Travel Time

Because people have been curious, here is a list of travel times!

Departure:
Arrive at the airport and wait for 3 hours after a 1 hour drive.
Connecting flight will last 1.5 hours
3.5 hour layover
13 hour flight
Train to Tokyo will take about an hour.
Total time = 21+ hours

Shinkansen:
1-2 hours of trains and waiting.
Train to Kyoto will take about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Return trip:
5 minutes from hotel to airport.
Waiting 3 hours.
11 hour and 50 minute return flight. (Arrive 2 hours and 10 minutes before we departed, due to time travel... or something.)
5 hour layover
1.5 hour return flight.
1 hour drive home.
Total time = 21+ hours, though we arrive home about 6 hours after we've departed. Time travel, again. O_O

Temples and Shrines

People in Japan have practiced both Shintoism and Buddhism for a long time; one religion is not exclusive of the other. Shinto is the indigenous religions and Buddhism originated in mainland east Asia. The most common sort of Buddhism you're likely to see in Japan is Amidst or Nichiren. Shinto is pretty much Shinto, a religion based on animism. Because both of these religions are important you can find shrines and temples all over from small to large, unknown to world heritage sites. Buddhist temples are generally denoted by the -ji on the end of the name and Shinto shrines are called jinja.

If you look at a map of any major Japanese city it will be dotted with shrines and temples. For example, pull up Tokyo in Google maps and scroll in. You will see Tori (shinto gates) representing Shinto shrines and Buddhist swastikas, representing temples. If you want to see a lot, in close proximity, try Kyoto or Kamakura.

One example is Senso-ji, a Buddhist temple in the neighborhood where we'll be staying in Taito, Tokyo. It's know for the Kaminarimon gates and its long history, which goes back to 628. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo. Close to Senso-ji is a shinto shrine, Asakusa-jinja, honoring the people who founded Senso-ji and showing how connected the two religions are.

Senso-ji is dedicated to Kannon.

Japan Guide has a small entry on how to behave at Shrines and Temples here. 

One Month!

Just a month left to go until we're on the plane to Japan. Aaaaand, there's still a lot to do. We need to plan packing, get everything we need printed off, get some supplies,  figure out budgeting and other fun things. We have a pretty solid plan for what we're doing on which days and that's a good thing. I don't think we'll be going to Yokohama, but we will be going to Kamakura and I've never been there.

If you are planning to have me buy anything please get me that information as soon as possible! I need to account for space and make a separate budget sheet. I usually like to add this information to my travel journal as well as keeping a copy in a binder.

Sensoji temple in Asakusa-bashi. Image from Wikipedia.

More Food!

I can't think of what else to write about... So here is a post about places where we intend to eat!

Tokyo:
1. A maid cafe; the husband has not chosen one yet. I'd say we're doing this for the irony, but really it's more of a sick interest. I can indulge my need for omu-raisu!

2. A butler cafe, because fair is fair. If I can get the reservation we'll be going to Cafe Swallowtail. I want to get this set, complete with terrifying dessert!

3. Hob-Goblin, because I don't know when I'll get to England. The prices are also reasonable if you don't look at pints... Also, you gotta eat something really, really unhealthy while on vacation!

4. An Izakaya in Nakano.

5. A food theme park in Ikebukuro. I have a feeling Ikeburo will involve too much foo as I also want to go to Milky Way...

Kyoto:
1. Kichisen is the only thing we have planned really.

2. Kyoto Station?


Well, this looks like it will be a short entry. o_O Here are some random places!

7/11. Don't laugh, it's actually pretty decent! I think a bunch of out budget food will come from here.

Mos Burger. I ate someplace else last time and suffered some burger related trauma. (Japanese style sauce, not as good for burgers.) Hopefully this will be fine!

Too bad we aren't getting there earlier!


*I recommend using Google Chrome for the translate page option. It's not the best but it gets the job done if you can't read Japanese!

Food!

I haven't made a food post yet! So here are some of my favorite Japanese foods as well as some I would like to try!

My favorites: 

1. Sashimi: I really don't like plain rice -that- much so, instead of sushi, I prefer sashimi. I love the delicate flavor of the fish by itself. If I had to pick a favorite fish it would probably be tuna.

2. Tempura: Especially shrimp. Tempura appeals to my taste for fried things. <_<

3. Tonkatsu: Pretty much for the same reasons as tempura... but pork makes me ill, so I don't indulge in this very often.

4. Wagashi: Seasonal desserts that are gorgeous and not too sweet. I love these with green tea!

To try:

1. Chawanmushi: I've never had this somehow! I still can't decide if I think it's gross or really appealing.

2. Curry: This may seem odd, but Japan has a distinctive style of curry. Last time I was in Japan I ate curry at an Indiana restaurant and absolutely hated it. Turns out... I'd never had curry or mutton before and the culprit was the mutton. Now I absolutely -love- curry and want to give it another try. I've had some Japanese style at a local restaurant and at home (from a mix), but I want to try it in Japan again.

3. Izakaya cuisine: I am classy like that! 

4. Kaiseki: This is actually a full meal made with delicately flavored seasonal items. My husband and I will have the chance to try Kaiseki at Kichisen!

And omuraisu, all the fish, seasonal/regional junk food, and food from various food stalls.

Looks like we're not too far out from the trip. Panic is starting to set in! 

Japanese Monsters

Japan has a rich folklore that happens to include numerous and terrifying monsters, or yokai.  (Well, some aren't that creepy, but they are.. different.)

Here are a few pages to help get you in the Halloween mood!

The Obakemono Project is nice because it is easy to read and has some nice illustrations!

If you want more traditional illustrations, check out the Zenshoan Yurei-ga gallery!

Urban Legends are always popular. Here's a Cracked article!(Keep in mind... it is Cracked) Kuchisake-Onna is my favorite of these. So creepy.

Some of the less scary monsters include the tanuki and the baku. But as I mentioned earlier, these guys are a bit different. Real life tanuki are the most adorable thing ever, though!

Some others that amuse me, and are possibly scary, are the karakasa-obake, yuki-onna, and ,of course, the nekomata.

Browsing through Google using the keywords bakemono, yokai and yurei can bring up a ton of interesting monsters and ghosts. You may also notice that you are familiar with some of these. Especially if you're big into video games from Japan! For example few pokemon, like nine-tails and espeon, are based on bakemono.

Being Polite!

Japan has many cultural taboos, some of which may be heading out but should still be observed. Here are just a few.

~ Mostly bodily functions should never happen in public: nose blowing, passing gas, failing to wear a mask if you are hacking and sneezing, etc. Especially do not do any of these things in a restaurant. If it comes out of the body it is probably frowned upon.

~ Food: Say "Itadakimasu before you eat, say "Goshisoosama deshita" when you finish. Do not stick chopsticks upright in rice, this echoes funerary rites. In the same vein, do not pass food with chopsticks; this represents the passing of bones at a funeral. Slurp your Japanse noodles, it's polite. Do not slurp your Italian noodles. Do not wipe your face with the warm cloth provided to hands. Try to eat everything you are given, especially rice. Drink all the alcohol you are given. ALL OF IT! Do not put sugar in Japanese tea. Do not make faces at the food. Do not mix foods that are not meant to mix. Do not walk and eat. Do not loudly chew gum. This can go on and on and on.

~ Four is an unlucky number, never do anything in fours (Give gifts, knock four times, etc.). The word for four is "shi" which is also the root word for death.

~ Bring a gift when you visit someone. Make sure the gift is wrapped in a cloth (furoshiki) or other reusable material. Do not be surprised if the gift is not opened in front of you. Do not give knives, scissors or clocks. If you are staying with someone and go on a trip, bring back a regional souvenir. Be modest about your gift in most situations.

~Do not wear shoes in a home, leave them at the entrance and put on slippers. Do not wear -any- sort of shoe on tatami. It is expensive! If you enter a bathroom, change into the (often green) bathroom slippers.

~In every situation BE VERY POLITE. (Unless a pervert grabs you on a train, then I think it's o.k. to get mean...) Try and learn polite phrases for common situations such as bumping into someone, interrupting someone, and in general bothering someone. Also try to learn how people might react to certain situations. If you ask someone a question and they answer "Chotto..." it probably means "no" but they are too polite to outright deny.

And there is even more! But I don't want to bore you too much. Basically, again, do your research! It will really matter if you want to make a good impression.


P.S. Totally unrelated, but here is a CNN article on things someone found surprising about Japan. the one I can relate to the most is  noticing not only how clean the cities were but also how this cleanliness came about. I never saw a single person litter. I remember getting to my home train station, Aobadai, early one morning and seeing the epitome of an Oba-san wearing a utilitarian dress and a head scarf, patiently mopping up pigeon droppings. The station had the perfect roosting place for pigeons and they certainly took advantage! Yet, none of the usually nastiness related to flocking skyrats birds seemed to occur, and this was why!