JAPAN
I know, it has been a hot second since my last post, but I promise I have my reasons. Those being coming back from Japan and taking my finals as well as getting my passport stolen days before I fly home. I am now currently sitting in the airport before my ten hour flight, trying to convince myself to eat this blueberry bagel that the lady literally microwaved before giving me with the cream cheese on it!! Anyways, by now you have probably guessed that yes I managed to get a replacement passport before my flight. After 2 1/2 hours at the embassy, quite a few mix ups, and no cell phone later I managed to bargain my way to a 3 month replacement passport to magically get me home. And thank god I did because I would be homeless right about now if I hadn't. Trying to write this now I realize that I probably should have written this post a week ago when everything was still fresh in my mind, but that's what pictures are for right?? Get ready to be spammed by lots of pictures.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first thing I noticed when arriving in Japan was how little I got looked at. Yes I got looked at, I am a foreigner after all, but compared to Korea it felt like I actually had some breathing room. It was incredible. The second thing I noticed was the aging population in Osaka. I realized I hadn't seen a lot of older aged people in a very long time. Seoul is a very young city, walking around the streets where I live people are almost always between 20-35, whereas in Osaka it was a lot more varied. Perhaps Tokyo is more like Seoul? Not sure.
When we finally managed to get out of the airport and to our neighborhood it took us another hour wandering around the street, sweaty and confused, trying to find our airbnb. We had no internet, it had long fallen dark and I was sweating through my shirt. I thought Korea was hot? No, Japan is a whole different level of hell. But thanks to good old body language as none of us speak Japanese, we managed to point our way to help and find our way home.
The next thing you will notice if you come to Japan is the fact that it feels like you stepped back in time to the 90s. Flip phones are still being used, baggy pants, 90 clothes, cash only, and buildings that were probably all built in the 80s. I honestly kind of loved it. The style is very different from Korea. In Korea everyone dresses the same, be it very well, but still all the same. Korea is very trend heavy and conformity is expected. In Japan people looked different, style was expressed differently and their underground scene was not as hard to find as it is in Korea. Also, you will notice that the popular hair style for Japanese men is straight out of anime. Think anime boy hair, EVERYWHERE. Honestly can't say I'm that big a fan of it, but hey I get it.
Now this doesn't go for all Japanese people or all Korean people, but I found that Japanese people where quite darker than Korean people. I'm not sure if it is because it is more accepted to be darker in Japan or not. In Korea some people are almost too white it looks unnatural, as if they are sick. White skin is prized and on a hot day you will see parasols everywhere. It also isn't uncommon to see women in Korea whose face foundation is shades lighter than the rest of their body. However in Japan many more people have a nice healthy tan.
Our first meal in Japan! An awesome Udon place we went to twice because it was so good!!
Japan is the king of vending machines. They are EVERYWHERE. And they hold not just drinks for a hot day but also booze and cigarettes. All you gotta do is scan your ID and voila, a cold brewsky on a hot Osaka day. Now because I don't have a Japanese ID I was sadly not able to experience this wonder. But I digress.
TOILETS
The first place I went after I got off the plane in Japan was the bathroom. Look I had to pee I was holding it all flight. And my goodness I don't know what it is with the Japanese people but they got this toilet thing down! Bidets are common place and the sink I used had water, soap, and a hand dryer all located in the sink itself, dang! Compared to Korea, Japan bathrooms are heaven. If I didn't mention earlier, Korea's sewage system is a little lacking which translates to being forced to toss your used toilet paper in a trashcan next to the toilet, that is if they even have toilet paper, because the pipes can't take all that blockage. Well I'll tell you every time I walk into the bathroom I tell myself, "Ok Elle remember to toss the TP" but every time like clock work my muscle memory would kick in and down in the bowl the TP would go. Ok TMI I get it. We can move on. Oh and before I leave this subject I only used a squat toilet once and I will never choose to again. How does one squat and do their business at the same time? Maybe these people have thighs of steels because its a damn work out trying to figure that out.
Oh and almost forgot, Japan has no sewage smell! In Korea it's normal to be walking and pass through a waft of sewage smell, like I'm not kidding all the time. I was so surprised walking around I was like hey! This air smells like air!
BLUE SKY
It was incredible how being in Japan reminded me of home. After being in downtown Seoul for so long I forgot what residential living looked like. Also I keep getting nostalgic for the US when looking out the subway window and I thought to myself, why is that? Then I realized it was because the sky is actually BLUE in Japan. I realized I had not seen a blue sky in the two months I'd lived in Seoul. It's crazy how a glimpse of a blue sky could make me so home sick.
All in all Japan was an awesome experience, I got to see amazing and beautiful places, eat amazing food, spend time with some of my best friends, and explore Japanese culture. The Japanese people are very kind and were nothing but sweet to me and I'm so thankful I got to have that experience.
Now for the pictures you have all been waiting for!
Soba is AMAZING, and the old couple were laughing at us because we didn't know how to eat it. lol
Temples, temples, and more temples!
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