As you guys might know, my family and I will be going to Japan this summer. I am very very very excited- I’ve never been to a non-Western culture country, and I can not wait to be immersed in a culture that is so essentially different from my own.
Over winter break, my mom (who’s basically planning and organizing the whole trip) asked me to take a look at some of the traveler’s guides she’d picked up and see what jumped out at me, so we could try to work it into our trip. But for some reason, I just never got around to doing it. She would remind me, and I’d say okay, and then I’d get distracted by a television show or baking cookies or eating Christmas candy.
But, earlier this week, it finally got through my head that, if I wanted to even know what was going on in Japan, I should probably start doing some research. And so, I turned to the internet, Googled “what’s worth seeing in Japan?” and was instantly inundated with hits telling me what restaurants to try, where to stay, what shops to go to… my mind sort of defensively imploded for a little bit while I tried to find some sort of footing. Finally, I did, and now, I present to you, my Top Ten Things I want to do in Japan. These aren’t in any particular order, because in all honesty, I want to see all of them about equally, but for different reasons.
10. Meiji Jingu Stadium– This one surprised me with how much I want to see it, because I’m not the world’s biggest baseball fan- or to be more accurate, I can think of about a million things I’d rather do than watch baseball. But Jingu Stadium is more than just a stadium. Home to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, it’s one of the few professional stadiums left in the world that Babe Ruth played at- even I think that’s damn cool. It’s also where a baseball showcase for the 1964 Olympics was held, so that’s pretty cool.
9. Tokyo Meatrea– This one is just to say I’ve been, plus it’d make for some damn weird/cool footage. Meatrea is a theme park devoted to meat. No, I’m not joking. Although, it’s not a theme park like we Americans tend to think of them- it’s a collection of seven restaurants plus a museum devoted to meat, which, for some reason, is called “Museo de Carne”… a Japanese museum with a Spanish name. But the main reason I want to go there is this little concoction:
It’s called “Tonkatsu parfait” and it’s green tea ice cream with bits of kiwi, cherries, and other fruits on top, whipped cream AND… two deep-fried strips of pork. It’s one of those things that sounds terrible and awesome at the same time. Like chocolate-covered bacon.
8. Planetarium Bar– This is the only thing on this list I’d actually be totally okay with not going to, because it is just a bar, BUT the cool part is that this bar has it’s own planetarium projector, putting over five million stars on the restaurants ceiling. Plus, they served themed drinks and light meals. But, at the end of the day, it’s just another bar- I’d be okay missing it.
7. Sensō-ji– If I’m going to Japan, I’m damn well going to see some temples- I’ve actually never seen any Buddhist temples at all, let alone the historic ones. Sensō-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, or Avalokiteśvara. It was mostly destroyed during World War II, but it’s been rebuilt now, and has come to symbolize rebirth. Also, the street leading to the temple is lined with shops, some of which look pretty sweet.
6. Kyoto International Manga Museum– The only thing on my list that’s not in Tokyo, Kyoto’s Manga Museum just looks so cool. I’m not the biggest fan of anime or manga, but that’s mostly do to the characters and plot lines being annoyingly shallow or just ridiculously unbelievable. However, I’ve always loved the art style in and of itself, and being able to learn more about it should be amazingly awesome. This is also one of the things my sister really wants to do, as she’s considering going into animation and other things like that.
5. Shibuya Crossing/Shibuya 109– So technically, this is two things, but they’re in the same area, and they’re both pretty small, so… hey, it’s my list. Shibuya Crossing is quite possibly the world’s most famous intersection- when the lights turn red, pedestrians surge into the crosswalks like water from a dam. And while that’s kind of terrifying to think about being a part of, one of the things you can do is watch from a Starbucks on the second floor of one of the north side buildings- which is what I want to do. 109 is located in the same area, (I think maybe on the same intersection, although I’m not sure) and it is a mall aimed at teenage/early twenties girls in a “rebellious” style stage. Honestly, the only reason it’s on here is because I want to buy something from it.
4. Tokyo Disney– You guys know me… did you think Tokyo Disney wasn’t going to have a spot on here? I haven’t been to any Disney-place in a long time, and while this will probably just be more of the same as always, I still really really want to go. I love everything Disney, and this would let me add to my Disney obsession. Plus, come on… I want to see Mickey and Minnie in kimonos.
3. National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation– Holy crap, that’s a mouthful. The Japanese name is better: Miraikan. This place is technology central- with exhibits dedicated to medicine, genomes, robots, space exploration, and a ton more. It looks so futuristic-y and cool- even I, some one with little to no interest in the sciences, think this looks like one of the coolest museums ever.
2. Jimbocho– You guys may know this, you may not- I’m a HUGE reading nerd. Books are like food to me- I love writing them, reading them, annotating them for class… pretty much anything. So, it’s not surprising that I want to go to Tokyo’s ‘Book Town.’ Home to used bookstores and department bookstores alike, this is one place that I will not want to leave. Who cares if I can’t read the books I buy? I’ll figure something out.
1. Sushi Saito– If you’re going to Japan, you’ve gotta try the sushi. This is it’s homeland! Sushi Saito is, apparently, one of the best (and most expensive) places to get sushi in Tokyo. But at the same time… sushi isn’t one of those things I’d buy on sale. If I’m getting it, I want it to be good, and I’ll pay for what I get, even if that means shelling out more money.
So, that’s my list of things I want to do in Japan- doubtless, I won’t be able to do all of them, since each of my family members is contributing and we only have two weeks to do stuff. But hopefully, everything I do will be amazingly fun.
In case you don’t know, I am planning on vlogging my trip and putting it up for you guys- how I’ll end up editing and releasing it, I’m not sure yet. I’ll probably end up with a ton of footage that I’ll split up by our days. I’ll probably also do a “Packing for Japan” video and a Haul video after the trip.
Let me know if you think I missed something that I’ve GOT to see- it can be anything, from just a hole-in-the-wall restaurant to a shrine to a market or mall!
Love,
The Femme Fatale Farmgirl
Femme Fatale Farmgirl 