It's been nearly a month now since we left Japan. To be honest, it feels like we just woke up from a dream. In the few days since we arrived here in New Zealand, we would ask each other: "Did that really happen? Did we really go on holiday in Japan?" It seems so unreal and yet we have proof it happened - the videos and photos, souvenirs, snacks, Pokemon cards, gachapon toys. It really did happen! And with a twinge of sadness we recall our walks around towns, our visits to the konbini, trying out yummy food.... even fastfood was an experience.
As I mentioned in my previous post, my first interaction with Japanese culture was when I was still a kid in the 70s. Super Robots were a huge thing then, and Voltes 5 was the most popular, followed by Mazinger Z, UFO Grendaizer, Getta Robot, Mekanda Robot, Jeeg the Steel Robot... then they were banned (due to violence?) and replaced by cutesy anime such as Ron Ron the Flower Girl and Candy Candy. I remember there was also Paul in Fantasty Land which I loved so much. Then of course there's Astro Boy!
In the documentary side of things, there was Japan Screen Topics which was my introduction to how life was like in Japan. I was mesmerized.
In grade school I also learned origami and enjoyed this hobby. In high school I tried to do a bit of bonsai.
In university, there was a magazine called Pacific Friend which had full-colour pages or Japan scenery and culture. I would read and re-read those magazines!
It's been my dream to visit Japan one day, and last year it just happened. And it was such an amazing experience. We rode the trains, walked to sites of interest, braved the cold winter weather (which admittedly, was ok for us - I actually over-packed thermals which we did not use), had so much fun with gachapon machines, and enjoyed trips to the convenient stores at the start and at the end of the day.
My grasp of the Japanese language was sketchy at best but we managed. There were lots of things that Instagram tried to educate us as we prepared for the trip, but some were not true at all. For example, influencers would say it's such a hassle to top up your Suica card (for train fare) and that it's best to download the app - which is available only on the iPhone. So there would be insta clips about iPhone users waiting listlessly while Android users go to a machine to charge up their card. They imply that it's such a long wait and a hassle. That wasn't true at all. Charging up the card was fast and easy.
Navigating the subways can also be tricky. What influences don't tell you is that you can actually lose data connection underground, so Google Maps can only be of so much use. What is important is you try to avoid looking at your phone screen too much and look at the cues in the signs around the station. Google Maps will tell you which train to use but it can be tricky to find it especially when there are multiple levels - Google will not tell you that. So check out the prompts in the terminal. Having said that, we relied on my son a lot to navigate so I will still get lost I think if I'm left to my own devices.
Another misnomer is to bring shoes that are easy to remove as you'll be doing that a lot. In truth, we remove our shoes only at the end of the day when we were back in our accommodation. So it's more important to ensure you have comfortable walking shoes, not so much easy to remove.
And about bring wads of cash - we found that most shops we went to accept card (we used Wise - and no, we're not being paid to endorse!). The only time we needed cash was when we went Gachapon hunting where the machines needed coins. We also used our cash to charge up Suica - though they also accept cards. Even the konbinis accept card; but we also made sure we had cash just in case!
We did have a number of places listed in our itinerary that we planned to go to. But in reality, we used a more relaxed approach. With trains being our main mode of transportation and with the warning that 7-9am is very busy, we would take our time in the mornings and leave around 9am. We would also just check our what places of interest are near us - be it shrines or tourist places, etc - then plan our day accordingly. We found it a more immersive experience, rather than cramming up our day with an itinerary and rush from one place to another. We were more relaxed and enjoyed our daily adventure.
The people we met were also kind and considerate. Shopkeepers have learned ways to communicate with non-Japanese speaking customers. They either know some English (like they would say 'bag?' if we don't catch the word 'fukuro'), or they show a message printed in English, like when we're applying for tax free products.
My kids would wander the streets in the evening when have all arrived in our accommodation. I didn't worry because the streets are relatively safe. But I also decided to join them in some of those nights because there's just so much to see and experience, even if the shops are already closed and we would just walk around town. We would visit nearby shrines and temples and take awesome photos. The most plain street corners looks so picturesque.
I yearn to go back.... perhaps this time to visit some rural areas. And we surely will, as the rest of the family feels the same.
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