Japan was the most amazingly weird place I have ever been. Totally worth the 21 hour solo flight around the world and $4,000 credit card debt that took almost a year to pay off (I underestimated the value of the yen vs. the U.S. dollar- oops). Here is an overview of some random thoughts I jotted down throughout the trip, before I forgot anything.
-Go to the pet stores- they sell monkeys, kangaroos and other exoticness there.
-Ride the Shinkansen (bullet trains that travel up to 186 mph). Recline all the way and enjoy the wi-fi.
-Check out a baseball game. Weird but awesome.
-Watch a game show on TV. I had no idea what they were saying, but they looked so happy that it made me feel happy.
-Sing karaoke!!! Use the tambourines!
-Go to an onsen. Outdoor ones are better. Bring your own towel.
-Eat the pastries and ice cream. Try the crazy flavors (tofu, curry, sesame, sweet potato, wasabi to name a few).
-Eat ramen.
-Eat udon.
-Eat yakitori.
-Eat oni nomi naki.
-Eat at a conveyor sushi place.
-Eat tako yaki from the street vendors (extra great when you’re drunk!)
-Sakuraniku= raw horse meat. Just know that before you order.
-Check out the Don Quixote store. It’s like Wal-Mart on acid. You can buy toilet paper, whiskey and a kangaroo at the same check-out counter.
-Clubs have lockers in them.
-Kids typically speak better English than adults. Ask them for help/directions.
Kyoto
-Shrines and temples on every street
-Go to the monkey park. Take the hike and feed the monkeys at the top. Also a great view of the city.
-Check out the Gion district. Lots of cool temples, shopping, and this is where you could see a real geisha. They come out at night.
-The subway system is mostly hidden/non-existent. Unless you figure out the secret, the bus is the best way to get around.
Tokyo
-Party in Shibuya. Lots of great little bars and clubs.
–Club Womb supposedly has the biggest disco ball in a club, but you’ve gotta like heavy house music to enjoy it.
-Great shopping in Shibuya as well as Harajuku.
–Takeshita Dori: this is where the Harajuku girls hang out. BEST. PEOPLE WATCHING. EVER.
-Omotensando Hills: great street in Harajuku for high end shopping and awesome boutiques (birdbath rings!)
-Don’t bother with the Imperial Palace. Nice gardens, but you can’t even see the palace because there are huge walls around it.
Nagoya
-Check out Nagoya Castle and the park just north of it.
-Shop in Sakae and Aeon for nice stuff and Osu Kannon for cheap souvenirs.
-Takashimaya (in Nagoya Station) also is a great department store. They randomly have the Vivienne Westwood wedding dress that Carrie Bradshaw wore.
-Check out the Osu Kannon Temple. Watch out for the thousands of pigeons who are not afraid to mob humans with food.
-Club id in Sakae- five-stories and ran by an American. His name is Thomas.
-Don’t waste your money at the aquarium at Nagoyako (Nagoya port). The ones in Osaka and Okinawa are supposedly much better.
Casey Kurlander 
Oh wow!!! Some of these things you listed are already on my overstocked itinerary. But thanks so much, I’ll save this page and try and do as much of it as I can!
Thanks for reading my posts!
Xxx
Everybody on TV is overly happy! And yeah, you’re going to spend a LOT of money if you go…welcome to the most expensive city in the world 🙂
I didn’t know that I had to visit a pet store while in Japan!! My kids would have loved that. Guess that means we’ll have to go back in the future.
I really thank you for information! this is even very educational tip. I hope I will be able to explore all your experiences in my future. I am actually having more interests about these local ppl’s daily routine, such as what they do, think, how they spend spare times. getting to know the people makes everyday adventerous here in Japan. that’s all^^.
I appreciate your great tips. I will be sure to try many of them!
Sounds like you had a great time! come back and visit soon!!
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