Japan is Checked Off From My Wishlist

            I remember in the back of my head, that day in 2012 when I received an e-mail from the project coordinator. It was a letter of acceptance of the UNESCO program I applied awhile ago. It was in Japan for two weeks and I couldn’t contain my excitement. I always put Japan on the 3 top list countries I’ve always wanted to visit. I was nervous, excited and happy. That time, my mind was already in Japan. I couldn’t sleep for days. I got a butterfly in my stomach. I was already thinking about packing up my clothes, the street foods, and the Harajuku street.

When I stepped my foot on Narita International Airport Tokyo, I vividly remember the weather. It was freezing cold and I put my hand on my coat. I thought to myself that I should’ve bought thicker gloves and thicker long johns. I took a bus, midnight tram, and trains to Hiroshima city. It was exhausting as I dragged along my luggage with me. I stayed there for two days before I left to Miyajima Island by ferry.

                                                            Almost lost in Japan

Those two nights in Hiroshima was amazing. The city is quiet and peaceful. I took a night stroll around the town. I went to their famous arcade and bought snacks from minimarket. Japan has the best snack and they’re all wrapped in cute packaging. They also have many vending machines, from ice cream to umbrella. I tried a lot of ice creams on that cold weather. It was good especially the blueberry cheesecake one.

Japan is also known for its Kitkat. I bought various flavors from their famous Matcha to bizarre ones like Wasabi and Sakura. I brought home a lot of Kitkats and they all taste good. Being in Hiroshima, I heard that they have the best Okonomiyaki in town. We had it and it was tasty although we had to get in line for an hour.

 Long queue in popular Okonomiyaki restaurant

My second day in Hiroshima, I went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park. It was a learning experience for me to visit those places. It was horrific to read story and testimony from survivors and grieving families. Not only pictures, but they also put burnt skin or toenails from dead body on display. We are allowed to take a picture there but I thought it might be too insensitive and disrespectful. I only paid attention to the guide and bought an Atomic Bomb Dome postcard. They also gave us many information books and peace-related journals.

Nearby the park, they have A-Bomb Dome as one of the ruins from the nuclear bomb that is standing still. They also have the Children’s Peace Monument, a statue for those children who died from the bombing. It was inspired by Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died from nuclear radiation and known for folding over a thousand paper cranes.

The day after, I left to Miyajima Island by ferry. It took about 45 minutes. Miyajima is known for its floating shrine called Itsukushima Shrine. The Shinto shrine is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All the delegates around the world gathered together and arrived at the accommodations. It was not a hotel or homestay, but more like a training camp. I shared a room together with Japanese high-school students.

For a week in training camp, we held morning exercises, did a conference, present our youth program, set a campfire, and did hiking. They also served us nice food in the cafeteria. It couldn’t be more perfect because I met many friends from Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Canada. UNESCO speakers are also very informative and helpful.  This experience is not only about cultural but also educational. I am thankful for being part of it.

            After completed my training, I traveled back to Tokyo and stayed there for 2-3 days. We went to Asakusa Temple and it’s really packed full of tourists. I also went to Harajuku street although it’s not as festive as I thought it would be. It’s not as crowded as Asakusa and I managed to take a picture in front of it. After a whole day, we went to Shibuya and saw by my own eyes Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world. Nearby Shibuya Station, there’s Hachiko Statue where it also happened to be a smoking area. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough times to go to Disneyland or Studio Ghibli Museum. Too bad because it was one of my dreams to go there. Thankfully we stumbled upon a Disney store in Shibuya and bought a lot of Disney stuff. My Japanese friend also took us for dinner to a sushi restaurant. It was fresh and raw sushi. Japanese cuisine is always my go-to so it was fun to taste the real thing.

            So far, I gained friends and experiences from this traveling. It’s a pleasure to go back again in 2013 and I would love to come back but maybe this time with my family or my significant other. I can’t wait until I checked off countries/places from my wishlist. Next, Prague and Venice.

From my experiences, sightseeing at night and culinary are the top two things I recommend you to do if you’re visiting Japan. Don’t forget to always check the weather, your itinerary list, and accommodations. It’s also helpful if you happen to have a friend there. Finally, enjoy the experience around you. A wise man once said, to travel is to live.