The time had come. I was ready to begin letting people know about my plan to live in Japan, specifically Tokyo, for 6 weeks. Having lived on a (very) small island for the past couple of years, moving to the other side of the world is not taken lightly by the locals and as expected, many questions rolled in, starting with: "Aren't you scared?" to "But you don't know Japanese! How will you get about?!". Needless to say, most of the individuals including my close friends and family, were extremely excited and positive for this opportunity that I so luckily happened to come across. I knew that this was only a short period of time that I'd be away, and even though it seemed like a vacation to most, I would be working my full-time job overseas through the time-difference, which I admit, takes considerable self-discipline, but I was ready.I am writing this four weeks in and I cannot begin to explain the experiences I have had. I had been told by friends that had been to Tokyo previously, that I had to be prepared for a culture-shock, truth be told I found myself experiencing the city as it is: a city. Sure, it's not London, Paris or Rome, but neither are the said three alike either! The first thing I noticed once arriving to Tokyo, was how friendly and polite everyone is, always willing to help and that's something that has actually continued to make my stay up until now very comfortable, even with slight language barriers which do not bother me in the slightest.
I am currently residing in my boyfriend's apartment in the central part of Tokyo called Shinjuku with brilliant views of skyscrapers surrounding us. I have taken a couple of walks around the area and it's a ridiculously-large ward however in around one hour of walking I am able to reach Shibuya, Roppongi and Ikebukuro, which are another three main Tokyo-an (is that even a word?) regions. Till now I have:
- Visited the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
- Tasted delicate Sakura Wine
- Ate Kitkat in multiple flavours: Strawberry, Matcha and Sake till now
- Walked through Yoyogi Park
- Tasted the best Cashew-Caramel popcorn from Garrett
- Visited a Cat Cafe
- Had a traditional Japanese dinner at an Izakaya in Shibuya
- Tasted 4 kinds of sake from different areas in Japan
- Entered a Buddhist Temple
- Tasted the best Matcha Green Tea Latte & Cake in a 100 year old Traditional Japanese Tea House
- Visited Ueno Zoo
- Attended a few comedy shows
- Gazed at plum blossom trees
- Explored Tokyo Dome City
- Tasted my first meal at Bubba Gump
- Beat my boyfriend at bowling
- Played a Japanese drumming game to the PPAP song
- Explored Shinjuku by foot (multiple times)
- Pampered myself with a homemade dinner by my boyfriend and I
- Tasted Dragonfruit
- Ate Chicago-style Pizza
- Devoured the limited edition Sakura-flavoured latte and Sakura Chiffon Cake at Starbucks
- Explored Kanda by foot, entering the Imperial Palace Garden
- Crossed the Shibuya Crossing
I have a lot more to do on my list, however for the time being I am pretty satisfied with what I have achieved while being here. Keep an eye out for my future posts for updates.
