GUEST POST - JOURNEY TO JAPAN

Hello Traveling Triplet Readers or shall I say: Konnichiwa! I’m Natalie Gossett from the lifestyle blog, GossettGirl, and I am excited to share a bit about our journey to Japan in the fall of 2007. Although we were only traveling for 9 days, thanks to the efficient subway system of Japan, we were able to see a lot of the country.

Growing up in Hawaii with such a strong Asian presence and being half Japanese in descent, I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture. I’d studied the language all through high school and college and took two short trips there while in school. This trip was all about sharing the beauty and culture of Japan with my husband, Chris. I had fun playing tour guide and testing out my (rusty) language skills.  

Tokyo Tourist: We started our trip with a few days in Tokyo and enjoyed the bustle of the city. A typical day for us in Tokyo would start bright and early with a trip to the famous Tsujiki fish market, a bowl of hot steaming ramen for lunch, and more exploring of the city well into the night. We’d always fine a family-run sushi bar or ramen shop to pop into for dinner.

Hakone Bound: After a few days in the city we were excited to head out to the countryside with a visit to Hakone, part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Hakone is where many locals of Tokyo go to escape the city. Getting there required a long day of travel and every mode of transportation you could imagine (bullet train, commuter train, railway, sky car, etc.), but it was so worth the trek to see the beauty of Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi and experience the relaxing hot springs.

Destination Osaka and Kyoto: From Hakone we traveled again by train to both Osaka and Kyoto. The trains were so efficient and easy to navigate we’d recommend it to anyone traveling in Japan. We were even deliberate to take the train at least once during the rush hour so we could get the full experience of the Japanese commute. Wow, it made my freeway commute feel relaxing!  

Kyoto is known for their hundreds of temples and shrines, each offering such unique beauty and history. We were lucky enough to visit several temples while we were there and they were especially pretty at that time of year with the fall leaves.

 

Food Tips:  I’ll close with a few helpful foodie tips. It is true, everything in Japan is quite expensive so it isn’t the kind of place you go for cheap eats. We found the most affordable, and in our opinion, most delicious food at the family-run, hole in the wall restaurants.  The country is very clean and in general very safe, so if you pass by a little restaurant that looks good, hop in and try it. Just be prepared to point to what you want to eat since their English is likely to be sparse. Another tip: check out the basement of the large department stores for the ultimate food courts or “Depachika.” These department basement gourmet halls will have tons of fresh food, snacks, and other packaged goods. We’d often pick up bento boxes and head out to a local park for a Japanese-style picnic.

I had such a wonderful time sharing a bit of my culture with my husband and we were lucky to enjoy just a taste of what Japan has to offer. Feel free to check out my blog for other Gossett Girl adventures and don’t hesitate to contact me with any Japan travel questions.

Sayonara!