Japan

Kinkaku-ji Temple | Kyoto

I spent eight days in Japan and I cannot wait to return in the very near future! Everything about the place was magical... except the weather. The weather was nothing to be desired (in the middle of July), but the upside of that is, when I return, it will most definitely not be summertime, so my experience will be even better, if that's possible, the next time around!

I met family friends in Osaka, where we spent 3 days and we continued on to Thailand together after Japan. We all thoroughly enjoyed our time in Japan, the company was a constant source of entertainment, the people are so, very gracious and hospitable and the surroundings were something to behold. There are temples in the most unassuming of places, each with their own history of how they came to be. Our temple visits tended to be short, sweet and to the point, as we were trying to avoid heat stroke. We made our way to Kyoto from Osaka, where we spent a day touring many of the temples and sampling the local fare, aka - ramen, all while trying to keep cool. After Kyoto, we spent about 4 days in Tokyo, where we continued eating and exploring.

I was also able to meet up and spend time with my Dad's cousin Joseph Dias and his wife, Miwako, which was absolutely brilliant. They were the most generous hosts and showed us some spectacular sights around Tokyo. We visited Roppongi Hills, which is a 238 meter (just shy of 781 feet) tower which boasts 360 degree views of Tokyo. It is also home to the Mori Art Museum, which Joseph and I explored one afternoon. One of the coolest aspects of this particular visit is that the 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, so we were able to see where they will be and have already started building stadiums, grandstands, Olympic Village and other Olympic-related structures. These facilities are not yet near completion, but the juxtaposition of the skyline from when I saw it until the time the Olympics are held there will be pretty neat to see.

During our time in Japan, we took a cooking class and experienced a proper tea ceremony, kimonos and all. These were both hosted in peoples actual homes, which were so neat, tidy and exquisitely organized considering the minimal space. Both experiences were quite different, naturally, but both hosts took so much pride in their craft and in showing us the proper way to be a guest in someone's home in Japan. Respect is a very important part of their culture, which is very apparent and quite a spectacle to witness first-hand.

The most profound part of this trip was the people and their overwhelming generosity and graciousness - young, middle-age and old - there was a resounding effort among everyone to make foreigners feel welcome and right at home. I know I mentioned it earlier, but it is worth noting over and again. Even with the vast language barrier, people were so willing to help, whatever the situation. Whether it was trying to get around on the subway or to a restaurant, we alfound our way with the help of locals. It is truly remarkable that we can speak a completely different language than another people, yet still get by just fine, in this situation, better than fine. I urge anyone and everyone who has ever considered visiting Japan to do so, and if one has not considered it, consider away. It truly is a very special place in every sense of the word.

Cheers, Em