So, anyone that knows anything about me knows that I've been obsessed with the idea of visiting Japan for a long while now. The food, the culture, the cities, everything had such great appeal. This past September I FINALLY made the trip with my buddy Pierre. It did not disappoint.
CITIES
I won't get too in depth here. We visited 3 of Japan's biggest cities with a quick stop in Nara.
Tokyo is an endless urban sprawl. If you want the hustle and bustle of NY x10 then this is the place for you. There are quite a few areas that feel like they could be Times Square, mainly Shibuya crossing. Each neighborhood has it's own stuff going on and it would take an eternity to explore the whole city.
Osaka is also very large. Def a different vibe from Tokyo, Osaka is a culinary city with delicious street food galore. Osaka Castle is definitely the prettiest of the Japanese palaces. The aquarium and massive ferris wheel were also worth the trip.
Nara, DEER!
Kyoto was my personal favorite. The city is nice but there is also a lot of preserved history in the form of architecture and Geishas . Plus, NATURE! Which you don't see a lot of outside of parks in the other cities. Highlights included food, monkeys (yup) , ridiculous photo booths, and karaoke.
Don't touch the Geisha. Don't do it! Also keep your selfie stick at home.
Public transportation is a thing of beauty in all of Japan's cities. Signs are VERY easy to follow, and with a little help from google you will have absolutely no problem getting where you need to go without knowing a spec of Japanese.
FOOD
Good god man. There was an up and downside to the food in Japan. The upside being basically everything is delicious. You can walk into any 711 and grab a fresh onigiri or any other well made snack. The downside is that certain foods, especially sushi, are now ruined for my because nothing in the states can compete.
On recommendation of my homie Anthony Bourdain, my number one priority was sushi at Yasuda. This was not a mistake. The first thing you have to understand is that this isn't just food, it's an experience. You are dining with a man that has devoted his life to sushi and they cater to that. Your interaction with the few members of the staff is minimal, and your focus is appropriately placed on Yasuda himself. He will talk you through each selection and you will leave knowing more about what you just ate than anyone would ever think to learn. The course is supposed to be around 14 pieces, but as long as you're hungry he'll keep going. I think we ended upwards of 35. If you go to Tokyo and only eat at one place I can not stress enough how crucial it is that it be Yasuda and that you try everything. I usually don't eat roe or uni because I don't like what you get in the states. What you'll get here is something completely different and worth getting out of your comfort zone of taste for.
The man, the myth, the legend. Yasuda.
Osaka was full of street food: takoyaki and yakitori galore. Also had a bowl of curry katsu udon that I wish someone in LA would replicate because it was to die for. In Kyoto we discovered that malls all had large sections of food. Not your typical food court. Anything you can imagine is there for the eating and you'd do well to try as much as you can without exploding.
Another absolute experience was Kyoto's Kichi Kichi Omurice. This guy is a character and a half. They're famous for their rice omelette but everything else we tried was insanely good as well. He will work the camera for you all night, he loves it.
Back in Tokyo we decided to stop at Ishibashi Sukiyaki. This is one of the oldest restaurants in Tokyo and they've done a good job of keeping it retro. Shoes off and you get your own little room to dine it. There's a woman who comes in and cooks for you right there. Interaction can get a little weird, but it was fun and very yum.
Ramen gets it's own paragraph here because to me it is it's own food group. I love ramen. It's an almost unhealthy addiction. We had it 3 times while in Japan. Ichiran, the biggest chain, was good and a fun experience. The hole in the wall mom and pop type place was by far the best though and I would kill to eat it again.
So very yum.
CULTURE
The culture is what really sold me on Japan. You are taught to have respect for public places. What might be a slight inconvenience for you is accepted because it's better for the greater good. Because of this everything is SO CLEAN. I've never seen nicer public bathrooms in my life. If you go, don't be a dick, follow their lead. Everything is so structured and people abide by this to result in maximum efficiency. Walk where you're supposed to, do this, don't do that. It's mathematical in a way.
People just leave things sitting out (like bikes) without even worrying about it because NOBODY IS AN ASSHOLE! That sense of honor is really what America is lacking. They will also go out of their way to help you. Seriously the nicest people.
Pretty much everyone is an Otaku in Japan. I saw a 90 year old woman playing Pokemon Go on the bus. Kids and adults alike enjoy Manga and Anime. The ENTIRE Tokyo Tower was One Piece themed when we were there!
Such a nerd
Lastly, and I did not know this until we arrived, but you can drink pretty much anywhere. Totally fine. That guy sleeping on the sidewalk in a suit? Don't mind him, just a drunk salaryman, pay no attention.
Overall, Japan was a magical place. If I had visited at a younger age I might have even been tempted to try living there for a couple years afterwards. I'll definitely be going back soon.
To view my full photo album of our Japan trip CLICK HERE