Many of you have asked me what my favorite country is and why. Well, it's hard to narrow it down to just one country but I can definitely list my top five.....and for those of you have visited Japan, you won't be shocked to hear that Japan is one of the five.
I love Japan! In fact, I'm kind of obsessed. Below are 10 reasons why I love Japan (especially Tokyo):
- Honor and integrity are alive and well (maybe to a fault given the suicide rate)
- Delicious food
- Streets and subways are clean even though there are no public garbage cans to be found
- Cities are quiet and peaceful despite the millions of people living there
- Musical chimes on trains alerting you the doors will be closing
- Luscious, green parks everywhere you look
- Random acts of kindness from complete strangers
- Advertising is extremely colorful and entertaining (crocs are the universal symbol for shoes)
- Non-stop baseball chants (personalized chants for each player)
- You don't have to tip!
So, why was I in Japan? My friend Chloe (from my NY days) moved to Tokyo for work and Maria (recognize her from World Tour 2010 pictures?) and I decided it was time to pay her a visit. Chloe was the best hostess ever. She let us stay at her AMAZING apartment (I have serious apartment envy), hooked us with the best restaurant recommendations, and spent every night entertaining us.
The trip started off on the right foot when within six hours of landing we were participating in the great Japanese past time of KARAOKE!!
Apparently, the Salvation Army is the best kept secret for finding amazing Japanese items. Not only do you find amazing things to buy but they wrap up your purchases in beautiful fabric (definitely not in America anymore). It was raining so we opted for a quick taxi ride to the store. We had been shopping for probably 20 minutes when this little old man approached me and started waiving an umbrella at me. I quickly remembered that he had been our taxi driver and through sign language figured out that we had left the umbrella in his car. He had hunted us down after realizing we had left it in his car. WHO DOES THAT? I told you that honor and integrity was alive and well!
One of my favorite sites in the city is the Meiji Shrine. The Shrine itself is stunning but my favorite part is walking through the park. It's so peaceful and you are really able to get your Zen on! The rain and mist added to the whole experience.
The rain can't keep the Harajuku girls away. I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures but let's just say they didn't disappoint. We ended Harajuku on the right foot.....eating delicious crepes from one of the many crepe stands lining the street.
Finally, one can't visit Tokyo without visiting Shibuya (the world's busiest intersection). Pictures never do this intersection justice. Oh, and don't worry....I spent the rest of the trip saying "Shi-BOO-YAH".
By the end of Day 1 I was thoroughly and utterly exhausted. Maria and Chloe spent the evening watching "Bandits" (inspired by singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" at Karaoke the night before) and I slept!
PS - I'm regretting taking pictures with my iPhone! Next time I'll use my real camera!
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