Japan

In January of 2019, we returned to Japan for another 3 week visit to Hakuba, Kanazawa, Kaga Onsen, Osaka, Kyoto and of course Tokyo.
 
From Tokyo, we took the bullet train to Nagano then a taxi to the town of Hakuba, which hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, but is now mostly run by Australian sports enthusiasts. It was snowing, and we rented all of our ski gear. We had shabu shabu at the hotel for dinner. The food was rather expensive because we were out in the mountains. The next day, we met our ski instructor outside the hotel. Jessica grew up in the French Alps, but because her mother was English, she spoke with a perfect British accent. Apparently, she was a ski racer in the Junior Olympics, which means she must have been amazing. However, she couldn’t continue because she broke her back, then on other occasions broke several ribs, broke her hand, was frostbitten, and endured other horrendous injuries. She was definitely an interesting character, to say the least. For the two six-hour days, she brought us down many slopes at Iimori Resort and helped us to improve our skills. I started around level 4 because I was just learning to parallel ski. My brother, Joshua, was probably a level 3 because he still relied on the “snowplow” or “pizza” method. For lunch on the second day, she even brought us to a pizza restaurant at the base of the other side of Goryo Mountain.
 
After two days of skiing, we took the train to Kanazawa where we spent three nights. This city was famous for their snow crabs and produce 99% of the gold leaf in Japan. One of the days, we visited one of the most famous Japanese gardens, Kenrokuen Garden. Because it was winter, most of the trees were tied using spiderweb-like ropes to prevent snow from crushing the branches. The garden was intricately shaped to imitate nature, with beautiful fountains and waterfalls. There was a very famous lantern at the center along with a 300-year-old fountain. A teahouse sat in the middle overlooking the calm waters.
 
After Kanazawa, we took a quick, twenty-minute train ride to Kaga Onsen where we stayed at an amazing ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. The rooms were Japanese style with futons for beds and even included a private onsen or hot bath. In the afternoon, the owner of the ryokan invited us for a welcoming Japanese tea ceremony. Here, he executed a methodical series of rituals to make the tea and served it to us in bowls. For dinner that night, we had a huge meal of crabs; they were served raw, boiled, baked, and also cooked with porridge. One of the servers told us that our family alone had eaten a whole SIXTEEN crabs. I don’t know if that’s accurate but it sure was a feast.
 
The next day, we took a walk along the river around the small town of Yamanaka. The plant life was beautiful and all the rocks were covered in green moss. Apparently, this area was a source of inspiration for the renown haiku poet Basho. My dad challenged us to a competition to find mushroom first. He won, but I found the most mushrooms. For lunch, we ate simple but delicious handmade soba noodles in town. Afterward, we relaxed in the onsen and had a meal of net-caught duck for dinner.
 
Our next stop was the big city of Osaka. We were excited to return to the malls connected to our hotel in the Umeda train station complex. This time, my brother and I explored the three interconnected malls on our own while our parents went out for dinner. I took Joshua for dinner on the top floor, where there was a huge selection of delicious restaurant options. He really wanted to dine at the revolving sushi bar, but we eventually decided to have udon. I ordered a sukiyaki beef udon, and it was really good. Afterward, we went to the toy store in the basement of a connecting mall. Here, they had all kinds of the things he liked, including anime figures and LEGO sets. In the very front, there were several rows of gachapon machines, and I bought several capsules. Over the next few days, we kept coming back to this store and I bought some merch for my Canadian friend, including a few capsules. The second night, we had okonomiyaki, a type of fried Japanese pancake with soy sauce and mayonnaise. It was okay but too much food. On our final day, Dad took me to a tasty udon shop in town.
 
After Osaka, we took a quick train ride to Kyoto. We had been to this city several times, for it is one of the most historical cities in Japan. Since it was sunny when we arrived, we immediately headed for our favorite area, the Philosopher’s Walk along a small stream. In the stream, we sought out our fish buddies that we look for every year we go. They were more scattered this year, and we found large fish, medium fish, and tiny little guys. There were even ducks swimming along the stream, and a few cats walking around the passages. Due to rain the next day, we lunched indoors at the Takashimaya mall, where we had unagi/eel bowls. Mine came with a kettle of soup to pour over the rice. For dinner, we had an elaborate kaiseki meal at Hyotei. Apparently, the meal was similar to how it was served 400 years ago to the emperors. The next day was the 21st of January. On the 21st of each month, there is the Kobo-san Flea Market in the Toji Temple filled with street food, antique pottery, second-hand kimonos, decorative items, and so much more.
 
Back in Tokyo, we got to visit the new Toyosu Fish Market and dine at Quintessence, a fine French restaurant. On the second to last day of our trip, we visited Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo to visit the teamLab Borderless Digital Museum. This was a massive museum filled with moving flower projections, animated paintings, and simulations. Such a feast for the senses! Entering the first room, a digital garden, our eyes were filled with beautiful flowers that bloomed and fell around us. There was a room where butterflies emerged from cocoons projected onto people’s bodies. There were so many different rooms: one where we could sit peacefully amidst waves, one where hundreds of multi colored lantern-like light bulbs hung from the ceiling, one where we lay in a “nest” and felt like birds while being shown a dizzying video on the ceiling, and many more. My favorite was one where we colored animals on sheets of paper, then the staff scanned it in. Almost miraculously, the animal sprung to life. I colored in a rainbow alligator that crawled around and ate insects. Joshua made a bird that flew away. There were many other things I wanted to explore, but unfortunately we ran out of time. Because I have an interest in art and technology, this type of experience really inspired me and gave me ideas on how both fields can be used together.
 
I always bring home fond memories from our trips to Japan where I can enjoy the cutting technology new blended with refined culture combined with exquisite food.