawa -Tokyo to Shin-Osaka took only 2 hours and 30 mins – the distance is 300ish miles – so average peed of 123 mph! One good thing about Japan is that transportation for kids below 6 is free! Outside tokyo, espcially in rural areas you would need some transportation. Taxis in Japan are not crazy expensive. Most of the taxi drivers we saw were septuagenarians or more.

( JR Passes are Not cheap $342 for 14 days for Adults and It will be more expensive after Oct’23)

Highlights of My Itinerary:

Day 1: Tokyo – Team Lab, Tsukiji Market, Imperial Palace and The Shibuya Scramble

TeamLabs Planet – Tokyo (Visual Treat – I loved two exhibits – Kids loved it!)

Day 2: Tokyo – Sensoji Temple, Sky Tower, Ginza and Shinjuku

Day 3: Tokyo – Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Shopping Street, and Yasobida Electronics Shop

Meiji -Jingu Shrine: (Shinto) – In Yoyogi Park

Day 4: Hakone

We took a Shinkensen from Shinagawa Station to Odwara (40 mins from Tokyo) where our free shuttle to Hyatt was waiting for us to take us to Hakone. As soon as you enter Hakone you can smell the sulphur in the air from the volcanic activities. We spent a whole day in Hakone. (Not recommended for a first time visitor)

Day 5: Hakone – Open Air Museum, Souzen Cable Car, and Hakone Shrine

Hakone Open Air Museum: *Symphonic Sculpture*

Day 6: Kyoto – Exploring Traditional Japan

We took a Shinkensen from Odwara to Kyoto Station. Kyoto Station is massive. Bigger than any airport. Kyoto was the old capital of Japan. It steeps in history and culture. We rented a traditional japanese Ryokan to experience japanese way of life! Was definitely worth it!