332. sightseer ii, kyoto

December 30th, 2016

The last day in Kyoto proved to be much better than the first and the both of us were so relieved. We checked out of the Airbnb apartment, had breakfast at Komeda's and left our luggage in the lockers at the station and made our way to Fushimi Inari Taisha.

It was crowded by the time we got to Fushimi Inari but the weather was so nice that day. Clear blue skies. The last time I visited Fushimi Inari was also in 2014 but I was alone, definitely much better visiting with company.

The one thing I really love about Fushimi Inari are the many fox statues. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, that's why there are so many fox statues around.

It was crowded while we were walking through the torii gates but it didn't bother us that much. We walked quite far up and there were fox shrines. The clear blue skies definitely did help in making pretty photos. 

After we were done exploring Fushimi Inari, we took the train to Shijo Station again. 

We made our way to the Bengal Cat Cafe. I know I was just there the month before but CATS? CATS. CATS?! Anytime I can hang out with cats makes me a very happy person. We were lucky because many cats came to us. I ended up having two cats sitting on me again.

We also decided to visit the Owl Cafe because it was just above the cat cafe. This owl cafe was much better than the one I visited in Kichijoji, it didn't smell and there were more owls of different kinds. The lighting of the cafe also was perfect for photos.

This guy looks like he is high.

I did photograph more owls but I'm too lazy to edit all of them and post it up here. We spent about half an hour at the owl cafe. After that, we went to a restaurant nearby for dinner before getting on the train back to Tokyo.

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I've been to Kyoto probably too many times to enjoy it as much, so I don't think I will be visiting Kyoto again soon unless there is a show. I still want to check out some cafes and places in Kyoto but that can wait. 

Even though I really do enjoy travelling on my own, lately I'm starting to not like it as much. I have been travelling a lot on my own over the last couple of years, sometimes it gets so tiring to do things alone. I miss exploring with my little sis a lot because she's always the person I have the most fun with. Even though she is busy with work now, I hope we can find time to travel together again.

I think it is pretty normal to feel this way. I do like being on my own a lot but like anyone else, not for too long. I'm pretty excited about my upcoming road trip around Aichi and Shiga in March. I can't wait to travel more this year.

331. sightseer, kyoto

December 29th, 2016

We got up early the next day to explore Kyoto. I wasn't too excited to go to Kyoto again as well because I was also just there the month before. The only difference was that I didn't get to do much sightseeing the last time, so I was glad to have Yuri with me this time.

We started our day with heading to Kinkakuji, the last time I visited The Golden Pavillion was in the summer of 2014 with little sis. It was really cloudy this time, so our pictures didn't turn out as nice as we wanted it to. It also didn't help that there was a chokehold of tourists here, no surprise, though. What was nice was the soft serve with golden flakes sold nearby.

After Kinkakuji, we made our way to Arashiyama. Arashiyama is my favourite tourist spot in Kyoto. This was my third time visiting Arashiyama and I was glad to be there again. We had a quick lunch at a little udon restaurant and made our way to the bamboo forest, it was about already 3 in the afternoon at this time and the sun was already setting.

I always liked these little statues.

For some reason, the bamboo forest was not as pretty as I remembered it to be. I don't know if it's because it is winter or the number of bamboos has decreased? But it wasn't as impressive as it was a couple of years ago. There was also a little Kitsune shrine I really liked in the forest but this time, all the little kitsune statues have disappeared which left me disappointed.

To cheer ourselves up, we got yet another soft serve with 4 flavours. We slowly walked over to Togetsukyo bridge. This part of Arashiyama didn't disappoint me. I still like it and now when I look at the river, all I can think about is how little sis was trying to row the boat and we got stuck in the middle of it. Ah, memories. 

We didn't know what else to do because it was still early, so I went to find Arabica, probably the best coffee in Kyoto. The queue was really long but we decided to just wait in line. It took much longer than expected to get coffee. It took about an hour in the cold. It was worth it because the latte I ordered was really good but the next time I get the chance to drink Arabica again, I'll make sure to head to the other branch and at a time where there I know there won't be a line.

We walked back to Arashiyama Station to check out the kimono forest that I stumbled upon on Instagram. Honestly, it wasn't that impressive in real life. The person who designed this probably knows how to arrange things to look really pretty in photos. It does look way better in photos.

We spent quite some time taking photos and once we were done, we took a bus to Shijo Station. The bus ride was more than 30 minutes which gave us enough time to recharge, we both fell asleep on the bus. We got off nearby Shijo Station and went for dinner. We ended up going to a small, a little pricey izakaya in the same alley way I went for yakisoba with Yamako the month before.

The food at this izakaya was really yummy and both Yuri and I agreed that the duck was our favourite. We spent a little over an hour there and explored around the area before heading back to the apartment. 

It was a pretty half disappointed, half fulfilled day.

330. deer dance, nara

December 28th, 2016

We got up early to catch the bus from Nagoya to Nara. Nara isn't too far away from Nagoya but it took longer than expected to get to Nara because it was snowing on the way there, which slowed us down quite a bit.

We finally arrived in Nara at 11 am and met up with Yoshi at Nara Station. We went to get an early lunch and made our way to the deer park. I was glad to see Yoshi again even though I had just met him the month before. He took us to a nice cafe for lunch but I couldn't finish my meal even though it was good because it had too much cream.

I was really surprised at the number of deer there were at the park. Most people were feeding them but we didn't buy the deer senbei because the deer will come up to you anyway.

Sweet potato!

Yoshi always seems to be so happy, haha.

After the deer park, Yoshi suggested that we check out the temple nearby because there was a giant Buddha in there that was bigger than the one in Kamakura. I used to think the one in Kamakura was huge until I visited Nara.

Even though the temple was crowded with tourists, it wasn't too bad. At least, not as bad as Tokyo. We moved around quite easily and had enough time to check out everything without getting annoyed. We went to another smaller temple after that and the view of Nara was really pretty from there.

Cutest baby deer and protective mama deer.

It was still early when we were done visiting the temples so Yoshi took us to his favourite shrine which was less than an hour's drive away. It started to snow again once we got out of his van. I wanted to appreciate the shrine more but it was freezing in there more than outside, I just couldn't. The pillars had really pretty old  Japanese paintings on them and even though the paint have eroded with time, you can still see some of the details.

Yoshi went to meet up with some of his friends who had a furniture workshop less than 5 minutes away after that. Workshops of any kind always remind me of my days in art college. I'm always scared of the machines because of the horror stories my lecturers and friends would tell me. (Yes, I have a small heart -__-)

We went to chill at a cafe after driving back to Nara Station. I was so tired by this time because I couldn't get enough sleep for the past two nights before getting to Nara I felt bad for keeping quiet. My brain just shuts off but I was glad to talk to Yoshi about some art related stuff. It was hard to explain in Japanese but I think I tried my best. 

The cafes in Nara all had a little deer next to their logos, how cute!

We got on the train to Kyoto at almost 7 pm and went to get dinner before heading to our Airbnb apartment. It was a really fun but tiring day. I have never seen that many deer in my life. I don't think I will be visiting Nara again anytime soon because the one place I wanted to go to the most, Nara Dreamland, has been torn down. 

At least, I can tick off another place in Japan. I'm still pretty unsure about my travel plans this year in the land of the rising sun but I think I will be visiting places near Nagoya. I really want to go to Lake Biwa because of how pretty it is and hopefully I'll get the chance to when the weather gets warmer.

328. light is a place, nagoya

December 26th/27th, 2016

Yuri came out to Tokyo on boxing day. We were going on a short trip to Nagoya, Nara and Kyoto so we figured it'll be good she came over the day earlier because we were going to set out to Nagoya early the next day.

We set out at about 11 am the next day to Nagoya, I was just in Nagoya the month before so I wasn't too excited but I was excited to go to Nabana No Sato again after three years. We arrived in Nagoya at about 2 in the afternoon, dumped our tiny luggage at the Airbnb apartment and went out for late lunch.

We made our way to Sakae and went to a cafe Yuri's friend recommended. Even though we have been to Nagoya a couple of times together, we've never really explored Nagoya because we always end up hanging out with our friends too late, so we get up only when it's dark.

We finally got to see Nagoya a little more this time. I really liked the cafe, Maison YWE her friend recommended. I'll definitely be going there again since I'll be heading to Nagoya more often from now on. I'm pretty excited to go cafe hunting over there too.

Finally a picture of Sakae in the day!

yes we eat done by Chalkboy!

We both ordered the Aichi special. 

The cafe also had some good desserts and coffee. There was also a little clothing boutique just downstairs and a few clothing stores around the area. Also, a Village Vanguard next to the cafe. We chilled a bit before heading to Oasis 21.

It was really windy and cold up there, so we didn't want to stay for too long. We just took photos and left for Nabana No Sato.

*Nabana No Sato* after cut >>

324. alive in the lights, chichibu

December 2nd ~ 4th, 2016

I travelled out to Chichibu over the weekend to attend the 秩父夜祭り (Chichibu Night Festival) that happens once every year in the beginning of winter. Since Yuri lives near Chichibu, we decided months in advance to go together. I've always wanted to go to a festival because believe it or not, I have not been to any festival even though I have been living in Japan for 3 years.

The Chichibu Night Festival is also considered one of Japan's top three festivals that feature floats, so it's something definitely worth checking out.

I made my way out to Chichibu on the 2nd, the day before the festival. Yuri came to pick me up at the station and we went to get dinner. It was already late when we were done eating, so we didn't do much but headed back to her place for the night.

The next day, we woke up in the early afternoon and went out to get lunch. We decided it was better to take the train to Chichibu station to avoid the traffic later that night when the festival was over. We got to the festival in the evening. There was already a float in front of the station when we arrived. It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be.

After a while, we went to get some food. There were so many food stalls, so it was pretty hard to decide what to get. As we waited for Yuri's friend, Shayla, to arrive, a float was already passing by, so we tried to get some photos. It was really hard to take photos honestly, everyone was pushing and shuffling their way just to get a good photo.

I was amazed at the attention spent on the details of the float. Also, people sitting on top of it?! How?

Shayla arrived not long after that and we accompanied her to get food and walked to the other side of the festival together. The number of food stalls was never ending, we ate some more as we went to look for the other floats.

There were also fireworks that were going on throughout the night, even when we were on our way back to Yuri's place at around 10 pm, we could still see fireworks from the windows of the train.

We decided to go to the supermarket before heading back. Even though we ate a lot at the festival, we figured we'd be hungry when we get back because of the cold. So, we decided to make Nabe.

We spent the rest of the night at Yuri's place eating some more and drinking. It was really fun because I got drunk by drinking my alcohol too fast, haha. We finally passed out at 5 am.

On the last day, I felt bad for getting up too late. I caught a cold from the day before and wasn't feeling too well. We decided to get pizza for dinner, it was about a 20-minute drive away. The smell of pines was so refreshing when we got out of the car. Things like that are so difficult to come by because I have been living in the city for my whole life.

The pizza place was really cute owned by an elderly couple. It was difficult to take photos since it was already dark outside. They had a nice old stove and the restaurant was located in the house that looked like something out of a Ghibli film. I can't remember what we ordered anymore, but the pizza was probably the best thin crust pizza I have had in Japan yet. I really hate Domino's in Japan. The pesto sauce was sooooo goood. Sauce does wonders to food.

We still had some time to spare before my train back to Tokyo, so we went to the supermarket again and got some ice-cream, went back to Yuri's place for a bit before driving out to Chichibu Station.

I got on the train at 9pm and even though it was a long train ride, I enjoyed it. I always need time to unwind after a crazy weekend. I was greeted by the rain when I got back to Tachikawa and H was waiting for me at the station with an umbrella. He knew I was sick, so he made udon for me when we got home. 

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It's so strange to think that H was still in my life just a month ago. I do miss him sometimes but I know we're better off not being together for now, at least. I hope he is doing better without me. We didn't have a bad break up and we plan to stay friends but now is just not the right time.

Living in Japan has really let me experience so much, I don't know how long more I plan to stay in Japan but for up until now, I'm really grateful for everything that has happened in my life. The good, and even the bad. I still don't know what 2017 has in store for me but I'll just take things one baby step at a time.

I'm slowly healing.

299. secret waterfalls, minano

I went up to Chichibu on Friday to spend the weekend with Yuri. It was quite a long train ride (approximately 3 hours) but I didn't mind at all because it was nice looking out of the window, from the city slowly getting closer to the countryside. Slowly, there were more rice fields, lakes and mountains in sight as I got closer to my destination.

She picked me up from the station and we went to get dinner. It was my first time being in the front seat of a car in Japan. I have been on vans, buses and trains of course, but not a car so I was really happy. The sunset was also really nice from where she lives. I must have sounded really silly when I would comment on how pretty the mountains are because she sees them every day. We were just talking away like how we always do once we met up.

We went to a sushi restaurant and went straight to her place after dinner.

We just talked till really late (we always talk too much, but now even more so because we don't see each other like we used to) and I only fell asleep at 5am.

The next day, we left her house at 2 in the afternoon and she drove to the mountains where there are waterfalls. The scenery was really pretty with plenty of green. I love the mountains the most. It felt like I was in a movie.

She brought me to a waterfall and told me that the water is actually really clear but because it rained the day before, the water was a little murky from the mud.

We decided to explore the area more, so we went into the woods following a trail to another smaller waterfall. It definitely felt like I was in a fairytale-like scene because of all the little streams and how tall the trees actually are. The sound of the running water in the streams was really relaxing.

The smaller waterfall was not that impressive but it was still fun hiking through the woods. We were getting hungry, so we decided to get udon at a little restaurant nearby. On the way back, we spotted a snake in the middle of the road and got scared, so we decided to find another way back. I love snakes but not in the wild where there's a high possibility that they can kill me.

said snake.

We also have no idea what this is.

The udon restaurant was really cute, owned by an old married couple. We got cold udon for only 500yen. It was my first time having cold udon and it was so good! After lunch, we had soft serve. I chose the white coffee flavour, which is really yummy and most popular flavour, and Yuri got the black soybean flour soy milk which had a questionable taste. It was not bad but it just tasted weird and had a strange grainy texture. You can also literally taste the flour in the soft cream which made it weirder. Yuri wasn't pleased with it at all, haha. 

They had interesting flavours like salt milk, gold sesame milk and Hokkaido corn potage soup as well. I told Yuri that I'm gonna try salt milk the next time I visit her.           

We didn't know where to go next, so we decided to just drive to Chichibu and see if there's anything on the way. We dropped by Tsutaya to check out some DVDs and  CDs first and honestly, Tsutayas at the countryside are so different from the ones I normally go to because they have a much smaller selection of music and movies. It was kind of strange to me. After Yuri got some DVDs, we were on the road again and we spotted a small temple sign and we decided to check it out.

I'm glad we did because it's one of the nicest temples, though small, I've been to in Japan. Asakusa is over-hyped honestly.

This temple's intricate details was what I really loved about it. Also because the sun was setting, it looked really pretty in the sunlight. The quiet made it felt really peaceful.

There was also a cemetary next to it. Japan's cemetaries are really nothing like anywhere else in the world because they don't feel creepy at all. 

She drove us back to her place and we chilled there for a bit before going to the supermarket and getting dinner. After dinner, she drove us to the top of Minoyama Park. I was really freaked out by how dark it was at first but once we got there, there were several people around so it made me less worried. You had to have a torch light to go around, I just use the torchlight on my phone, haha.

The view of the city from the top of the mountain was really pretty. I've never liked observatories and stuff like that... maybe because I feel like it's "fake". But I really liked the view from Minoyama and the sky was so clear that night, I could see so many stars in the night sky. Definitely had a hard time looking back and forth the cityscape and night sky. 

We spent over an hour there just talking and admiring the lights of the city before deciding to head back. The park wasn't far away from her place so we got back in no time. Again, we stayed up to talk but we went to bed earlier, at 3am. I knocked out immediately after my shower, we did so much in a day, it was definitely a day well spent.