Nijo Castle Kyoto

Like all foreigners who have been in Japan for several months - we tend to go visit our nearby neighbors and Kyoto is one of my favorite place to go to - if there was a long weekend.  I’ve been to Nijo Castle in Kyoto once with some friends and it was pretty quiet and tranquil.

We had taken a bus to Nijo Castle and like most foreigners we thought we were being smart by getting the bus pass - that takes us to several touristy places in Kyoto - but alas, apparently, we are not the only one with smart thinking haha!  Yes ! it was packed but that’s alright - we had fun waiting for the next bus and we met some really nice people going to Nijo Castle as well.

Nijo Castle had very impressive architecture as you can see here at the entrance and it was built to protect the Imperial Palace.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the grounds but the outside garden was not a problem - like most castles in Japan - this one was quite similar.  Admission to Nijo Castle is about 600 Yen - about $5 Canadian I think and if you want an English guide you have to pay extra.  Nijo Castle is said to be build by a Shogun and they lived inside the castle to protect the imperial palace.

Japanese Wives Club

When I was living in Japan for 6 months - I’ve had the privileged to meet some wonderful wives of my engineers stationed in Japan - and they taught me many things about shopping in Japan.  A lot of people thinks that shopping in Japan is expensive but they are just like us in the West - and only buy quality things and things that are on sale - and using wet seal coupons as well - to get the best deals.  One very important lesson I learned from these Japanese wives is that they never buy things that are not of good quality and of a good deal.  Even when it comes to groceries and marketing - they buy the freshest but the cheapest and make the best dish for their husbands when they come home from work.  So yes!  the Japanese wives club had ladies ranging from the age of 25 - right up to 45 of age.  And for every thing they buy for themselves and for their family - they take care in getting the right things for them.

Nail Art In Japan

Nail art from Japan has gotta be one of the most amazing art work that I’ve seen and they really make you feel like yo8u are so outdated.  This is a halloween nail art - so it looks kinda horror but there are so many cute ones that one can choose to wear.   i don’t know how one works with nails like that but when you are shopping in Tokyo - you will see lots of younger girls having nail art on their hands.   I hear they are pretty expensive - but I do like them and will try them out when I do visit Japan again.

Yabaton In Nagoya

Some said this will caused a cardiac arrest - hahah! but I still had to try it.   A huge pork cutlet with miso sauce with rice at the bottom of the bowl and it was super cheap too.  The miso sauce isn’t as thick but was still good but just be prepared to wait for 15 mins for your seat - I’m just happy that the friend I was with knows the owner and we got in immediately.

1000 Yen @ Mac’s Japan

So summer just ended in Japan as well last week but in Japan - they had a set menu for 3 for 1000 Yen and 1000 Yen is like 10 bucks here and this campaign lasted the entire summer.  For 1000 Yen - 3 person can expect a Big Mac, a teriyaki burger, a cheeseburger, 3 fries and 3 drinks - not bad for $10 in Japan if you asked me - wished I had known about this earlier - so that I could tell my readers.

Living In Japan

Houses may be small in Japan - and most people only lived in cubicle houses or apartments - but the Japanese living is by far the most innovative - because they have all sorts of gadgets to make living easier and so much more pleasant.  One would think you cannot entertain in such a small place - but it’s far from the truth - because the Japanese uses the electric grill to BBQ and entertain so much - just like us in the west.   They also have this tako machine that I wished I had bought one back from japan - and they make this yummy tako and have tako parties.  The Japanese loved grilling everything and anything they can lay their hands on - and entertaining whether family or friends is second nature to them.

Dotonbori Osaka

Whenever I am in Osaka - or if anyone talk about Osaka - I remember this Crab restaurant also known as Kani Doraku ( Kani I think means Crab).  This is a well known landmark for Osaka and Dotonbori Osaka. Steamboat and crabs of course !  not too expensive in my humble opinion - so don’t forget to check it out when you are in Osaka.

The Glico man is another landmark in Dotonbori, Osaka

Kobe, Japan

I love Kobe, Japan a lot - there is the old Kobe and the new Kobe - and of course the new Kobe consist of high rise and all the modern stuff - from water pumps and water fountains in the park.  Kobe Bay is one of my favorite places to show off to visitors who have never been here before.

The Kobe Port Tower and the Carillon is another place I like in Kobe.

And of course the earthquake measuring thingie  - to remind everyone of the huge earthquake that Kobe had in 1995.  But like I said - this is the modern side of Kobe - where all the high tech amenities are all over  - but wait till you see the old Kobe - where water pumps are not something they commonly use - they use wells and hot tubs.

Avid Gardeners In Japan

My girlfriend from Canada - who moved to Japan permanently became an avid gardener after seeing what her neighbor did with hers.  In Japan - space and a garden is rare - but those who own their own house definitely took the time to beautify their home and garden themselves and we all know that the Japanese are meticulous and they are quite artsy.  I loved their garden for they are so zen like - so calming - and of course they are into the recycle thingie and compost bin is a big thing for them in Japan.  I never knew much about compost bins till I came to Canada - and now everything needs to be separated.  But with the right compost bin - you can even save on the fertilizer for your garden.  Pretty awesome right !  no wonder the Japanese loved the compost bin so much and of course gardening has never been easier.

Hot Springs and Ryokan In Ito, Japan

We were in Tokyo for a long weekend when a friend suggested we go visit a hot spring and stay in a Ryokan in Ito Japan.   So since I haven’t been to Ito - I said yes - and away we went to book our tickets for a train - bullet train actually to Ito.  We had an uneventful 2 hrs ride up to Ito - and when we did arrived at the Ryokan - we were quite tired.

It was an uneventful trip - we ate, we slept and we took advantage of the hot spring and soak ourselves silly.  hahha