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Hiroshima, Japan: Staying with a Japanese family and exploring Miyajima Island

Esther
Jan 4, 2019
4 min read

Our time in Hiroshima has been amazing. We’ve taken lots of trips around the area, tried some delicious new food and seen some unforgettable centuries-old landmarks. Still, the highlight for me has definitely been staying with a Japanese girl called Kaho and her family.

Ben and I reached out to Kaho through Couchsurfing.com; a website which lets you arrange to meet, host and stay with people living in different places. This was our first time using Couchsurfing but it couldn’t have gone any better! We’d got in touch after seeing that Kaho was our age and had just finished an exchange year in England (in Guildford, close to where I live) and she kindly said we could stay with her in Hiroshima for a couple of nights.

We made our way to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen bullet train (which was an experience in itself!) and arrived in the city not long afterwards, where Kaho and her Mum Kaori were waiting to pick us up.

Back at their house, we spent our first night chatting over some home-cooked nabe (a delicious Japanese hotpot dish).

The next day, we took a trip to visit her grandparents in their very traditional Japanese house. The house was really beautiful and the whole family – including Kaho’s cousin, grandparents and family friends – were really friendly and welcoming. The low table we all sat around with our green tea and sweets was also pretty clever because it had a heater under it and a blanket around the edge to keep you warm.

Even though I couldn't understand anything the family were saying most of the time, I still felt really welcome and involved in their conversation. Kaho's cousin Yuki spoke perfect English to us and the two of them helped us out by translating what the others were saying and teaching us a few little Japanese words and phrases too.

After leaving Kaho's grandparents' house, we all drove to Iwakuni; a scenic little city which is kind of off the beaten path for travellers in Japan. We walked along Iwakuni's multi-arched Kintaikyo bridge before taking a cable car up to Iwakuni's hilltop castle, which not only had the best views over Iwakuni but had real Samurai swords and ancient relics inside.

Afterwards, Kaho and her Mum took us to their favourite local restaurant, where we had some delicious teriyaki chicken, onigiri (stuffed rice balls) and udon noodles. I really liked being able to try food at this really authentic Japanese place because it was somewhere we'd probably never have found by ourselves.

In the evening, we went grocery shopping and then made sushi together back at the house. Making sushi was actually a lot easier than I'd thought it would be and it tasted incredible! Kaho and her Mum had even bought non-seafood ingredients so I could make some delicious chicken and avocado rolls.

Kaho and her Mum were so generous to us during our time with them, and staying with a local family here has added a lot to our time in Japan. It's been great to have the chance to make friends with locals in different parts of the world.

A trip to Miyajima Island

After saying goodbye and leaving Kaho’s house the next morning, Ben and I took the ferry to the nearby Miyajima Island to see the Itsukushima floating shrine; a small but beautiful shinto shrine in the middle of the water.

There were also lots of deer wandering around the island, who were just as friendly and cute as they had been in Nara.

On Miyajima Island, we also took a walk up to Daisho-In temple, which was surrounded by hundreds of little smiling statues which people had come and knitted tiny wool hats for. Apparently they represented the Japanese guardian deity of children, which explains why they were all so sweet and had obviously been given so much love.

Exploring Hiroshima city

Back in Hiroshima city, we went for lunch at the Okonomi-mura in Hiroshima; a 'food theme park' in the centre which has a whole few floors dedicated to serving different types of Hiroshima's famous okonomiyaki dish.

Okonomiyaki (which is like a kind of noodle-based pancake) is delicious, and I’ve definitely added it to my list of Japanese foods that I need to try and find back home!

A chef cooking in front of us in the Okonomi-mura

Afterwards, we paid a visit to Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum to learn more about the atomic bomb that ruined the city in 1945. This was obviously a really sad place that made you think about the horror of war weapons (and war in general), but I'm glad we saw it while we were here.

We're now heading to Kobe for the night before we reach our last stop in Japan; Osaka. I'm still loving being in Japan as much as when we first arrived and I'm really trying to make the most of it before we have to leave. The only problem is the days keep going by so quickly!

Kyoto, Japan: Geishas, temples and a Japanese NYE

Esther
Jan 2, 2019
3 min read

After spending a few days in crazy, vibrant Tokyo, we decided to take an overnight bus to Kyoto; Japan's relaxed and beautiful former capital.

Kyoto is most famous for its traditional Japanese culture, incredible cuisine, geishas and beautiful temples. I was really excited to see it all for myself - and to maybe discover a different side of Japan to what we'd seen so far.

Visiting Kyoto's must-sees

Our first stop, the Kinkaku-ji temple (or the Golden Pavilion), definitely lived up to its reputation for being one of Kyoto's most beautiful sights. Kinkaku-ji was stunning but really busy, with loads of tourists like us gathering outside to have a look.

Another highlight was our visit to the Fushimi Inari shrine, which was a really different and fun temple experience. Fushimi Inari is made up of a thousand bright orange Torii gates, all engraved with Japanese lettering, which make up a tunnel that winds up a long mountain path.

Apparently the oldest gates in the tunnel are nearly two thousand years old, but new ones are constantly being donated by business owners who hope it will bring them good luck!

Our walk through Fushimi Inari was stunning. Despite how freezing cold it was, I loved the experience, and towards the top of Mount Inari, there were also some ladies selling green tea with gold flecks in it to help everyone warm up.

There are so many amazing temples to visit in Kyoto, but with a limited amount of time these two seemed like the perfect options because they both had something about them that made them stand out.

I didn't want to pack our days in Kyoto with too many temple visits either because the sudden change in weather has finally got to me and I've come down with a pretty bad cold here that's only just starting to go away!

After we'd seen the temples, we also took a walk to the Nishiki market in downtown Kyoto. The famous food market was filled with stalls selling all kinds of Japanese souvenirs, snacks and drinks, including some amazing melonpan (sweet bread) and loads of flavours of hot fruit tea. I've never really been a tea person before but I'm getting really into it in Japan because when it's this freezing outside the hot drink vending machines all over town are pretty needed!

Celebrating New Years in Japan

This year we spent NYE in the traditional Japanese way; waiting outside an ancient temple to hear the bells ring. To be honest, it didn't beat fireworks and a house party but at least we were being cultural!

We started the evening by heading to Gion (Kyoto’s most famous geisha district) for some ramen (my favourite).

Next, we headed to the bright red Yasaka temple to wait for 2019 to start. The crowds were heaving and we had to stand like sardines outside the temple for about an hour before anything happened.

Still, the amount of people there actually made for a pretty fun atmosphere and when the clock struck midnight everyone cheered before either heading to the centre of the temple to pray or going off to celebrate with some more sake!

On New Years’ Day, we decided to take a day trip to an ancient town called Nara, which is most famous for its Deer Park. The tame sika deer there were really gentle and friendly and it was a lot of fun feeding them with the deer biscuits from stalls around the park.

Now that we've said goodbye to 2018, it's time to say goodbye to the amazing Kyoto as well and move onto our next stop in Japan; Hiroshima.

Tokyo, Japan: Glowing streets, traditional teahouses and a Disney Christmas

Esther
Dec 28, 2018
6 min read

Tokyo feels like a little world of its own; an amazing mix of traditional Japanese culture and futuristic vibes. I've got so much to write about the things I've seen here in the last few days!

The second you arrive in Tokyo, you're surrounded by hundreds of people, towering buildings and flashy neon signs. But despite all of the crowds and the buzz of the city, it doesn't feel that chaotic here. It actually feels really efficient, orderly and clean. Nobody eats in the street or crosses the road before the little man has turned green, and the spotless metro trains always arrive bang on time.

For such a busy city, it's also really struck me how kind and friendly everyone is here. Ben and I have had already had locals showing us how to work the food ordering machines at local ramen places and even recommending the best places to see Christmas trees. When we've asked for directions, people haven't just told us where to go - they've walked us right to the spot! We even had one lovely guy stop to ask us if we wanted a photo in Harajuku when he saw us looking down the colourful Takeshita street.

When we first started exploring Tokyo, the culture shock was huge. This was probably mostly because we couldn't read or understand any of the language, and - unlike lots of the other Asian countries we've visited - nobody could understand us either!

Even though we've been here a few days now and I'm gradually getting used to the way things work in Japan (from the high-tech toilets to the hot drink vending machines on every corner), everything still feels really exciting and new.

Also, I love the food here! We’ve been eating ramen at least a couple of times a day because it’s cheap, tasty and really warming in this new Wintery weather. The same goes for the local gyozas, okonomiyaki, udon noodles... I could go on.

Exploring modern Tokyo

Out of all of the districts we've been to, I think my favourites have been Shibuya and Shinjuku, which both came as a shock of bright colours and lights.

In these central parts of Tokyo, there are loads of fun details everywhere you look - like the enormous Godzilla head on top of one of Shinjuku's hotels (which roars and breathes fire every evening!) or Shibuya station's bronze statue of the loyal Hachiko, Japan's most beloved and famous dog. The story goes that Hachiko waited at Shibuya station to pick his owner up from work for years - even after his owner had passed away. This made him a bit of a national hero and now hundreds of people gather round his statue to take photos with him every day.

Shinjuku and Shibuya are also packed with loads of unique places to eat and drink, like cat cafés (where you can cuddle kittens while drinking your coffee!), quirky themed restaurants and cosy, tucked-away Japanese bars. You could spend hours wandering around Tokyo's streets just taking it all in (and we did!)

In the famously fashionable Harajuku area, we had a walk down the cute and quirky Takeshita street. Takeshita was lined with little boutiques and snack stalls selling everything from rainbow candyfloss to animal-shaped ice cream (which I couldn't resist buying, despite it being about five degrees outside!)

While we were exploring Shibuya, we also went to the famous Shibuya Crossing; the world’s busiest intersection. Every time the lights turn green, hundreds of people cross the street (but still in a calm and orderly way!)

Another really ‘modern Tokyo’ experience we had in Shinjuku was our visit to the Robot Restaurant; a very surreal show which basically bombards your senses with colours and sounds. The giant robots in it move, dance, fly and even fight each other. It was a super weird and touristy experience but I’m really glad that we went!

Afterwards, we saw some great panoramic views over the whole city at the observatory in Tokyo's Metropolitan Government Office.

Views over Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Office in Shinjuku

We also had a quick look around the super-modern Akihabara (which is filled with gigantic gadget malls, colourful anime shops and themed restaurants and cafés), a more upmarket shopping district called Ginza and the stylish Omotesando avenue (which is apparently known as the Champs-Elysées of Tokyo!)

Experiencing traditional Tokyo

As well as all these amazing, flashy, almost futuristic parts of Tokyo, I've loved finding some more peaceful and traditional parks in the city. Tokyo definitely isn't a concrete jungle, and the charm of ancient Japan pokes through all over in the form of ancient temples, teahouses and traditional Japanese gardens.

A couple of days ago, we had green tea and sweets in a traditional teahouse at the Hamarikyu Gardens; a little green park hidden in the heart of Tokyo. I couldn't even finish my sweet yam thing but I loved the green tea and the setting couldn't have been prettier. The contrast between the new and the old also makes the gardens feel really unique, with Tokyo's modern skyscrapers standing tall behind the traditional gardens and pond.

Outside the teahouse in the Hamarikyu Gardens

Green tea and Japanese sweets in a teahouse in the Hamarikyu Gardens

The traditional Japanese Garden at Gyoen Park in Shinjuku was also beautiful, but probably looks even nicer in Spring when the cherry blossoms are out.

In the more traditional parts of Tokyo, it actually still feels like there's just as much nightlife as in the city's more modern bars and clubs.

One of Shinjuku's busiest parts is the Golden Gai district, which is made up of lots of narrow alleys lined with tiny bars called izakayas. It's apparently a throwback to what Tokyo looked like in the fifties and it has a really fun, cosy vibe.

A few minutes walk from there, Memory Lane is an even tighter group of alleys packed with restaurants and bars that are always really busy. This place is like a bubble of traditional Japan right in the heart of Shinjuku, and it's a great place to try some ramen, sake (rice wine) and Japanese beer.

Visiting the Meiji shrine gave us another look into traditional Japanese culture. The shrine was hidden away in the huge Yoyogi park and there were hundreds of Japanese sake holders along the way to it.

But the oldest (and definitely the busiest!) temple we saw in Tokyo was a beautiful five-story pagoda called Senso-ji. A lot of the Japanese women there had come dressed in their kimonos, which was really cool to see.

Because I don't like eating fish, I didn't expect to like the Tsukiji seafood market, but even I actually really liked it there! Tsukiji is the biggest fish market in the world, so the atmosphere there was extremely busy and lively, and it turned out they actually sell all kinds of different kinds of food there as well.

Christmas in Tokyo

A few weeks ago, I'd thought that since we were going to be travelling Asia all through December this year, we'd end up having an unusually hot Christmas on the beach.

Planning our trip to Japan over Christmas time changed this plan quite a bit, but since we hadn't been feeling too Christmassy up to this point, we thought that for this time of year maybe Japan's colder temperatures wouldn't be such a bad thing! Once we'd decided to spend Christmas in Japan, we thought where in Tokyo could be celebrating Christmas better than Disneyland?

We spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas day at Tokyo’s two Disney parks; Disneyland Tokyo and DisneySea. The rest of Japan may not be huge on Christmas but these two places definitely were! We had the best couple of days wandering around the theme parks and trying all of the rides. I especially loved the light shows in the evening there, so despite the very cold weather we ended up staying right from when the parks opened on both days to near closing time!

Thanks to a recommendation from a really kind local (who came to our rescue after he saw us struggling with the ordering machine in a ramen restaurant!), we also went to see the Christmas display at Ebisu Garden Place on Christmas Eve. There, we found a beautiful big golden Christmas tree with Christmas lights strung up all around it, which put us in an even more Christmassy mood.

Sadly, in Tokyo, there were no roast dinners in sight, but we didn’t end up following the Japanese tradition of eating KFC for our Christmas meal either! That tradition is a result of some pretty amazing marketing from KFC, who started advertising their fried chicken in Japan as something Westerners love to eat at Christmas time. It worked and now KFC is the most popular Christmas meal in Japan! Anyway, we thought the KFC was a little overpriced in Tokyo so we settled for some hot gyozas and ramen instead. Of course it had nothing on an English Christmas roast but it did still taste amazing!

I missed being in England for Christmas but for this one year our Japanese alternative ended up being a lot of fun too.

Tokyo has been so different from all the other places we’ve visited so far but I've absolutely loved exploring it. Even though we've only been here for a whirlwind few days, Japan has already become one of my favourite countries in Asia. Its capital is just really bright, friendly and full of character.

This has definitely been the most I've written about a city on my travels and although I could probably go on for longer I'll stop rambling now. Time to see some more of Japan!