My Last Days in Japan - Nara, Osaka and Fukuoka

As I write this, I'm sitting down Indian-style on the floor of my room at a "ryokan" in Fukuoka, Japan.  This city is located on the southwest side of the country in the Kyushu region.  And what's a ryokan, you ask?  It's a traditional Japanese style inn, usually family-run, with Japanese style rooms.  The room is very spartan...my bed is just a (not very padded) mattress on the floor, and bathrooms are shared among all guests.  I wanted to try one of these rooms before leaving Japan, so it's fitting that I stay here for my last night in this country.  Although I'll admit, it's a hard transition considering I stayed at a magnificent 4-star hotel in Osaka last night.

Full Nara photo album - click here

Nara
After leaving Kyoto, I made a day trip to Nara before while en route to Osaka.  Nara is approximately 45 minutes by train in between Kyoto and Osaka.  It's a very historic city (like Kyoto) and it used to be the old capital of Japan once (also like Kyoto).  My guide book told me that if I only have one day to spend in Nara, go straight to Nara Park.  So I checked my giant (40 pound?) backpack at a locker in the train station, and went straight there.  (I kid you not, the backpack is heavy as all hell)

Nara Park is famous for its local deer population - the deer will walk right up to you and you can feed them crackers.  This was simply unbelievable coming from America, where if a deer hears you break a twig it will dart off before you can even grab your camera (or rifle, for some).  Seeing was believing - the rumors were true.  I bought some "deer cookies" right away and was anxious to feed them.  I pulled them out and fed one to a deer, and then a mob of deer surrounded me and started bumping their heads (and antlers) into my legs. They saw the cookies, and did not stop until all of the cookies were gone.  All the locals thought it was hilarious and laughed at me as I was mauled by a group of deer.  Lesson learned - CONCEAL the cookies.

There are over 1000 deer in Nara Park and the Japanese revere them as spiritual entities.  It is a grave offense to harm these deer.  For a long period of time, they were viewed as more valuable than humans under the law.

While in Nara Park, I checked out a number of ancient temples.  The park is truly massive, and going from one landmark to the next can take over 30 minutes of hiking.  Here is me at the famous Todai-ji Temple:

The Todai-ji temple was the largest wooden structure in the world up until 1998.  It houses the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha, which must have been about 5 or 6 stories high and weighs 500 tons.  It has been destroyed and rebuilt twice over its long history.  I also went to the Kasuga-Taisha Shrine, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site and was founded in the year 768 AD.  The path to this shrine is famous for its stone lanterns.

After seeing these sites and feeding a lot of deer, my legs were spent and I made my way back to the train station.  The one thing I will note about this place - it's completely unique.  It has a rich and ancient history, and no amount of money can create a deer population that is accustomed to interacting with humans.  That must have taken generations (centuries?) of humans treating the deer kindly - and the deer slowly learned to trust people.  There is no place like this on earth, and if it is ever destroyed, there will never be another like it.

Full Osaka photo album - click here

Osaka
While in Osaka, I stayed at the Monterey Grasmere Osaka, which is conveniently located right by the JR train station.  This hotel was insanely nice compared to my other ones...gotta splurge a little bit right?  Here is the main lobby:

Since the weather was rainy and cloudy I decided to spend my day in Osaka at its famous aquarium.  Supposedly it's the biggest aquarium in the world, but I got through the whole thing in about an hour an a half at a leisurely pace.  Unlike the open setup of the Shedd Aquarium, you follow a path through the aquarium and you cannot revisit sections that you pass.

It was a very nice aquarium.  Afterwards, there was a street performer doing a show outside who I watched for at least 30 minutes.  His show was simply fantastic.  He could juggle flaming pins, stand on a ladder, juggle while on a ladder, do magic tricks, etc, and he kept the audience laughing the whole time.  He picked on me almost right away since I was the only white guy in the audience (I sort of expected this to happen).  He would say his lines, and then turn to me and say them again in broken English.  He also made me hold this pink "Love" sign during his show, as a joke.  Here is me and the amazing Mr. Apatch - I hope you are lucky enough to catch his show if you are ever in Osaka:

Fukuoka
Today I took the shinkansen (bullet train) for the last time - another 2 and a half hours southwest to Hakata Station in Fukuoka.  While on the train, we passed through Hiroshima.  I was astounded to see that the city is a sprawling modern metropolis.  You would never be able to tell that a nuclear bomb leveled this city back in 1945.  I even saw a Costco from the window of my train car.

I didn't have a lot of time to explore Fukuoka, but I did visit a sushi restaurant that my guide book recommended.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me, but the sushi was affordable and excellent - only 200 yen ($2) for a plate of 6 wasabi tuna rolls, for example.  You would make your request directly to the chef and then he would make your order right in front of you.  They had every kind of sushi you could ask for - even whale (sigh...)

The ryokan, my hotel, is like staying in a person's house for the night.  A little dog greeted me at the front door.  The owners are an old married couple and they live downstairs - the hotel actually is their home.  My room is very empty, except for a mattress on the floor and a TV.  Interestingly enough, however, the wi-fi connection is probably the best I've had yet in Japan.  Here is my room:

I need to go to sleep...it's getting late and I leave for Korea tomorrow.  More updates to come as soon as I get the chance.  Sayonara, Japan...the time went by too quickly.

Fortune Favors the Bold - Kyoto, Japan

It seems that luck and fortune are playing a recurring role on this trip.  I have had a streak of repeated bad luck omens over the past few days.  I'm not a particularly superstitious man, but it finally reached a point where I was beginning to worry.  After spending a day in Kyoto, it seems that maybe my fortune has turned around.

To recap - my first bad luck omen happened in Tokyo at the Senso-ji Temple.  I played the fortune game and drew the dreaded "Bad Fortune" card.  It seemed like fun and games, like "Look at me I'm a tourist and I'm playing this game I don't understand!  How fun!"  Then things started to get weird.  While doing the Hakone circuit, a black cat slowly crossed a lonely street right in front of me as I was walking.  Time began to slow down as this happened...and then the cat turned around and just stared at me.  Plenty of time for me to take a picture of him.  (See my Hakone album)  "Aww come on! You've got to be kidding me!"  I said aloud.  Then I wondered: how many bad luck omens even exist...are there any more I haven't received yet?

After preparing to leave for Kyoto, I went to the train station and had the staff reserve me a seat.  Reservations are not necessary, but they guarantee you a seat so I figured why not.  I stuffed my seat reservation in my pocket.  When I went to board the train I looked at the ticket to find my seat.  Train car number 13...seat 13A.  OK, at this point I'm officially scared.  Wouldn't you be?

Kyoto photo album - click here

Kyoto

My hotel is right near the train station, and it's the nicest hotel I've stayed at so far.  Hotel Hokke Club Kyoto is clearly set up for international guests.  The staff speaks pretty good English, and they provided me with an English "information guide" when I checked in.  There were also a ton of Americans slob tourists walking around by the front desk.  If you ever visit Kyoto - definitely book a hotel by the train station or you will have a hell of a time getting around town.  In the picture below, Hokke Club Kyoto is on the left, and Kyoto Tower is on the right.

In Tokyo, you have to master the subway and train lines if you want to get around.  Here in Kyoto, the bus system is king.  The Kyoto train station is the main terminus for most of the bus routes.  I hopped on the bus and headed for Kiyomizu-dera, which my guide book listed as the #1 must see location in Kyoto.  It's an old Buddhist temple founded in the year 798.  All of the present buildings are almost 400 years old.  This place was difficult to find...check out my photo album to get a better idea of what I mean.  When I finally got there it was absolutely beautiful.  I know you've heard this before, but the pictures don't do it justice.

While walking around, I happened upon a class of kids heading down these stairs into an underground area. (There are school kids literally everywhere in Kyoto - must be a popular spot for field trips)  A guide explained that you are supposed to hang onto a hand rail and make your way through a dark corridor.  Then you enter a room with a turning stone and make a wish.  This place is called the Womb of Zuigo-Bosatsu.

He kept talking about how I need to grip the hand rail...I was like "Yeah whatever, hand rail, got it" and made my way down the stairs.  I followed the kids down the stairs, and it started getting darker.  Then all of a sudden the light began to completely disappear...then it was gone.  It was pitch black...I couldn't see an inch in front of my face.  I kept walking, and I gripped the hand rail like I was hanging onto the edge of a cliff.  How much longer would this tunnel go for?  Should I turn around?  Yeah, I should turn around and go back right now.  Crap...if these school kids can do it so can I.  Just keep walking...this went on for a couple minutes, and I experienced true fear...the real kind of fear where your primal instincts kick in and warn you that your life may be in peril.  After what seemed like an eternity, I saw a dim light, and I saw the stone turning in the center of the room.  I made a wish on the stone, and the exit wasn't far away.  It felt like I went through a spiritual transformation after braving this tunnel.

Lo and behold, the fortune game was also located in this building.  I marched over there and played it again - this time I received the 2nd luckiest fortune possible.  The man assured me this was "Lucky lucky lucky fortune."  My spirits were high.  I continued walking around Kiyomizu-dera and saw a Buddhist ceremony, complete with warrior monks standing guard in full uniform.  There were countless other curiosities here.

Before leaving Kiyomizu-dera, I also purchased a "Safety Travel" good luck charm.  After the dark tunnel and the lucky fortune, I believe this charm represents the knockout punch to any bad luck that has been following me on this trip.  Only time will tell I suppose.  After leaving, I made my way north to Maruyama Park.  This park is stunningly beautiful.  It's the nicest park I've ever seen in my life.  The park also has ducks walking around that allow humans to pet them.  Note the name of the park - do you think there's any relation to Mr. Maruyama from the sumo match?  

After exploring here, I went to Gion, which is the Geisha district.  I did not see any real life Geisha, which are traditional Japanese female entertainers.  According to my guide book, the only way you will ever meet a real Geisha is if you are politically connected to very powerful men in Japan,   The book goes on to say that "No amount of money will do - you must know somebody personally."  

My last stop for the day was at Nijo Castle.  This place used to be the nerve center of the old shogunate that ruled feudal Japan when Kyoto was the capital.  The grounds were amazingly beautiful, and they also allowed us to walk around inside the palace.  When entering, we had to take off our shoes - this is also a recurring trend on this trip to Japan.  No pictures were allowed inside...they even specifically mentioned no "sketching pictures" either.  The most famous thing about this place is the wooden floorboards - they are made to chirp like nightingales when people walk on them.  They were made this way on purpose to alert guards of any ninja trying to sneak around and assassinate the Shogun.  Hundreds of years later, the floorboards still sound like nightingales.  The original paintings on the wall are still intact as well.

While walking around the castle grounds, it was incredible to think that samurai warriors used to walk around in this same place and call it home.  Today it was filled with slob tourists, but the beauty of this place lives on.  I feel lucky to have been here, and wish I had more time in Kyoto.  Tomorrow I'll be in Nara, and tomorrow night I'll be in Osaka.  Let's hope my luck has turned around.

From Tokyo to Hakone

My time in Tokyo is over and I've spent the last day in Hakone, which is a small mountain resort town outside of the Tokyo city area.  After the craziness of Tokyo, spending a little time in rural Japan feels wonderful...it's been a much-needed opportunity for my mind and body to recover.  This will be a LONG update, since I need to catch up.

Tokyo album received its final update

Last Hurrah in Tokyo

I finally summoned enough energy to hit the nightclubs in Tokyo.  The jet lag really does a number on you, so there was no way I could go out for drinks within my first two nights.  But I finally adjusted to the time zone change and going out was a blast.  I went to Roppongi, which is the night club district.  Everyone told me this is an area almost specifically set up for foreigners visiting Japan - they were right.  I navigated my way to Roppongi on the subway, which was over a 30 minute ride.  Comparing this to Chicago: if my hotel was in the north side near Wrigley, then Roppongi was all the way down in the south side - it was lot farther than I expected.  That's just how Tokyo is set up...it's very spread out.  No matter where you stay, you will be a 30 minute train ride away from at least one place you want to visit.

I found Gas Panic, which was the club my buddy Mike told me about on the airplane ride.  Before walking inside I was thoroughly harassed by men in the street trying to get me to check out the strip clubs they were working for.  These guys all spoke fluent English and they spotted me from a mile away.  Being an experienced city guy I know the drill, so I easily brushed them off saying "yeah maybe later" and continued on my way.  It actually reminded me of Vegas, since they were snapping little cards and handing them to you.  Walking inside Gas Panic - it was small, filled with cigarette smoke, and they were playing "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore.  I grabbed a beer, and a group of white guys walked in and sat next to me.  They were a group of traveling friends that goes to cities all over the world - I was pretty jealous after hearing some of their stories.  They were made up of an Australian, a British guy, and a French Guy.  I ask "got room for an American guy?" and they were happy to let me join their gang for the night.  We checked out some other bars, danced with the locals, and had an awesome night.  Here is a partial shot of our group - the British guy isn't in this pic.  The girl is a local who the French guy seemed pretty interested in.  We also met a British girl and added her to our crew later in the night.  And go figure, the British guy in our group took a strong liking to her.

The next day I checked into the capsule hotel and did some more exploring.  I checked out a neighborhood called Shibuya, which is the big shopping district.  The famous "Shibuya Crossing" is also here, which is a 5-way intersection that literally hundreds of people cross all at once.  While in Shibuya, I checked out Shibuya 109, a high end women's shopping mall.  This place was other-worldly.  Girls are walking around in bizarre outfits, and despite the cultural gap I can tell these are the rich spoiled "valley girls" of Japan by the way they talk and act.  Ironically, they stared at ME in disbelief when they saw me walking around - an average looking white guy in jeans and a long sleeve shirt.  Context is everything...that's all I can say.  To them, I was the strange curiosity.

I also checked out a Pachinko parlor.  These places are literally everywhere in Tokyo.  You basically just put money into the machine, and then a bunch of metal balls start bouncing around and falling through the machine.  While this is happening, the TV screen in front of you shows these anime-style warriors fighting each other, and loud exciting music begins to play.  I had no clue what was going on, but I do know I lost my 1000 yen bet. (Relax - it's only 10 dollars)

The capsule hotel was surprisingly nice.  You take your shoes off immediately when you walk inside, and put them in a locker by the front door.  Then they provide you with a loose-fitting comfortable outfit and you change into it.  The outfit must be worn at all times inside the hotel.  The hotel was six floors, each containing different things to do.  There were a couple different recliner lounges, a massage area, a restaurant/cafe, a sleeping room, a "Manga Room" (where you can watch anime DVD's), a bathing area/spa, free computer terminals, and of course the capsule area.  With so many amenities, I was surprised they charge only $40/night.  I got my first taste of Japanese style bathing here, where walking around naked is a cultural norm.  The spa was nice...I soaked in a hot tub for a bit.  My photo album contains a bunch of pictures from the hotel, but obviously I did not take any pictures of the spa/bathing area.  Sleeping in the capsule wasn't so bad either...the main drawback is you can hear other people snoring.  

Hakone

After checking out of the capsule hotel, I rode the "Shinkansen" (bullet train) to Hakone.  Thanks to the unlimited one-week Japan Rail pass that I ordered in advance, boarding the trains is a breeze.  If you ever visit Japan and want to see multiple cities, this pass is highly recommended.  It's only available to foreign tourists...it can be ordered online, and they express mail to you in the US before you leave.

Full Hakone photo album - click here

Hakone is a mountain resort area about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo.  This area is famous for its "onsen," or natural hot springs.  I got sort of a late start to my day and didn't arrive until 3 PM.  Finding the hotel was extremely difficult...it was tucked in a small side street, and the front sign was written in Japanese kanji.  For the second time in a row, my hotel tried to put me in a smoking room despite the fact that I reserved non-smoking (at a higher price, no less).  I refused to let them do it.  The Japanese guy called the front desk and I heard the word "gaijin" come out of his mouth, but I got the room I wanted. (Gaijin means "foreigner/outsider," and it carries a negative connotation).

My hotel is near Yumato Station, which is on a street filled with little shops and restaurants.  Very nice...except all of the shops shut down at 5 PM, and the restaurants close no later than 7 PM.   I barely had enough time to grab dinner before it was too late.  While I was eating, a white couple walked in and looked terribly confused.  I offered to help them out with the menu...the guy said "I don't like any of that raw food, ya know."  I would see them again the next day (today) and we talked outside the 7-11 for close to an hour.  They are from Canberra, Australia, and offered to show me around if I ever visit the land down under.    He gave me his business card - very nice folks.  Shane and Glenda:

While here in Hakone, I did the famous circuit which involves exploring the area by train, cable car, rope way, boat and bus.  Great views, and I even got to ride in a pirate ship.  The circuit can be done in a few hours.

I also visited a couple different onsen (hot springs), which was utterly fantastic.  When you walk into an onsen, you must either purchase a small towel or bring your own.  It's small...like a hand towel.  And that is all you bring with you into the hot spring area - no clothing allowed.  At first it's a little uncomfortable walking around totally naked, but when in Rome.  You get used to it quickly.  The onsen has religious meaning for the Japanese, so there are other rules you must follow.  The towel must not be dipped into the water.  You can either wear it on top of your head, or place it on a rock nearby.  No pictures are allowed anywhere inside the building or hot springs either.

The hot springs contain a heavy dose of natural minerals...I'm not sure what's in the water, but it almost put me to sleep when I stepped in.  There is also a sauna, steam room, and a tub filled with icy cold water.  It's exhilarating to go into that tub - the water is so cold, you can feel your heart begin to slow down.  Then you go from that into a hot spring - wow!  You feel like a million bucks when you leave the onsen.

And I feel like a million bucks right now.  This trip is the coolest thing I've ever done in my life.  Thanks for reading this blog and following my adventure.  Please send me an email or Facebook message if you want.  It's really nice having people to talk to back home...it keeps me grounded.  OK time for bed - until next time.

A Couple Days in Tokyo (Part Two)

Right now I'm sitting at the free computer terminal at my capsule hotel.  This place is actually pretty nice...its like a 6 story spa with different things on each floor.  More on that later.

Full photo album - click here

Day Two
Started the day by going to Asakusa, which is the historic Buddhist area of Tokyo.  The main draw here is the Senso-ji Temple.  Apparently this was a very old temple that was destroyed during WW2, and the current version is a restoration of the original.  When you get there, you go through the Kaminarimon Gate and then walk through a long row of little shops.  It was extremely busy here.  You can buy little trinkets, temple cakes, etc.

There were burning cauldrons of incense, and people would walk up to them and waft the smoke all over their face and clothes.  I also noticed people shaking these containers and pulling out chopsticks.  I learned this was a game where you draw a numbered stick, and then open the drawer with the corresponding number to get a fortune.  I decided to play this game myself and drew the dreaded "Bad Fortune" card.  A helpful guide insisted that it's not so bad, since "bad fortune is beginning of good fortune, so OK."  After getting bad fortune, you are supposed to tie it to these wires to essentially give it back and reject the bad luck.  I made sure to do this since the last thing I need is bad luck at a time like this.

The inside of the main Senso-ji temple had a beautiful arrangement that was fenced in

I stopped into the Tourist Center in Asakusa and grabbed some great high altitude shots from the top floor.  Drank some lemon tea and then made my way to the Tokyo Sky Tree.  I believe this is the largest structure in Tokyo...it's really quite massive.  You can go up to the top of it, but there was a craaazy line so I skipped it.  While there I tried the local McDonald's.  Everyone has insisted it's better here in Japan, but I honestly thought it was the same as American McD's.

  

My last stop for the day was Ryogukan, where I heard there is a Sumo wrestling arena.  After a little internet research I discovered, by pure chance, there is a tournament going on right now.  These tournaments last only two weeks, and are only held six times per year.  How lucky!  (Take that, bad fortune card!) Not only that, but I was able to get a ticket...the only affordable tickets were total nosebleed seats, but I didn't care.  The tourney is an all day long event...you can stay all day long if you want (once you have a ticket) but most people don't stay more than a few hours.  There are bouts happening nonstop (maybe every 3-5 minutes), with brief ceremonies taking place occasionally.  

The bouts are pretty short...they end when one of the wrestlers can push the other guy out of the ring.  Most bouts only last about 10 seconds or less.  Occasionally something really crazy happens.  One guy was about to get pushed out and then spun around and threw the other guy out instead...the crowd went nuts.  While I was watching, some old Japanese guy approached me and asked if he could sit down next to me.  I was just like "sure, why not."  He wanted to talk about baseball.  He was a big baseball fan, and said his favorite team was the Osaka Tigers.  He also rattled off a bunch of American baseball players he liked.  His English was pretty bad, but I was just humoring him so I did my best to make conversation.  Then he tried explaining that he had an extra ticket to a different section and he wanted me to join him.  He flashed the ticket stub and I could immediately tell it was different from my stub...his looked...expensive.  He gestured for me to follow him and pointed down towards the ring..  He was like "Ring side seat.  You come with me."  My reaction was basically one of disbelief but I just said "screw it" and followed him.  We walked for what seemed like forever, and then entered the ring side seating area.  As we kept walking closer to the ring, I kept wondering how nice these seats were actually going to be.  Each row I passed gave me a feeling of euphoric disbelief.  It finally hit me - this guy was a total VIP.  How on earth is this happening?  Our seats were within 10 rows of the actual ring....these are like $1000 seats.

He was with a group of friends, and they all wanted to talk to me and find out more.  I chatted them up about Chicago, and how my trip was so far.  Each sentence required me to rapidly flip through my phrase book.  There was a big communication barrier, but it didn't really matter.  His friends-

Once again - take that, bad luck fortune card.  They gave me tea and teriyaki chicken kebabs, refusing to let me pay for anything.  I decided that I simply must do something nice for them.  I managed a phrase "let me buy you a drink."  I walked around and found a waiter.  I asked for "ocha" which is Japanese green tea, served "atsui" (hot).  The waiter asked to see my ticket stub, and I showed him the new one I got.  The waiter asks "You know Mr. Maruyama?"  I respond "Hai" and he says "Tea is free.  Everything is free for Mr. Maruyama.  No charge." 

Whoa.

After watching the fights from the VIP section for a bit, I decided it was time to go.  The woman on the right in the above picture wrote down her address and insisted I mail her pictures.  Mr. Maruyama gave me his business card, but it's all Japanese so I can't really read it.  I still don't know just who this man is, but clearly he is "kind of a big deal around here."  What a day.  .  

A Couple Days in Tokyo (Part One)

The past two days have been surreal.  I feel as though I've done and seen a week's worth of things, and this trip is really just getting started.  I'll try to remember as much as possible while I write this, and give true justice to the fantastic nature of my experience here.

Full Tokyo Photo Album - click here

Day 1 (yesterday)
First I went downstairs for breakfast.  There is a "San Francisco Cable Car" restaurant attached to this hotel, and they serve a choice of either Japanese style or European style breakfast.  I opted for Euro style, which consists of an egg over easy, a small salad, yogurt, toast and sausages.  The coffee is delicious...ALL of the coffee in Tokyo is beyond comparison to what we drink in America.  Then I started the day by just walking around and exploring the area near my hotel.

My hotel is in a district called Asakusabashi, which is a relatively quaint district of downtown Tokyo.  I'm very happy with the hotel choice that I made...it's not a big tourist hotel, and the neighborhood is authentic Tokyo.  I haven't seen a single non-Japanese person within a 5 block radius of my hotel.  People almost stop dead in their tracks when they see me walking down the street, like "Holy crap it's a white guy."   With the exception of big tourist stops in Tokyo, it is very uncommon for me to see a fellow white person.  When I do, it honestly catches me by surprise.  We usually give each other the silent "nod of approval" and continue on our way...sometimes stop and talk for a minute.

After walking around, I mapped a route to Akihabara, which is the big electronics district.  Anytime I want to go somewhere, I Google map the directions and write them down on a piece of paper.  The street names are sometimes written in Japanese characters, so I just have to draw a crude map of what the route looks like and hope I find it.  Akihabara is crazy...every store is either selling electronics, DVD's, video games or anime comics.  There were suspiciously young looking girls standing around wearing ridiculous schoolgirl outfits and headbands with furry ears....they were the "hired talent" to convince you to buy lunch inside a certain cafe.  They did not allow their picture to be taken.  I visited "Super Potato," which is a world famous video game store/museum featuring classic video games.  You can buy old Super Nintendo games, Sega Genesis, you name it.  It also features arcade games, which I played a couple of.  I also stopped at a massive 8 story Sega arcade.  A bunch of guys were playing a "Gundam" game, so naturally I jumped in to join them.  After about 2 minutes an employee came over, refunded my 100 Yen, and told me I was not allowed to play.  I think they were playing in a league or something : )  Another famous store is "Gamers" which sells anime comics.  Some of the things I saw in there are WAY too inappropriate for me to post in this blog.

Later that day I decided to visit the Imperial Palace, which is near the Tokyo Station - this is the main train hub in the downtown area.  While I was walking towards the palace, some guy walked up behind me and was like "what's up." I ask "so are you American?" and he confirmed.  He was also walking to the palace so we decided to help each other find it.  His name was Josiah, and he said he was a cop from Sioux City, Iowa, visiting his brother who was retiring from the Air Force.  I told him my cousin Chris is the state representative in Sioux City and he's like "Chris Hall?  Yeah I know him, he went to North High School!"  What a small world.  He said Chris spoke to the police association and was a supporter of the local police.  We also added a third English speaking member to our group - a woman named Sarin who was from Singapore.  Afterwards we parted ways,

For dinner, I decided to walk around and find a "real" Japanese restaurant near my hotel.  I happened upon a little restaurant called "Moon." It is sort of scary to walk inside a place and have everyone just stare at you in disbelief, but I'm getting used to it.  I soon realized after walking in that nobody in there spoke a lick of English.  Luckily I have a phrase book that has been my lifeline.  However, the menu was also entirely in Japanese, so I knew I was in trouble.  I found a phrase in my book and said to my waitress:  "please decide for me."  The chef looked at me and was like "sashimi?"  I knew that was raw fish, so I just responded "Hai, OK."  They brought me out a 3 course meal that started with sashimi, then a delicious stew, and then these fried pancake looking things.  I pointed at the dishes (after eating them) and asked the waitress "namae?" which means "name" and she tells me the names.  The stew was "Nikujaga," which the phrase book defined as "meat and potato stew."  The pancake things were called "Satsumaage" which were...gulp..."minced fish patty mixed with vegetables, fried in sesame oil."  I knew something was off about the texture...but I'm still glad I tried something I would have otherwise never eaten.   The experience felt like one of the coolest things I have ever done.

I was hoping to visit Roppongi last night (the Tokyo nightclub district) but got hit with a wave of tiredness after dinner that I could not overcome.  I'll try to visit tonight.  Gotta run...I'll have another update as soon as I can.

The Adventure Begins

As I write this, it's about 6:30 AM in Tokyo on Tuesday, May 21.  I just woke up from a decent night's rest and I'm too excited to fall back asleep.  Let me bring you up to speed on what the past day was like.

On Sunday morning in Chicago (which feels like yesterday) I caught an early flight to San Diego.  It was a 4 hour flight, which by American standards is a fairly long flight.  Most of my flights don't exceed 4 hours...but this was just a warm-up round for what was coming next.  In the San Diego airport I met an internet celebrity.  Unless you frequent Youtube and Reddit you may not know who "Overly Attached Girlfriend" is, but when I saw her I nearly had a heart attack.  Here is a link describing who she is (I think her real name is Laina).  She said she was flying to Tokyo (on my flight!) en route to Singapore for a social media awards ceremony.  We didn't have time to take a picture so you will just have to believe me.  She was very friendly and apparently I was the only person who recognized her at our gate.

The flight to Tokyo was very long - about 12 hours or so.  When I got to my seat I was dismayed to see I drew a middle seat.  However I got really lucky that I was sitting next to two American guys, and they were both experts on Japan.  Corey is 32 years old and was visiting his wife and her family in Japan.  Mike is 38 years old and was visiting his wife and son in Japan.  We all talked for hours on this flight and they were both great people.  They both HIGHLY recommend that I find a Japanese wife while I am on this trip.  : )  They both spoke excellent Japanese.  Mike had a ton of recommendations and tips for me, and he and his wife were even kind enough to help me get a ticket for the correct bus once we landed.  Mike's #1 recommendation for me in Tokyo is to visit a club called "Gas Panic" in the Roppongi district.

Japan Airlines was by far the highest quality flying experience I've ever had.  Attendants were constantly walking around giving you warm towels, hot tea, iced tea, coffee, and we got a couple delicious meals.  Another neat thing is you get free on-demand movies on a little TV screen in front of you...I watched The Hobbit and Django Unchained.

The first observation I've made about Japan is that the people are extremely humble and friendly.  They take their jobs very seriously.  Even the young man who loaded bags onto the bus stood in front of everyone and bowed before we drove off.  When I finally got to my hotel, the women enjoyed practicing their English with me.  They spoke excellent English (compared to my nonexistent Japanese) and apologized profusely for their "poor English."

Time for me to wrap this up...it's 7 AM and breakfast is being served downstairs.  I could go on for hours talking about everything I've seen already.  No pictures yet...it was rainy and foggy last night so nothing to really get a picture of...I promise to include pics in the next update.  Wish me luck!

The Full Itinerary

All of my hotels are booked, my itinerary is set, and I'm ready to go.  In case I don't blog for more than three days in a row...I may be in a DPRK labor camp.  Or maybe I'll just be having too much fun to bother with the internet.  At least my friends and family will know where I am (or where I'm supposed to be) this way.  Here's what we're looking at:

May 20:  Arrive in Tokyo after a ridiculously long flight.  I'll be staying at the Keikyu EX Inn for three nights, located in the Asakusabashi district.

May 23:  Decided to get crazy and book a night in a "capsule hotel."  For those of you who don't know what that is...it's a hotel that is unique specifically to Japan.  Your "room" is just a capsule in the wall...sort of like a  hyper-sleep chamber in Prometheus or Aliens.  These hotels are only like $30/night.  One positive thing about them is they usually have a really nice spa for guests.

My luxury accommodations, and friendly hotel staff:

May 24:  Arrive by train in Hakone, which is a nice mountain town with a lake and beautiful views of Mt. Fuji.  Only about an hour's ride outside of Tokyo.  I'll be staying at the Hakone Suimeisou hotel for two nights.  This town has lots of "onsen," or hot springs, for people to relax in.

May 26:  Travel to Kyoto, which was the capital city of Japan for more than 1000 years.  Lots of beautiful temples and preserved history to see.  I'll be at the Hotel Hokke Club Kyoto for two nights.

May 28:  Take the train to Nara.  This beautiful area was briefly the capital city of Japan during the 8th century.  Todai-Ji temple pictured below:

 
I'll arrive in Osaka later that night.  I'll be staying at the magnificent Hotel Monterey Grasmere for a couple nights.

May 30:  Wrap up my time in Japan with a night in Fukuoka.  I decided to try out a traditional Japanese style "Ryokan" for one night.  These are small, family run hotels with Japanese style rooms.  Typically you just get a mattress on the floor, and bathrooms are shared.  I'll be at the Yamamoto Ryokan.

May 31:  Wake up and take the JR Beetle ferry to Busan, South Korea.  This is a high speed ferry that takes you across the Sea of Japan in under 3 hours.  After arriving, I have the pleasure of trying to navigate my way to the Hotel Angel...and all of the bus stops are labeled in gibberish Korean characters.  Should be interesting...I hope I don't get lost.  Busan is the 2nd largest city in South Korea, known for its beautiful beaches.  I'll be here for two nights.  JR Beetle pictured below:

June 2:  Take the regional rail to Seoul, which should get me there in about 3-4 hours.  My wonderful mother was kind enough to help me get a room at a "real" hotel in Seoul by letting me use her Marriott points.  THANK YOU MOM!  I'll be at the Courtyard Seoul Times Square for four crazy nights.

I'm expecting Seoul to be something like this:

June 6:  Fly to Hong Kong for my final stop.  My hotel, the Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong, is located near the Wan Chai district.  This is supposed to be a pretty happening area of HK (thanks for the tip Josh!).  I'll be in HK for five nights before finally flying back home.

The Trip Is Booked

The trip is finally booked, but I am still in planning stages.  A rough outline for my itinerary is set:

First leg: Flying to Tokyo on May 19th, arriving May 20th.  (I will lose about 16 hours during my flight across the Pacific!)  I'm going to spend about 2 or 3 days in Tokyo, and then spend a week riding the train to other regions of Japan.  Total time: 10 days.

Second leg: Take the "JR Beetle" ferry boat from Japan to Busan, South Korea.  Spend the next week exploring South Korea, arriving in Seoul with a day or two to explore.

Final leg: Fly from Seoul to Hong Kong, where I will explore this amazing city for 4 days.  I'll be catching a direct flight from HK to Chicago when the trip is done (15 hour flight time).  Interestingly, I will gain so much time on this flight home, only 2 hours will elapse from takeoff to arrival.

Armed with nothing but my handy brand new Chromebook, a digital camera and a backpack, my goal is to explore Asia and have the time of my life.  The hardest part of this trip will be going three weeks without a haircut.