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Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan
I would like to start by saying I just can’t wait to go back! Japan is somewhat of an oxymoron being so naturally beautiful yet so technologically advanced. The wonderful variety of culture you experience as you travel from city to city is only made more memorable by the warmth of the people. To give you perspective an elderly gentleman who saw Shehan and me frantically looking for the right train platform went out of his way to walk with us for 10 minutes to get us there! He then smiled, bowed, and carried on with his day with no expectation in return.
Things To Do:
The first thing any tourist should do before travelling to Japan is obtain a JR (JapanRail) pass. This pass allows you to board any train which in turn allows you to travel throughout the whole of Japan! Here is a link to the website: https://www.jrpass.com/
We purchased the JR pass online before travelling to Japan and it was delivered to us in SriLanka. We landed in Osaka and went straight to a JR booth within the airport itself to activate our passes and we also got a pocket WIFI device (bought along with the JR pass) which worked everywhere we went. We then hopped on the train and travelled to Kyoto.
Our first stop in Kyoto was the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest where we felt completely lost in nature.
I would advise getting there as early as possible but inevitably the place gets very crowded. We managed to get a beautiful picture here and then rushed off to our next stop which was Fushimi Inari-Taisha which is an important Shinto shrine dedicated to the Shinto God of Rice.
We then hopped back on the train and headed over to Nara Deer Park which was my favorite experience by far! Just imagine hundreds of deer roaming around a park and when they come to ask for food they even bow like the Japanese people. It’s the most adorable thing ever until the bigger deer with massive horns start coming towards you.
Kiyomizu Temple was next on our list as I had seen many beautiful pictures taken there.As much as we enjoyed the historical and cultural aspects of every place we visited, I was overjoyed at the amount of picture opportunities each location provided :p hehe.
The HokanjiTemple was an amazing experience as I found a cute little shop to rent a kimono nearby. There was an old lady who dressed me and even did my hair in atraditional bun. We then walked along the beautiful cobble streets of Kyoto surrounding the temple while Shehan took as many pictures of me as possible before I had to return my gorgeous kimono.
We then left Kyoto and headed for Yokohama, but Shehan and I both fell asleep on the train and only woke up in Tokyo! We were supposed to go sightseeing in Tokyo the next day anyway so we decided to get a hotel and enjoy Tokyo a little more.Even though we fell asleep on the train do not assume it was nighttime :p Itwas the middle of the day so we headed straight to the Meji Shrine adjoining the Yoyogi Park which could be mistaken for a forest. It’s one of Japan’s most popular shrines and a great place for some R&R.
That night we went to Shibuya where the world-famous road crossing is located. I kid you nota 2500 people use the crossing almost every time the lights turn red for the vehicles! The Shibuya station is used by more 2 million people a day so you can imagine the hustle and bustle in this area. If you’re a fan do not forget to visit the Hachiko statue located near the crossing and if you’re a gamer like us don’t miss out on the millions of arcades available.
We then travelled to Shinjuku where we walked along Yakitori Alley which is also full of life. It’s quite a small alley lined with a countless number of hawker style restaurants so just the aroma is enough to make your mouth water.
The next day we travelled to Akihabara which is an anime lover’s paradise! Shehan was like a kid in a candy shop because he’s a huge fan of Japanese anime. He even convinced me to wear a pink wig like an anime character while we went shopping for toys and memorabilia.
The next stop was teamLab in Tokyo which is an absolutely breathtaking experience. They have used technology to create live art which is so fascinating. We didn’t even realize the hours passing by while walking from room to room enjoying each masterpiece they had created.
Our next and final stop was Yokohama for the Rugby World Cup 2019! The city was alive with rugby fans from around the world. We went for both semi-finals and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. We were a part of a group of around 30 Sri Lankans so it was really fun to represent our country with our flag.
There is so much more to see and experience in Japan so we can’t wait to go back with Seth. Even a whole month in Japan might not be enough to enjoy everything they have to offer.
