Category: Japan

[JP18] That Time I Went to Japan to Climb Mt. Fuji

I don’t know exactly when the desire kicked in, but one day (when I was hiking up Yeongsil Trail of Mt. Halla in Jeju, South Korea – check out the video as well) I heard myself say out loud: I want to climb Mt. Fuji. I thought it’s going to be one of those things that you think about, resolve to do, then be relegated to the back of your mind, to be pushed off by “more important” things. But then a year later, I found myself planning for a trip where I can actually get to do it.

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[JP18] Kabukicho and the (Red) Lights of Shinjuku

There are a lot of associations to be made when “Shinjuku” is mentioned. Aside from being a major commercial center in Japan, it is also where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is located. And let’s not forget about Shinjuku Station, which is the busiest railway station IN THE WORLD. (Honestly, I was overwhelmed at how maze-like and vast it was.) But let me talk about our peek into Kabukicho, that part of Shinjuku which has gained the rep of being the “red-light district” of Tokyo. And that is where we stayed on our brief stop in Tokyo. *phew*

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[JP18] Going Back to Tokyo DisneySea

I think the beauty of theme parks or amusement parks is how you feel as if you are transported in an entirely different world once you pass through its gates. For a few hours, you forget that an outside world existed, and your attention is pulled in all directions, so much that you tend to forget there are other people around. Until you realize you’re stuck in a long queue, that is. But I daresay it’s still a good experience to go through, one that I won’t mind repeating, if given the opportunity.

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[JP18] A Day in Kawagoe, Japan: Food-Trippin’ feat. unagi, sweet potatoes… and Starbucks Kawagoe.

I’m not a foodie; at least, not in the strictest sense of the “foodie” that the blogosphere and this-age-of-social-media has defined. I am not picky with food, but I am not overly adventurous (still haven’t tried those pupa thingies sold in the streets in Seoul and Jeju). But I do know how to appreciate, and I am not difficult to persuade new things or, in this sense, new types of food. And if you go to a new place, and they have a specialty, then…. when in Rome, as the saying goes… right?

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[JP18] A Day in Kawagoe, Japan: Kurazukuri, The Old Warehouse Zone

There is something about “old towns” that never fails to touch something within me. Regardless of the comforts and conveniences that I have grown accustomed to in a “digital” setting, there is something… comforting, when you go to places that evoke the past. I suppose because almost everything seems to have become so modern that they are, well, flitting, these “old towns” are those last hints that there used to something in the distant past that has somehow endured to this day.

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[JP18] A Day in Kawagoe, Japan: Hikawa Shrine

A visit to Kawagoe wasn’t in the plans, at least until a week before our trip, when my friend put it out as one of the suggestions of a day trip from Tokyo. For the longest time, I’ve always associated Saitama for the Saitama Arena, which is also a venue for concerts *coughsArashicoughs*. Good to know that I can now associate it with another charming place, which is Kawagoe. Continue reading “[JP18] A Day in Kawagoe, Japan: Hikawa Shrine” →

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[JP18] A Day in Kawagoe, Japan: Kita-in Temple

Finally getting around to talking about my jaunt in Japan several months ago and I’m pretty sure as I go through these hundreds of photos and videos I took for the duration of my trip, I’d be feeling all itchy about going back there very soon. Revisiting Japan will probably be perpetually on my mental bucket list, as there are still so many things to see and explore. Oh where’s a gold mine when you need it?

For my first posts, I’d be talking about that hot, sweltering, day we spent walking around the city of Kawagoe.

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JapanEats: Food-trippin’ in Nagoya

Outside, the weather’s raging. Storm Signal No. 3 for Typhoon Lando is up where I live, and work and classes have been suspended for tomorrow. I love staying home, but not when it’s because the heavy winds and rains are keeping me prisoner. I hope everyone stays safe, and the weather gets better real soon. For now, however, I’m in the mood for some gastronomic remembrances, particularly those that I was able to take photos of when I was in Nagoya. So, tighten your belts, remember your diet, and read on. Continue reading “JapanEats: Food-trippin’ in Nagoya” →

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Japan 2014: Mata ne, Nagoya~!

To be honest, when I was drawing up an itinerary for the Nagoya leg of my Japan tour (LOLZ. Indulge me, woncha.), there weren’t a lot of attractions in Nagoya that intrigued me. At least, according to those lists of “places to see in Nagoya”. Most were industrial-themed, and I was really more the type to go for culture, history, or nature. On hindsight, I realized there are such places in Nagoya; I just didn’t look hard enough. I suppose that is something to be rectified in the future?
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Nagoya, Japan 2014: The Nagoya Castle Tower

It’s, what, 79 days before Christmas? Yes, in the Philippines, the countdown to Christmas Day started when September came around, and it is now normal to wake up to the early morning TV or radio show reminding you how many days there are left to the big day. Personally, I don’t really feel it yet and, given how short my attention span is, I think that’s a good thing. See, if I start celebrations early, I’ll run out of steam and the arrival of the actual day of Christmas would be… well, for lack of a better word, anticlimactic. So to each his own, I suppose. For now, I want to wrap up my visit to the Nagoya Castle by talking about visiting the Tower itself.
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FF#1: Watching MIRACLE in Japan

I am well aware of the not-so-good connotation that the world “fangirl” brings to many people. And I don’t blame them. That does not mean, however, that I will completely wash my hands clean of the name. I won’t. I am a fangirl, and I realized that one way to show how much I embrace that identity is by starting a ‘FANgirl friday’ series of posts on this blog. And what better way to start things off on an official footing, than with a post related to my most cherished fandom? Let me talk about the time I watched a movie in Japan, and it so happened to be “Miracle“, which starred Aiba, 1/5 of my favorite group of all time, Arashi.

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Nagoya, Japan 2014: To The Nagoya Castle

There are probably two ways to spend a holiday: rest or sightsee. For me, I prefer the latter. So, upon arrival at around 1pm in Nagoya via shinkansen from Kyoto, we immediately checked in at BestWestern Hotel Nagoya in Sakae, freshened up a bit (or tried to), and immediately proceeded to pay a visit to Nagoya Castle before heading to the Arashi concert later that evening (I talked about the Digitalian concert in this post.
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Nagoya, Japan 2014: The Izakaya Experience

The Japanese love to drink, and they love beer and spirits. You cannot help but come to this conclusion when you see it done in most every jdorama you watch, or featured in many CFs and promotional material, or even when you are walking around from early evening until late at night in relatively crowded places and see ladies and gentlemen – still wearing their office attires and toting those business cases – stumbling out of well-lit establishments being all boisterous and, yes, drunk. After-work drinks are a norm, and it doesn’t even matter that it is the middle of the week and they have to go to work the next morning. Last November, after watching the CNBLUE concert, I, Peach, Jas and Slow finally felt hunger pangs and decided to look for a place to eat. We found ourselves wandering around Sakae, in the area filled with many drinking places or, as they call it, izakayas.
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