Japan

Over the holidays my fiancé and I took a trip to Tokyo, Japan to visit my soon to be brother-in-law. This was my first extensive trip overseas. It was sensational. Each day brought new discoveries and scrumptious foods. There are numerous key points throughout this journey, but the most remarkable include the people, the food, the trains, and the locations.

The People

There are plenty of people to study while in Tokyo, being that the current population is around 14 million, according to Bloomberg. 14 million. Think about that for a moment, how immense of a space would you need in order to have 14 million people? The state of Texas, maybe? Well, Texas actually has double the population, however, we are talking about 5,233.87 square miles versus 268,596 square miles, Texas being the latter. That is a massive difference in space (Wikipedia, 2023). The ratios are a bit off there. Now that you have a better understanding of just how many people are in Tokyo - yeah, don't forget, we are talking about one city, not the entire country, just one city - we can talk about the culture that we encountered while on our visit.

There was an abundance of respect within every area of the city. Restaurants always perfected your order, regardless of if it were a McDonalds or a five star establishment. The pride each and every person took in their jobs was evident.

While we don't speak any Japanese beyond, hello, thank you, and goodbye, we were able to interact rather smoothly with people throughout our stay. I'm under the impression that they encounter plenty of tourists (especially now that the country is open again, following the COVID restrictions).

No one ever seemed to get angry, or aggressive. The silence, at times, was deafening. With such a vast amount of people, and yet, there were no honking vehicles, no screams of aggression, just people going about their days, rather quietly.

It is an immense difference in comparison to what we experience in the United States, where nearly everyone has something to say, and loudly at that.

The overcoats. I cannot discuss the immense crowds of people without mentioning the alluring overcoats that nearly every person adorned. Camel, black, gray. All of which were simple, yet overwhelmingly elegant. Women with modest, yet lovely shoes, slicked back hair, and these perfectly fitted overcoats. So many polished people. Hardly a moment passed where I wasn't in some sort of coat or shoe envy. The men's fashion was just as impressive. With spiffy shoes, tidy hair, and long coats, it was clear that simple elegance was prominent in Tokyo.

Before we get into the food, I feel that I should revisit the respect that Japanese people express. Respect for their jobs, their city, their establishments, and their peers. There was never a moment where I felt I must protect myself or my possessions. In fact, on multiple occasions our suitcases were stored out of sight, and they were entirely safe. The cleanliness of the city was impressive. A single rat late one night, was the only implication that we were truly within an overwhelmingly packed city. Trash was contained to indoor trashcans. The bathrooms were always clean, and the toilet seats always heated. People simply respected their surroundings.

The Food.

Long before our adventure to the other side of the globe, I have loved sushi, ramen, and seafood. So, naturally, I was incredibly eager to try it all in a more authentic form. The ramen...I miss it entirely too much. Containers of minced garlic and spices perched on every table, awaiting our unlimited use. The slurps of pleased customers and the soft chatter of another tongue. It was comforting in so many ways. The warm broth enticing us to stay indoors rather than brave the chilled outdoors. I could have lived in those moments forever.

The coffee. The Starbucks, yes, don't laugh, the Starbucks. We learned that in Tokyo there are over 300 Starbucks establishments. We ventured into plenty of them. While we tried many coffees, we kept finding ourselves near a Starbucks that begged our attention. While our most frequent coffee shop was Starbies, my favorite stop was L’OCCITANE Café at Shibuya crossing (yes, the very famous crossing - for car people, from Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift). This three story location had floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the crossing, with seating available directly in front of those glorious windows. We sat, sipped, and ate while I gleamed at the thousands of people who crossed the streets below us. The ultimate location for someone who adores "people watching".

The sushi conveyer belts were a dangerous scenario for me, personally. I did not fully grasp the concept on our first stop. I believed that we needed to order the maximum amount every time we ordered on our little iPad. This, is not the case. At all. I overordered and attempted to pawn off some of my extras on the guys. This was unsuccessful and I decided to power through the remainder of the food on my own. A real food champ!

My favorite sushi that I tried was raw salmon with a tiny ball of mozzarella, basil, and pesto. A truly delicious and Loghan specific delicacy.

My least favorite: sea urchin. Not for me. I tried it for the sake of trying new things, but dear goodness this was not my thing. Extremely "fishy". However, I do love that I gave it a try!

Cheese and curry buns from the local convenience store - delicious!

Mochi from Disney Tokyo - my favorite dessert! 10/10 recommend.

The Trains.

It probably seems odd to have an entire section dedicated to a mode of transportation, however, we spent an abundance of time on the trains around and within Tokyo. What I had initially imagined were similar to the subways of NY city, could not have been further from the reality. While many of the train stations were underground, the tracks were almost entirely above ground.

Exceptionally clean cars with heated seats and plentiful handles, these trains were mostly comfortable modes of transportation. Did you catch that? Mostly. Mostly, because of the moments during various rush-hours throughout the evenings, these trains were overflowing with passengers. I am intimidated by how I will properly explain the overwhelming congestion of these train cars throughout these moments. There were so many people on one of our rides that my entire body - front and back - was pressed firmly against the individuals around me. There was a man on my left standing up, completely asleep, and snoring. The sharp turns of the train that would have normally sent my stumbling for my balance, were now of no significance at all, because the people around me were holding me steadily in place. Throughout these moments, complete silence. Not a sound besides that man to my left who continued to snore until his stop approached. It was all I could do to contain my giggles as my brother-in-law whispered, "I hope you're not claustrophobic". My fiancé, who had successfully protected a roll of Christmas wrapping paper, was now turning red as he tried his absolute best to not burst into a mixture of laughter and tears at the sight of his now crumpled roll of wrapping paper. Overall, it was an incredibly entertaining moment filled with cultural divergences that we were happy to experience. This is simply normal, which is why our childlike amusement was not shared by those around us.

We rode the trains all but one day while we were in Japan. We walked and we rode the trains. That was how we traveled, and it was calming to be in those train cars. Looking around to see who was along for the ride. Guessing at their destinations, at their careers, at their ages. The windows of the trains told stories of homes with owners who dried their clothes on their balconies. Which was common and allowed us another window into the lives of the people within these numerous homes by the train tracks.

The conductors were poised and stately. White gloves covered their hands as they adjusted various controls. Each with watches that sparkled in the morning light. They were stern, but in a kind way. They took their responsibilities seriously. That was clear. The coveted spot on each train, in my opinion, was the front car, with a window into the world of the conductor.

This spot also helped with my motion sickness, as I was able to see the upcoming turns and the all-important horizon.

The Locations.

As I begin this final section, I am saddened to think that the entire trip could be reduced to this simple entry. However, if I were to recount each and every elaborate moment, I would probably be writing for a month straight, which I am not willing to do at this time.

Anyways, the locations. We visited so may different places within Tokyo and outside of the city. My favorite place within Tokyo was Harajuku. A short walk from Shibuya, Harajuku seemed quaint and cozy. With smaller side streets reserved primarily for pedestrians, the shops weren't nearly as crowded as other areas within the city.

There was a lovely walkway that started with an orange tree. It appeared to be so out of place within this cityscape, yet, miraculously looked like it belonged there more than any other piece of the scene. We returned to this spot a number of times.

On our very first day in Japan we ventured to a spot that I had been immensely excited for - Tokyo Disney. As a major Disney fan, and knowing that this particular Disney park contained some of my favorite characters, my excitement was overflowing. If you haven't seen the Pixar film, Big Hero 6, I recommend taking time to watch it. This was a movie that a number of my close friends in high school adored, including myself. In our youth we believed this to be a very popular Pixar film. However, it didn't seem to have the same popularity at U.S. based Disney locations. In Japan, this movie is HUGE! The Happy Baymax ride, which features the main character of the film, was so much fun and had an impressive line leading to its entrance - clearly a fan favorite.

We truly enjoyed this entire day at the park. We each chose a ride that we had to try before leaving. My brother-in-law ended up selecting the most memorable ride. I can't help but laugh recalling this particular experience. We had wondered into one of the far corners of the park, known as "Westernland". The irony of this was prominent. We approached a ride called "The Canoes". Now, I know what you're thinking, sounds interesting, but not necessarily "fun". Well, you're right. BUT! There is a caveat here - there was no line. Which we did not identify as the warning sign it was, but rather, as a reason to give it a try. We approached the canoes and were handed paddles. This was beginning to seem a bit suspicious. We entered the canoe with eight others, and the "instructor" stood at the front of the canoe explaining what we were meant to do while aboard this ride - in Japanese. Which, if you recall, none of us spoke or understood. We were being taught how to row a canoe, in a language we did not understand, and we were not doing well. We did not expect for this to be a ride consisting of physical labor, and we were all exhausted by the time we returned to the dock. We did not return before getting a demerit from the instructor, one of which we could not verbally understand, but were made aware of by his clear frustration aimed at my brother-in-law who was holding his paddle in a insufficient way.

We laughed so hard. This seemingly relaxing ride was not at all what we had expected. If it weren't for the silly memories that we made, I would not recommend this ride to anyone.

While I could talk about every location that we traveled to, I am choosing to finish this particular section with our journey to Yuzawa, in Niigata. A two hour Shinkansen ride brought us out of Tokyo and into the mountains of Japan. I gleamed out the bullet train's window as we traveled. This moment is etched into my memory in the most beautiful way. I was staring at a suburban scenery with chilled air, but essentially no snow in sight. And then complete darkness. Black nothingness. We had entered a tunnel within a mountain. A mere moment later, a snow globe. We had entered a snow globe. Every tree, every building, bathed in the fluffiest snow I've ever seen. It was immaculate. The perfect winter wonderland. God had done a beautiful job.

We had traveled to the mountains in order to snowboard. The fiancé and I, have never snowboarded or skied. He had only seen snow for the first time a year prior to this trip. So, yeah, this was going to go well. The brother-in-law had a few seasons under his belt, but I wouldn't necessarily consider him an instructor, but he gave us the best advice he had been given, "Heels and toes". Yup, that is all you need to start snowboarding.

We fell. A lot.

By the end of the first day we were all so exhausted by the day's activities that we had all fallen asleep by 7:30pm. We all had a solid 12 hours of sleep that night. We needed it. While it is true that we had fallen an extravagant amount between the two days of snowboarding, we learned so much and saw such spectacularly peaceful scenery, that each and every bruise was well worth it. In fact, we actually want to snowboard again! We might even be eager to!

If you ever have the opportunity to fall face first on a snow-clad mountain in Japan, I highly recommend staying on the ground for an extra breath to take in the natural beauty surrounding you.

This trip. This trip was perfect. There were moments of fatigue that got the best of us, but when I recount this adventure, I am overwhelmed by the blessings I have received. I wouldn't change a moment of it. I would, however, go back in a heartbeat.

Citations:

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 22). Greater Tokyo Area. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Tokyo_Area

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 26). Texas. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas

Yokoyama, E. (2022, January 31). Tokyo's population declines for first time in 26 years with remote-work trend. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-31/tokyo-loses-population-for-first-time-in-26-years-amid-pandemic