Thursday 19 June 2014

Aerial View of Mt. Fuji

Flying back to Singapore I had an amazing view of Mt. Fuji.
You can even make out some of the footpaths completely covered in snow.

aerial view of mount fuji japan from an airplane


If you follow my Instagram or Facebook page, you already know we're currently in the USA!

But before I start catching you up on our adventures here I've got one more post to come from Singapore and another from Indonesia, so make sure you follow along!

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Soba, Pop-Up Food Stalls and Night Hanami

I love trying new foods.
And Japan was a fantastic place to do just that.

So far I've had sushi and matcha.
And my very good friend said I needed to try soba before I left.

So one cloudy Saturday morning, I bundled up, grabbed an umbrella and headed out to try whatever this soba was with her.


Turns out it's buckwheat noodles, and this place makes them from scratch when you order!





After lunch we met up with another friend and went cherry blossom viewing in the Imperial Gardens.











Almost without thinking we stumbled on Yasukuni and lo-and-behold there was a street food affair going on!













Full and happy we went wandering towards a train and found ourselves walking through a spring hanami wonderland at night.





Considering this was my last full day in Japan, I'd say it was a day very well spent.


Tomorrow I have an epic aerial view of Mt. Fuji and then we're off to another country!

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Sunday 15 June 2014

Hanami, Yakitori, and Harajuku in Tokyo

The title pretty much says it all.

I'm one of those travelers that loves two things about a destination: 1. being emerged in the every day of a city, and 2. exploring the living traditions and history of a city.

If you like that sorta thing as well, you'll love this post.

Hanami.
Click here for all the best cherry blossom spots.

Hamani is a Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing.
When the cherry trees bloom they mark the start of spring and everyone goes out to celebrate by having picnics under their magical pink flower-laden branches.









Tokyo.

These views are epic.
And I'm of the mentality, why pay for something when I can have it for free.
Curtsy of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
Skip the queue and the ticket price of other observation decks and go here.
Free 360 degree views of Tokyo.






Yakitori.

This can be compared to shish-kebabs, but a lot more Japanese.
You can get everything from chicken hearts, to pork skin, to tofu on a stick.
Look for little alleyways to shoot down, the best yakitori places will most likely be down these.
Find a place with a bar with a few bar stools around it, order a beer and a few things off the menu and relax.



The great thing about all 3 of these places is that they're all in Shinjuku and only a few minutes walk one from the other.

Harajuku.
Harajuku is known for fashion, shopping and fancy dress.
...But I wasn't very impressed.
There were a few people dressed up in cool outfits but the majority of it was so-so.
Unless you're into dressing up a lot, or love either all black or all child-ish clothes, there isn't much to do other than people watch.
The street is pretty short and there aren't many places to eat here either.


If you have a few days in Japan, this is a really fun way of spending a whole day without having to travel around too much.