I think I'm turning Japanese.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 10:38PM 
On Saturday, in Kyoto; Ella and I got to experience something pretty special together. We were dressed up as Maiko's {apprentice Geisha's} with the white makeup, hair pieces and the true-style dresses. The clothing was out of this world. There was about 8 layers to it. It was tight and VERY unflattering. Every layer was tied up with string around the waist and bust! I could hardly breathe let alone sit down or move with ease. CRAZY!
But we had fun - the two of us; Mother and Daughter - giggling and bonding.
Seriously, could she be any cuter?
Kyoto {like all of this trip} was AMAZING! We got to experience real, traditional Japanese living. I will blog about it soon, as well as the magic & chaos fun we've been having here in Tokyo these past few days.
But for now, I'll leave you with some of my 'observations' of Japan and the Japanese people....
- No one wears sunnies! I know it's winter and we haven't really experienced a super bright sunny day yet, but it appears that hardly anyone wears sunglasses. I can't stand to be outside without mine. I hate glare. I feel lost without my sunnies on my face or resting upon my head. But here....it seemed just me {and our stylish friend Naoko} were the only ones sporting eye wear of the sunny type :)
- Japanese people take A LOT of pride in their presentation. They are a fashionable breed, these Japanese folk. A Louis Vuitton bag draped over an arm and a Chanel scarf seem to be the 'norm' - they spend money on looking good and feeling good. I have done a lot of people watching during this trip and 'almost' everyone is well dressed and styled from head to toe, including children. I like it!
- I am useless at remembering the shoes on and off rule. Soooooo many times this trip I have worn shoes on the carpet of a restaurant or office; and been urgently reminded by someone to remove them. Or I've ventured off in my socks or in the daggy slip-ons they provide, when I should be back in my boots/shoes.
- Coffee here in Japan...is pretty bad! They may make a kick-ass green tea, but they're coffee kinda sucks. I'm sticking to the Starbucks ones where possible :)
- Japanese people are so SO polite! They smile and greet you constantly. Whenever you walk into a shop, cafe or restaurant, all of the staff acknowledge you're there with a cheery greeting. Whenever we pass a maid or housekeeper in the hotel hallways; they stop, put down their buckets/bags etc and bow to us with a lovely greeting.
- Japan is a VERY clean place! Litter does not exist...it just doesn't!!!! Everyone smokes, but there is not one cigarette butt on the ground. It's crazily clean and tidy here. And the funny thing is.....bins are really hard to come by. I have lugged our 'snack rubbish' and empty drink bottles for miles in search for a public bin. People here just respect their area and the environment and don't litter. SIMPLE!!!! And....they're quick to clean up after others....we dropped a few popcorn pieces on the concrete path at USJ by accident, and in the blink of an eye - a staff member was over and sweeping it up!
- Pretty much everyone smokes. And their smoking laws are different to Australia's. Here in Japan, you can smoke almost anywhere - in hotels {some rooms; not all}, parts of restaurants, in taxi's etc. It's like Australia 10years ago. It's good for smokers....but not for the rest of us! Personally, I don't have a problem with people smoking but I don't want my kids inhaling it - therefore much prefer the Austrlian smoking laws :)
- Bicycles are the most common mode of transport. In Osaka and Kyoto, the streets and sidewalks were filled with people on bikes. Mums with 1 or 2 kids loaded on front & back, baskets filled with groceries, businessmen in suits - it's a healthy way to get around.
- The food here is plentiful! Oh.My.God - the food is amazing. So many wild flavours and combinations! Everything is so fresh and fragrant. Both Chris and I {and Ryder.....but not so much Ella} are loving the new foods, tastes and varieties. But golly gosh - the Japanese can eat!!!! Each meal seems to consist of about 10 courses! It just keeps coming!!! Dinner can take hours! Thankfully it's all very healthy....or else we'd be obese on arrival back home :)
- They do things properly!! No shortcuts here :) For example; on our first night in Kyoto, we stayed in a very traditional Ryokan Inn. During dinner, they were going to make up our beds {futons which were stored in a cupboard and had to be brought out and made up with bedding}. Ryder was asleep in the room, so we asked them not to make the beds as we would do it later {as to not wake the sleeping baby}. Without us realising; the staff stayed up late, waiting for us to head to bed. After dinner, Chris and I dragged the futons out and messily threw on the bedding and were happily about to snuggle down with our babies....until the staff walked in to make the beds and saw our attempts. They were almost sick with shock. We said we were happy to leave the beds as is, and they could leave {it was late, and we didn't know they had been waiting up for us all that time} but they just couldn't leave it be. They HAD to re-shuffle and re-make the beds in their perfecting way :)
- They are a very 'loving' race. Christmas in Japan is more of a celebration of 'love' than anything - I like that! And again, as I have been people watching; it was a common sighting to see couples arm in arm and in loving embraces. It's been nice to be a part of this love-filled atmosphere!
- Strawberries are expensive here. Strawberries are one of the 4 fruits that Ella will eat {fussy little thing I know!}. After a few days here, I was itching to get some freshness into her...so went on a strawberry hunt. Found a small punnet for $8.60. Ouch! She devoured them all though, which equated to a happy Mummy.
- Some of the English signs are hilarious! Translation attempts have brought me many laughs this trip. Just little things like: Christmas signs that say: CHEER UP! or LOVE THE CHEER AND SING A SONG TODAY OR ON CHRISTMAS! Or the 'English' menu that offered: Fatty Tuna {ewww}
- The Japanese know how to pimp out a space in a Christmas theme. Seriously, everywhere I look there is a magical Christmas touch and a flooding of fairy lights. No complaints here....I am loving it all and absorbing every ounce of it.
Overall, Japan truly is an amazing place. I'm in awe at how friendly and polite the people are. I love the cleanliness and organisation. I am inspired by the structure and routine, the traditions and the value. We have made some lifelong memories here as a family and learnt so much about ourselves and the world around us.
Have you been to Japan? I recommend you add it to your list of travel destinations.
More posts to come and MANY photos to share. Until then, I have a sleeping family awaiting me to join them in the comfy hotel beds....
G'Night x
Reader Comments (3)
Love the photos! You and Ella look fantastic !!
You've got that song stuck in my head now!! :) Love your geisha photos and reading your observations and anecdotes about the Japanese way of life. I've never been to Japan but would definitely like to visit it some day. My mother-in-law went over a few years back to stay with a friend who often comes over to Australia and my Nanna has a dear friend who was only just out again this year. She too loved my blonde, blue eyed girls :) She was so keen to share her origami skills with Grace which were out of this world. I picture the Japanese as being very neat and meticulous because of that. I really enjoyed reading what you have seen and noticed so far. I'd be lost without my sunnies too - no glare for me! And can't get over the price of those strawberries!! Glad Ella ate them :)
I would dearly love to go to Japan. Just need to finance it as it's not cheap!