We were so glad to embrace the first signs of warmth in March. The Ume (Japanese plums) bloomed and I finally visited a proper onsen (Japanese hot spring) and got used to being stark naked with other people of shapes and sizes. That was really liberating and I have gotten used to the luxury of being naked and soaking myself in various types of hot baths around Japan.
Spring came with the arrival of the gorgeous Sakura (Japanese cherry blossoms) as well. Last year it was overshadowed by the the March 11 earthquake, so this year everyone was out with a vengeance to enjoy it as much as possible. I took more time off work to drink and party under the sakura blooms too. It was especially heartwarming to see everyone enjoying themselves thoroughly around the country.
On top of that, I managed a road trip to Nikko with my friends after drinking and eating too much during the Ohanami season (Cherry blossom viewing season). It was great although the weather didn't hold up on the first time and it was still freezing in mid-April. We visited some waterfalls in Tochigi prefecture and the place was still covered in 2 metre-high snow. It wasn't so fun having numb feet and hands and getting pelted by rain at the same time. Nevertheless, it was a great trip with awesome company. The following day was better as the sun emerged from the heavens and blessed us with unusually warm weather in the day. The temples were a majestic sight.
The highlight of the trip was in fact our Gyoza(Japanese pan-fried dumplings) challenge in Utsunomiya city. We decided to have a competition of who could eat more gyozas in the most popular gyoza restaurant in town. Gareth was the undisputed champion as he had 7 plates of 6 giant gyozas each. That added up to 42 piece of torture! It was the shop's record as well. As for me, I managed a respectable 33 pieces. The 3-hour drive home from Tochigi to Tokyo wasn't so comfortable though.
April came and went. We said goodbyes to Ly & Jessica, our resident French couple who arrived in Japan last summer. We had a farewell party and there were some tears too, but we'll not forget all the good times spent together! I'm looking forward to attending their wedding in France in 3-4 years!
During the Golden week in Japan, I visited the Miraikan. The exhibition there was totally worth the trip and I've also dropped into the Oktoberfest party at Odaiba. I don't know why but I got pulled on stage to be made to play a hat-changing game. It was hilarious with inebriated people. It was a fantastic evening drinking, eating and dancing. I was properly smashed by the time I got on the train home and I still had to skype my family because it was my mom's birthday!
The following day I woke up really early to head to Yamanashi with P. We had planned a 2-day 1-night trip there. It was raining cats and dogs in the morning. Things weren't looking good, but it was a scenic train ride to Kofu city. We then started our hike up the paved road to see a pretty waterfall. Unfortunately, the wet weather meant that the area was covered in mist and Mt Fuji would not be seen from the top of cliffs. We skipped the ropeway and headed back into town.
We headed towards another onsen in another town and that was paradise. Going to the onsen for an hour's soak is really the best treat after some hiking or trekking. The views were amazing as well, although Mt Fuji was not visible, the surrounding rolling hills shrouded in mist at dusk was still pretty breath-taking. By the time we left, public transport had ceased and we had to walk back to the station. Our hitchhiking attempts failed but we managed to make it back in 30minutes in the rain.
It was a relief to get back to our ryokan(Japanese style inn/hotel) to be greeted by an impressive spread of home-cooked goodies. I happily gobbled up every last bit on my plates and dishes. The hostesses were charming obaasans (grandmothers) who chatted with us and we ate our dinner with the TV in the background. It was like visiting my own grandmother!
The next day, the sun greeted us and and it became pretty warm. We made a trip down the local shrine and then headed to the vineyard to drink as much wine as we can manage. The underground cave with more than 1000 types of locally produced wine was crowded with many people. Some people were already collapsed on the floor from over-intoxication. It was pretty funny. Of course, we made our way to the onsen again. Finally we made our way home. I basically snoozed the entire way because a hot bath just makes us sleepy.
Not long after, my baby brother came to visit me last week. We were able to visit Tsukiji market and feast on some fresh sushi. We also visited Fujikyu-highlands. I finally saw Mt Fuji in Yamanashi! We took the world's scariest rollercoaster called Fujiyama and I really thought I'd die! Even my brother was shitting in his pants haha.
Now that he's gone, I feel a little homesick! And I've gotten myself involved in some complicated matters. I hope it'd be solved soon or my emotional dissonance will eat away at me eventually. So I hope that'll will fill you in on what's going on so far.
