Asian Exploration: Japan: It's all about Fs

After being back in South Korea for over 5 months and having Lisa already visit me from Japan, I have finally got round to write about my adventures in JAPAN!!!!

My wonderful friend of 15 years Lissy Lau has given a day-to-day account of our adventures in Tokyo
http://becoming-reesa.blogspot.com/2010/10/meeting-up-of-old-farts.html

and Kyoto and Osaka,
http://becoming-reesa.blogspot.com/2010/10/kyoto-and-little-bit-of-osaka.html

which are impeccably written and can be found on her blog. Check them out!

AS for me, I am going to give you an overview of my experience as best as possible!

Somehow for whatever reason- I found Japan very similar to France! :) Maybe because I love France and LOVED Japan. Nevertheless, I will now with my love too for Alliterations describe my Japan experience with a giant big "F"!

Fast trains- Never in my life have I felt so overwhelmed my efficient public transport to the point that it is just petrifying! EISH! Lisa's poor iphone could not take the pace-it was just as intimidated by the cacophony of railway lines as we were! :) Nevertheless the high-speed trains were impeccable when we were able to eventually locate the correct platforms!

Fashion- Everyone in Japan is not necessarily stylish-but everyone definitely spends a great deal of time and effort on their particular fashionable outfits! Compared to Korea this was insane-dressing to have others stare was more the norm than not, and it wasnt uncommon to see one person wearing leather boots, fur, stripes and floral on the same outfit. But just as the French,they definitely exuded a sense of flair about it! I thin what I loved most was the daily wearing of kimonos around the street. The women looked absolutely beautiful. Lis and I found out that it definitely wasn't all that pleasant an experience with several layers of clothing plus ropes so that your breath is sucked out of you!

Fun at heart! For a nation with such a horrific history of war, the Japanese sure know how to have fun and relax! My favourite experience of this was in Hirajuku Park where everyone is merely enjoying themselves: either playing guitar or in a drum-circle, reciting some poetry, playing badminton or even better playing with a giant bubble machine! WHAT FUN!

FOOD! The Japanese just like the French love food-but only the best! Along with a nifty little price! EEEK! I loved the ookonomiyaki and bean filled Yatsuhashi! :) One day in Sendai, I treated myself to a gustatory overload! It was tremendous! I paid about R300 for 6or so small little bits of everything! I sat at the train station exit and critiqued every morsel- smell, presentation and of course taste! :) Was such fun!

Fine living at a fine price! Nothing in Japan comes cheaply! I mean nothing-eventually i stopped even converting it was just too depressing! But high price means high quality! Everything in Japan is of the best standard- even weddings which we were lucky to stumble upon! WHOOPPPEEE! Here is a glimpse of fine dining( R75 for a piece of cake), a very cool art exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, the golden pavillion and the castle in Osaka!