War Heroes Of Japan

Some people are offended with the Yasukuni Shrine - in Tokyo - but the Ysaukuni Shrine is where the remains of the soldiers and more than 1000 convicted war criminal from WWII are now.  I can really understand why some Koreans and Chinese are upset with the shrine - because my own grandparents were one that wouldn’t buy anything Japanese as long as they lived.  My grandfather used to say that the Japanese not only invaded our country but they violated our womenfolks and killed our children.

The Shrine was a very beautiful place - very serene - love the building - as you can see here.

We had lunch in the nearby cafe and watched the world go by and many who came to see the shrine were tourist but I see lots of Japanese too.

Famous Miso Katsu In Nagoya

Miso Katsu is very famous in Nagoya - therefore if you are there - you have to try it out.  While most restaurant would just pour tons of miso sauce onto your Katsu - you can definitely ask for them to have the sauce on the side.  They even have Miso cutlet on a stick - pretty yummy and a must try according to everyone - even the pamplet at the tour desk recommends it.  For those who are not aware of what a Katsu is - it’s pork deep fried in bread crumbs - really tender inside and crispy on the outside - sinful?  yes - very!  but what the heck - you don’t go to Japan everyday right.

Bamboo Water & Ladle

Don’t be surprised when you visit Japan and they asked you to drink from a bamboo scoop - when you visit a temple.  You would also noticed that a lot of people are drinking from the same scoop - and it’s a kinda culture in Japan.  Do i ever drink from the wooden bamboo ladle?  no i usually just scooped them and put some in my hand and wash my face.  So yes! you don’t have to - drink it - it’s only polite not to gawk if you see them do it though.

Wisteria Flowers In Season

Sometime in May every year - there is the Wisteria Flower Festival in Japan that I remembered when i was in Japan for work.  Held in a shrine - there are these kind of purple flowers all over for folks to enjoy - very much like lavendar but not. They are definitely fragrant though - i loved the festival a lot because during the evening the place get lit up right up to late at night.

Okonomiyaki In Tokyo

Everyone I know wants to there Okonomiyaki when they are in Tokyo - I myself wasn’t any different when i first arrived.  Oknonomiyaki is like a pancake with all sorts of ingredient in it and an incredible sauce on top of it.  At the Shibuya district - you can find gret Okonimiyaki restaurant there. If you take a short walk from the Shibuya JR line,  you can find several there - i won’t say anyone is better than the other but it’s pretty good.

More Shrines In Japan

There are just so many shrines in Japan - the Japanese can’t get enough of it - it would seems - just like my dear friend with her acne treatments - she gets them treated everytime - while the Japanese goes to the temple or shrine for different purposes.  Different shrines are for different stuff - like you can have one for business and another to get pregnant and another one to find love.

My grandmother used to say that the Japanese are just another breed of people originally from China but branch out to be in Japan and created their own clan - i don’t know how true it is - but the Japanese sure has a lot in common with us the chinese.

This temple is known as the God of Business - so if you are a busines man or anyone who doesn’t want to lose their job - they come pray to Kanda Myojin.  I heard that it was so famous that companies from far and near Tokyo comes here to pray for good business every year.  As we all know - the Asians including myself are very superstitious people - so yes - anything to help the business.

An Imperial Tour In Tokyo

I think one of the main reasons why i didn’t go for the imperial tour is because you need to apply to go for the tour.  No private tours from any tour agency can do it - you have to apply on the website of the imperial palace or call - but still you need to let them have your passport details to be checked out.  Security is quite strict - so make sure to allocate them for them to process your application.  Yes, quite a hassle that’s the reason why - most people don’t get to tour the Imperial Palace where the King still resides.  So I went on to www.adipexdietpills.org to check on how to lose weight for a girlfriend who was planning to visit and insisted on visiting the palace.

Imperial Palace Tokyo is built over the site of the former Edo Castle, which dates to the mid-fifteenth century as the residence of the ruling Tokugawa shogun during the end of the Kamakura Shogunate. Imperial Palace history begins when the original Edo Castle was largely destroyed in an 1873 fire, and all that remain of it today are some ramparts, outlying buildings, and elaborate stone walls and foundations. Some lovely traditional Japanese bridges also remain, and several beautiful gardens  are part of the entire park complex. Today the palace complex is a beautiful and tranquil place to visit in the huge metropolis of Tokyo.

Cheapest Vending Machine In Japan

This hello kitty vending machine is not only cute but cheapest I’ve seen all over Japan - found this in Osaka and had forgotten all about it.   They may not have moyoberry juice but for 50 Yen - about 60 cents here - you cannot really ask for more.  They did have a good variety of drinks to choose from - and Japan being very expensive - whether you are on vacation or like an expat like i was for 6 months - i got quite fascinated by this cheap vending machine.  Why can’t everyone have this vending machine all over Japan instead of having us pay like $2.00 for a drink - right even in the middle of nowhere.

Blooming In Japan

Yes! it’s blooming in Japan and if you are heading for vacation - it’s hot! hot! hot! but you definitely would love the flowers !  and eat lots of ice cream!

Japanese Eats Weird Stuff

Yes!  the Japanese can come up with some strange concoction for their food - seaweed in their buns - or squash or sweet potatoes - pickles! mannn! i’m asian but when the girlfriend sent this picture of the food she just had as a snack when she was on trip to an island around Hokkaido - i had to tell her - that I won’t be able to stomach that - thank you very much.   If you ever wonder why I never put on much weight when i was in japan - well it was definitely not the best weight loss product one can find in Japan but the more healthier choice of food and the weird ones of course that we won’t touch.   I know, i know ! i said i would eat anything once - but really!  seaweed???? blah!