Lost in Japan

Please click pictures for better view! :D

So, in one way or another, here I am in Japan! I still remember telling myself that I would come here for exchange when I first entered university. And now, I am really here. And surviving. Wow.

Contrary to what others say about being excited, perhaps it was because I was alone most of the time in the beginning when I first arrived, I actually felt really lonely during my first week in Japan. The fact that the weather was cold did not help at all. Being in a country that you are totally not familiar with, and realising that you are going to be there for another 5 months, was actually quite harsh.

But getting to meet Singapore friends after that, meeting and travelling with old friends, chatting online with my family (yes I never thought I would do this), getting into the rhythm of it all, make me feel a little better. The weather which started to turn warm also made my heart feel lighter :)

Kanda River, on the way to school

肥後細川庭園, on the way to school

Now that I've kind of settled down, I'm going to list down some highlights of what I've been doing in Japan so far. And also a list of what are some of the places I should revisit (and not).

Gokokuji Temple 

Gokokuji Temple is a temple near my house. It's quite big and has a few cherry blossoms. I like it as this is not a tourist spot so there were really little people.

Koshikawa Botanical Gardens

Koshikawa Botanical Gardens (not the famous Koshikawa Korakuen Garden) was probably the best decision I made during my visits to cherry blossom spots. I will definitely come back here! They had this area with a lot of cherry blossoms. Other than that, they had a big other part of the park with many different kinds of trees and flowers. 

I like that there was not a lot of people. It was lively, but not crowded. 

This is another part of the garden. It feels like another world right???!!

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

I think I came at the wrong time. This place is probably famous for its rose bed. but there were only thorns when I went... so I think I'll probably give this garden a miss the next time unless it's the season for roses.

 Rikugien Garden

After Koshikawa, Rikugien did feel a little underwhelming. The cherry blossom tree was at its full bloom though when I went, and I think it's because it's very well-maintained (?), so the tree itself was still very beautiful. But given the crowds, it might not very worth it to go back.

 Ueno Park & Tokyo National Museum

Ueno Park is a MUST GO. It was crowded, yes. But the park itself is so huge that it doesn't feel like much of a problem. There are also many museums and temples in the vicinity so you can spend the whole day here! 

My first time praying in Japan was at a shrine in Ueno Park. I felt really good afterwards, kind of like at peace? Like it was kind of telling me that everything was going to be fine :)

Tokyo National Museum. It has 3 buildings and I only went to 1 due to lack of time. Very worth a visit if you like art and history!

Tokyo Imperial Palace

I went during this special period so we managed to walk into the main palace grounds via Inui Street. It was not as magnificent as I thought. My friend and I only knew we were walking the special Inui Street after we exited the street LOL. Still this was a special event and the palace grounds is usually not opened, so it was interesting. The place was really huge!

The exit gate of Inui Street... at the point, we did not even know we were walking the open-only-once-a-year Inui Street

The East Imperial Palace grounds which is always open to the public

Chidorigafuchi Park

Hmmm the park was pretty, but nothing beats Koshikawa Botanical Gardens for me haha. It's also a little difficult to do hanami here as the trees all have a round barrier surrounding it.

Kinosaki Onsen

A must go!!! You should spend 3D2N here to enjoy fully!! There's 7 public baths, game centers, good (albeit expensive) food, temples, a ropeway (view from the top!!). Basically, it's a really good spot to just rest and relax! You should stay at a ryokan to get the full experience :) Staying at a ryokan also gives you free access to all 7 public baths for one day.

I made my own chopsticks here!

Dress up in yukatas!!

Himeji Castle

Another must go! Ignore the high admission fee! The inside of the castle is almost fully preserved, putting Osaka Castle (which I went to afterwards) to shame. Osaka Castle, while a really good museum, did not feel like a 'real' castle.  

There is this garden called Koko-en Garden near to the Himeji Castle grounds. It's also worth taking a look! 

Universal Studios Japan

Only one advice: BUY THE EXPRESS PASS, ANY EXPRESS PASS. Waiting for the queues was a torture!! 2 hours long just for one ride O_O If you like being immersed in the environment, buying cute toys, then this is the place for you. If you like roller coaster rides and think a theme park is defined by its roller coasters (like me), then maybe... USJ is not for you haha.

~

Okay I've reached the end for now. Will update more when I'm free.

School has just started and I'm starting to feel the burden of studying creeping up on me. Being a Singaporean literally means one cannot just be a bad student without feeling guilty. 

I'm going to join the Tea Ceremony Club! Other than the fact that my legs always go numb from the sitting position, the club looks fun. The people there are really nice too (how can people be that nice??? Now that I mention it, I meet a lot of nice Japanese people). Hope I get to learn the whole ceremony!!

じゃ、また！