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Monday, 27 August 2018
The Monday Piece - Jimbocho, Book Street Tokyo
This weeks Monday Piece is on Jimbocho, book street Tokyo! Part of the magic of living in Tokyo is being surrounded by what seems like a never ending path of back streets, waiting to be discovered. Today Nick took me to 'Book Street' in Jimbocho which is exactly that... A street (a few streets actually), FULL of bookstores - essentially most of the stores are like a real life 'Flourish and Blotts' as they sell not only new books but also used books from across the globe, with some dating back hundreds of years. Expect to find rare first edition books, series of texts that are 500 years old, and leather bound part hand written part printed books as well as newly published texts. The stores are incredible and an absolute treasure trove for book lovers - of course with rareness comes some verrrry hefty price tags with some of the books fetching thousands of pounds, but there are also used books for just a few pounds too so there us something for everyone! I'd recommend this place even if you aren't a bookworm as it's pretty awesome and the history surrounding the street is interesting and diverse, and there are many books published in a plethora of foreign languages so of you're after a good read that's not in Japanese then this is your place!
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Sunday, 19 August 2018
The Monday Piece - Sanrio Puroland Japan
This week's Monday Piece is on Sanrio Puroland Japan! You may know that I'm an absolute Hello Kitty freak...i adore her, she's cute, sassy, a business woman, and has endless talents, so obviously I had to make a pilgrimage to her land - Sanrio Puroland. I went with a few girlfriends from Tokyo who also love everything Sanrio and kawaii so it was very exciting entering such a magical kingdom. We got the tickets half price online before the trip so it only cost around £14.00 to get in, and we were there 9 hours so it's fantastic value for money - they do get you in the gift shop though make sure you take enough funds for that experience! I don't want to give too many details away as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to go... But I will say this... I was not disappointed and it surpassed all of my expectations and more. You must go, it's a day full of excitement, performances, kawaii madness, and whimsical emotions. I've added a few pictures below so you can check out the cuteness scale, EVERYTHING is themed, whether it's the food, walls, bathrooms or staff, it's a sight to witness!
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Monday, 13 August 2018
The Monday Piece - Climbing Mount Fuji Top Tips
This week's Monday Piece is on climbing Mount Fuji top tips! On Saturday night Nick and I climbed through the night to reach the peak of Mount Fuji ready for the glorious sun rise. We'd talked about hiking the mountain but I have zero experience so I was a little apprehensive about taking on the beast, but after a little consideration I decided to go for it and take it on! I'm trying to push myself out of my comfort zone more and more, so this seemed like a fantastic challenge, of course prior to the trip I had friends and acquaintances tell me horror stories of failed attempts and serious struggles but I didn't let that hinder my cause. I must admit I relied on Nick planning the whole thing because I didn't really want to overwhelm myself with information and stress of organising something I didn't know much about - of course I knew the basics so I was ready for her.
We hiked the more popular Yoshida route, so started from the 5th station, this route increaseas the chance of getting altitude sickness but it was the best option for us. We took a steady pace and didn't want to burn ourselves out too quickly and took regular breaks for the whole route. We made our way up the mountain steadily, and didn't rest or sleep in the huts as it was really busy and wanted to continue to get to the top in ample time. I hadn't realised how rocky the mountain was but scrambling and pulling myself up higher for hours was a great experience and a challenge I hadn't experienced before! Getting to the top felt like such a physical and mental accomplishment, and getting to see the incredible sun rise at 3776 metres above sea level was absolutely worth it! Getting back down was more of a challenge than I anticipated, my legs tightened up and I'd not been eating enough, but after fuelling my body I was bouncing down and enjoying it!
Check out my top tips below if you're thinking of taking on Fuji-san.
1. Take SUGAR - my top tip, if you hike throughout the night you will get mega tired, refuel your body with regular bursts of sugar, without this I'm not sure I would've got down the mountain as beforehand I was seriously lagging. I took sour sugary sweets so anything like that or sugary energy gels will do the trick.
2. Wear comfy light layers - take lots of light layers that you can store in your hiking bag, it gets so cold the higher you go up and you will definitely need them, especially gloves, and a hat and scarf.
3. Take lots of water - staying hydrated is important on a normal day, so when you're hiking for 12-16 hours it's imperative. The mountain huts sell bottle water but expect to pay ¥400 for the privilege.
4. Wear decent hiking gear - we rented ours from a store in Shinjuku, if you don't have your own gear then hiring is the best option. We got shoes, rain jacket and trousers, bag, headlamp, gators, poles and free socks for ¥8500 yen all in. You'll need the poles so don't skimp on those!
5. Go steady - don't start off too fast or try to rush it, because of the altitude it gets tougher the higher you go so conserve your energy and take regular breaks.
6. Take food - prepacked meals, snacks, and anything else you fancy, food is key. You can buy it on the mountain but it's expensive and options are limited.
7. Only pack the essentials - I took maybe too many essentials, but stick to food, water, layers, wet wipes, toilet roll, plastic bags for rubbish, and a few necessary emergency items like oxygen cans (in case of altitude sickness) and a small emergency kit.
8. Coins - ¥100 coins are so important as you have to pay for every thing on the mountain, even the toilets...
9. Enjoy the experience - the whole thing can be daunting, especially if you have little hikng experience, but enjoy it and embrace the challenge, don't panic or over think it. The feeling of completing the highest mountain in Japan is pretty epic.
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We hiked the more popular Yoshida route, so started from the 5th station, this route increaseas the chance of getting altitude sickness but it was the best option for us. We took a steady pace and didn't want to burn ourselves out too quickly and took regular breaks for the whole route. We made our way up the mountain steadily, and didn't rest or sleep in the huts as it was really busy and wanted to continue to get to the top in ample time. I hadn't realised how rocky the mountain was but scrambling and pulling myself up higher for hours was a great experience and a challenge I hadn't experienced before! Getting to the top felt like such a physical and mental accomplishment, and getting to see the incredible sun rise at 3776 metres above sea level was absolutely worth it! Getting back down was more of a challenge than I anticipated, my legs tightened up and I'd not been eating enough, but after fuelling my body I was bouncing down and enjoying it!
Check out my top tips below if you're thinking of taking on Fuji-san.
1. Take SUGAR - my top tip, if you hike throughout the night you will get mega tired, refuel your body with regular bursts of sugar, without this I'm not sure I would've got down the mountain as beforehand I was seriously lagging. I took sour sugary sweets so anything like that or sugary energy gels will do the trick.
2. Wear comfy light layers - take lots of light layers that you can store in your hiking bag, it gets so cold the higher you go up and you will definitely need them, especially gloves, and a hat and scarf.
3. Take lots of water - staying hydrated is important on a normal day, so when you're hiking for 12-16 hours it's imperative. The mountain huts sell bottle water but expect to pay ¥400 for the privilege.
4. Wear decent hiking gear - we rented ours from a store in Shinjuku, if you don't have your own gear then hiring is the best option. We got shoes, rain jacket and trousers, bag, headlamp, gators, poles and free socks for ¥8500 yen all in. You'll need the poles so don't skimp on those!
5. Go steady - don't start off too fast or try to rush it, because of the altitude it gets tougher the higher you go so conserve your energy and take regular breaks.
6. Take food - prepacked meals, snacks, and anything else you fancy, food is key. You can buy it on the mountain but it's expensive and options are limited.
7. Only pack the essentials - I took maybe too many essentials, but stick to food, water, layers, wet wipes, toilet roll, plastic bags for rubbish, and a few necessary emergency items like oxygen cans (in case of altitude sickness) and a small emergency kit.
8. Coins - ¥100 coins are so important as you have to pay for every thing on the mountain, even the toilets...
9. Enjoy the experience - the whole thing can be daunting, especially if you have little hikng experience, but enjoy it and embrace the challenge, don't panic or over think it. The feeling of completing the highest mountain in Japan is pretty epic.
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Monday, 6 August 2018
The Monday Piece - The Great Buddha of Kamakura
This week's Monday Piece is on the Great Buddha of Kamakura! Last week
Nick and I took a trip to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, spend time by the ocean and relax outside of the city. The Great Buddha is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 11.4 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan! The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall, however the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries - so since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open air. For only £0.14 you can enter inside the hollow statue and view how it was constructed! Entrance to the temple is about £1.30 and it's a short stroll from the main train station, if you're looking for a relaxing break outside of Tokyo then head to Kamakura for seaside fun and heaps of Japanese culture.
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Nick and I took a trip to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, spend time by the ocean and relax outside of the city. The Great Buddha is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 11.4 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan! The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall, however the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries - so since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open air. For only £0.14 you can enter inside the hollow statue and view how it was constructed! Entrance to the temple is about £1.30 and it's a short stroll from the main train station, if you're looking for a relaxing break outside of Tokyo then head to Kamakura for seaside fun and heaps of Japanese culture.
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