Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
I woke up after a fair night of sleep considering I had crossed half a world the previous day. Thus I came face to face with the difference of Japanese and American bathrooms. All of the hotels I stayed at on my tour had Western style toilets, which I was thankful for (for more on Japanese style toilets, stay tuned for more blog entries). However, the Western style toilets in the hotel had a lot of extra "washing" features that the average American may not be used to. Some people were confused by the two options which were depicted by a picture of a water spout and a picture of a woman. Let me spell it out for anyone in similar confusion: the spout one is for the part all people have and the woman button is for the part only woman have. Got it? Good. Too much information? Probably. But moving on to the other parts of the bathroom, such as the bath. The bath is much deeper than the average American bath so if you stumble to shower the first thing in the morning, you probably will underestimate the height of the bath and end up with a bruised knee, much as I did. Another slight difference was that all the shower heads I encountered in Japan were detachable. That's really it for the bathroom differences, so if you have heard horror stories about Japanese bathrooms, you can calm down because they are rather similar. Most hotels I stayed in even supply shampoo, conditioner, and body soap along with bath sponges and other toiletries. So, you may be able to skip out on these things if you are hoping to travel light.
After my first morning prep in Japan, it was time to eat! Thankfully, our breakfasts would be included for the duration of the tour (if we were willing to wake up with enough time to eat before our meeting time, that is). The breakfast style consisted of half Japanese and half Western food. There were a lot of options and sides to suit everyone's tastes. I jumped in and had miso soup and rice along with cornflakes. The hotel had a wide variety of teas and coffee, which was surprisingly strong to my taste. Generally, for breakfast, hotels will supply coffee and brown rice tea to drink. I highly recommend the brown rice tea, which is tasty plan, with sugar, or with cream British style like I had it. There was also a juice machine much like you have probably seen at breakfast buffets in the USA, but the Japanese ones have the option to carbonize your juice, which caught a lot of people off guard initially. Note to the first time traveler in Japan: pictures will be your best friend when selecting drinks of food. As fun as it is to just pick at random, if you have particular tastes you may want to study the picture of a certain choice before taking action. Usually somewhere on the lable it will have a hint of what you are about to get.
After breakfast we had to pack up quickly to get on the road again. I was sorry to leave Osaka so soon. Though we only got to explore one shopping mall area, it looked like a fun city with underground roads for easy navigation. Definitely worth stopping in and I hope to go back to explore it further.
Our next stop would be Himeji Castle en route to our next city: Hiroshima. Himeji Castle was currently under construction and we had previously been told we would not be able to see it as planned and instead would be treated to free time in Kurashiki, which is a beautiful historic town concentrated along a very pretty canal. But somehow we ended up being able to walk the outer gate of the castle and spend a little time in Kurashiki. I found it a little confusing based off my contact with the tour company, but just went with it because I had really wanted to see Himeji Castle. I was really happy that when we boarded the bus this time, a girl requested I sit with her. Most of my anxiety of this trip wasn't not knowing the language well, but the capability to make friends. And this one gesture really made me relax and believe I could just be myself with the tour group. The bus ride was going to be a long one, but time flew by as I chatted with the girls around me. I was surprised when we entered Himeji city.
It turned out to be a beautiful site even with the addition of construction cranes hovering around its walls. There was actually a lot of ground to cover in what was call the "outer gate." We followed the winding hallways through a maze of small exhibits, showing off old painted wooden panels and numerous empire's crests. There were many signs posted explaining the exhibits in detail, but our group was rushing through and I did not get to read anything. Though the company is called "Education First," my group had other priorities, such as shopping and eating. I went along with them all while on the trip, but looking back I wish I would have stopped more often to read and understand the history and culture I was observing. Castles, museums, and shrines will surely be on your list of things to see, but I recommend not just seeing them, but actively participating in them so you have more to reflect on than just being there and taking pictures (such as I sadly am).
After trudging around the rain soaked castle, our group was let loose on the surrounding area of the city. I was surprised to find that the souvenir shops close to the castle were actually decently priced and worth stopping in to get Himeji themed gifts and knick knacks. Also, this is where I really began to appreciate the staff at the stores. They were very patient and welcoming as we Americans swarmed their shelves. Though we were barely listening, they greeted us with happy "Irrashimastes." I suggest always at least replying "domo" in response. If you just ignore them it seems rude. The workers in Japan to me seemed incredibly dedicated to their work and taking pride in their jobs. They also respond better to your questions if you show a little interest and understanding of the culture. They also had no problem breaking the large bills the international ATMs gave us. In Japan, a little curtesy goes a long way and you will be on your way to not being just another annoying forgiener.
This city is also where I got my first combini lunch. Combini are convenient stores, but the Japanese ones my group encountered are much better quality than their American counterparts. Each one was stocked up on bentos, hot and cold, filled with rice, tempura, and noodles. They also had a full section of quick meals like sushi and onigiri, which were surprisingly good quality. Additionally, they have a wonderful selection of bread - from pastries to savory, it is a magical collection. I highly recommend just trying whatever catches the eye, I never broughr a bread I regretted. However, combinis are not a well kept secret and they can get cleaned out fast! So if you spy something, grab it when you see it! Sadly, I wandered the store first and lost out on the onigiri I had been eyeing. Instead, I grabbed a pair of sandwiches in a bag that reminded me of Uncrustables. Imagine my surprise when I bit into it and chocolate and vanilla met my tongue! Turns out these little bagged sandwiches came in all kinds of flavors with meats, jams, puddings, and all other kinds of fillings. They were a great value being around $1, but probably like Uncrustables, were not very nutritious. I often grabbed the peanut butter filled ones for a quick vegetarian to go meal. But peanut butter is not at all like the kind we know and love. I would explain it as more butter than peanut. It is light in color and more creaming. Not many seem to like it, but I enjoyed it.
After we had grabbed our first themed souvenirs and quick lunches, my group was back on our bus and in route to Kurishiki. I was in love with the little town when we pulled up to it. The architecture was very traditional and the town way laid out beside a canal, which they covered with beautiful red bridges. It was a gorgeous setting even on a raining day. It is also the place where I found my first Studio Ghibli store! I was in full blown fan girl mode. I wanted to buy everything in site! It was a dizzying experience. But, if you are such a fan as I am, don't waste all your money on one store. There are Studio Ghibli stores in any city and often sections dedicated to them in toy stores. So do not go on a one stop spending spree like I did. Though, I was with two other avid fans, so I do not regret our shared gleeful experience. Sadly, we were given only 30 minutes to explore and shop and my small group of Studio Ghibli fans arrived late to my tours meeting point. This was the start of a strict schedule that proved to be rather annoying and constraining to me and my fellow shopping enthusiasts on the tour. If you are on a tour with scheduled stops and have been saving up for a shopping spree, you might want to make it a priority for your given free time. I was often faced with choosing between seeing landmarks, shopping, or eating. Thankfully, I feel I was able to get my fill of landmarks thanks to the tour's well packed schedule and got my spending spree taken care of thanks to my tourmates prioritizing shopping. But I had a lot of combini meals, which was nice on the wallet, but I wish I would have eaten in more restaurants and explored more of the tastes offered there. Be sure you give yourself enough time!
- comments