#tuneintokyo

Few will get the absolute hilariousness of this hashtag. Those that do, shame on you…

Not just Tokyo but Yokohama and Osaka as well…

Tokyo, Japan. Holy shit!! (oops this is the G rated blog… Oh well) I never thought I’d be here. This city has definitely been on my radar of places to visit.

Every action movie ever made has been filmed here! Well not every one but a lot!  Jackass, The Karate Kid 3, Godzilla, Black Rain, The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift, The Last Samurai, The Wolverine… The list goes on. The adrenaline has worn off pretty quickly.

It wouldn’t have mattered if we were sleeping on rocks. We were gassed.  26 hours awake…Lamesauce…

The Sensoji Temple is our first Japanese religious stop and will continue to be a pitstop for the days to come. A quick smoke bath at the Jokoro,  a prayer and our day can begin. Onwards and upwards! The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest “tower” on earth at 2080ft tall. We hit the 1502ft mark which dwarfs any observation decks in Canada and that’s good for us. Staring out at the “largest city in the world” depending on googles mood from the tallest tower in the world was pretty sweet.

A special Yoga lesson with a beautiful soul that had reached out to us during the pre-planning of our trip will be our afternoon treat. Its always super special to meet up with those that wish to help travelers. Geneva would end up to be key in our navigation efforts in Tokyo for the remainder of our stay. We cannot thank her enough… Yes Geneva, we will practice YOGA as much as we can!  Reach out to Geneva on Facebook or her website https://genevabronwynhargreaves.wordpress.com/

Stretching and bending plus a night of sushi is hard to top…

Until you decide to get a picture of Mt. Fuji on your back!

Damn rights. I am racking up the “cool dude” points day by day. Getting to the tattoo parlour is another thing. Shimbuya crossing… That is all I have to say. Look it up. Complete shitshow. NUTS!

Yokohama is next to meet up with Miguel MacDonald and his family. This family was all that and a bag of chips. Great guy… thanks so much for taking us into your world for a quick tour of Yokohama and a wonderful supper. Can’t wait to return the favour! Live Samurais and too much beer makes for a happy happy night!

Check out the LONGER VERSION for all the details!

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Key points I’ve jotted down in Japan:

1.Its custom to pass money in a tray. It is taboo to pull money or push money from one to another.

2.The bidet and heated toilet seats. Oh Lordy Lordy… This should actually be NUMBER ONE! This is the most advanced toilet tech in the world. DO IT…

3.You can drink the water here in Japan without worry.

4.There are specific spots for different goods and services. Ie: kitchenware street, tattoo central (Shimbuya) and Museum hub (Ureno)

5.It is custom to leave the area with what you entered it with. Including garbage. Not many garbage cans on the streets. Did I mention Bidets and heated toilet seats?

6.Safety is high priority for construction workers here. Hard hats, boots, safety glasses. Unlike China… Crocs and pajamas. Done.

7.Ultra organized. Escalators, train and bus stations and even sidewalks all have designated places for people to walk and on which side.

Bidets and heated seats…

8. You can drink booze in the streets, on the subway or where ever your heart desires.

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Mt. Fuji… When I think of Japan, I think of this volcano. No better icon to have on my skin, let me tell ya. Luckily, we actually got to visit the spot where the inspiration was that eventually became my tattoo, the Churieto Pagoda.

Incredible view of…Mt. Fuji in the clouds.

Damn it. Oh well. We were there. Impressive nonetheless.

We are truly blessed to be able to experience all of these wonders…

The next day finds us tearin’ a strip outta Japan at a rate of 350km/hr. ON A TRAIN! The Shinkansen is among the fastest bullet trains in the world. Was pretty wild to be “flying across” land like that.

Osaka comes quick, well 2.5 hrs and we have a room to find. We only have two days here so we have to get our adventuring in while we can!

With very little time to explore, we hit the Dotonbori Canal walkway to see the infamous “Glico Running Man” the first night and the Osaka castle along with the kid’s plaza the next day. The castle was awesome. Incredible wall building and a beautifully restored castle overlooking all of Osaka.

The kids had a tonne of fun at the plaza with all the science stuff and mock news room. A quick bite on the way back and our time in Japan has come to an end. One of the most interesting countries I’ve ever been too. I highly recommend anyone visit Japan if you have the chance!

Carry on Canada!

Early morning flight ahead…

Next stop??