It’s official!

- my parents can live in Japan!
What’s that, all of a sudden? Well, at some train stations, they have these import food stores, and look what I’ve found here and there so far:

This secures my mum’s survival: RUGBRØD! (Rye bread; my mum can’t live without it. This looks German though, meaning it’s possibly pretty dry, but it’s rugbrød nevertheless!)

And look what I ALSO found! Danish skimmelost!

Let’s not forget my dad! Though my dad isn’t too difficult to satisfy culinarily, I’m still pretty sure he’d prefer this over the Japanese kind: Mustard! He won’t eat anything but Dijon! (And preferably Maille)

My parents now have no excuse for not paying Japan a visit!

Other than that, I just arrived in Tokyo a few hours ago after paying Osaka, Nara and Kyoto a visit. Osaka is really mostly shopping; not much cultural stuff to see really. Hung out with a Finnish guy one day, and we paid Osaka castle, some park and HEP 5 (ferris wheel) a visit. Was awfully tired that day though, so that was kind of a bummer.
- In Osaka I slept in a mixed dormitory; I didn’t mind though. When I was about to go to sleep, this English guy who also slept in that room, entered and started speaking to me, a little drunk. We ended up talking for almost 2 hours, and we’re meeting up again here in Tokyo to celebrate his birthday the 13th! Mighty nice guy; should be fun!

This was my room in Osaka. The British guy had the bed to the right, mine was in the lower bunk.

HEP 5

From around the top of the HEP 5

With HEST

Staying family of those in Taketa, in a city bestween Kyoto and Osaka, called Takatsuki. Dinner was homemade Osaka-style okonomiyaki!

I have a video I want you to see, but can’t be put in without internet connection.

8/10: Trip to Nara with Sachie-san (Hidetoshi-san’s wife) and two of her friends.
Forgot its name, but it’s a famous figure of Nara. Like on Miyajima, deers walk around freely.

Deeeeeeersss….!

And a monk. Give him a little money and he’ll bless you!

HEST and a deer

Entrance to the huuuuge Todaiji temple housing a huuuuuge wooden Buddha!

And here’s the temple itself. They were celebrating Nara’s 1300th year or something.

Huuuugeee! Compare with the people standing in the bottom of the picture.

School kids from TAKETA crawling through a pillar which, from what I understood, was connected to the Buddha’s nose? Quite funny to meet peeps from Taketa! One of the girls took a picture with me ^^

Ooooold pagoda!

This tree/bush smells AWESOME! I don’t know its name, but every time I passed a tree, I had to take a few breaths. So sweet!

Also, I saw a very famous mochi-man! I made a video that I’ll post when I can! Mochi is rice pound into a gooey paste, often used as a sweet. These men did it with indredibly speed and accuracy! You’ll see ;)

9/10: Rain pissin’ down. Got wet to the bones and froze like… like I always do when I freeze… erhm.

In Hanshin Department store in Osaka. Who the F wants to pay 5775 yen, almost 400 DKKR, 57 USD for ONE friggin’ PEACH?!?!?!

10/10: Kyoto
Draw an onigiri (rice ball), french fries or some fried noodles in a vending machine.

Nice places in Kyoto. As well as in Nara, they were celebrating something here. I think it was the opening of a shrine or something.

A traditional shinto wedding.

Paid the budo (martial arts) center a visit! There was even a little tournament today! I think it was kyokushinkai though, judging from the way they fought (and the protection gear). Forgot to take any PICTURES though; only made a video.

The dojo is definitely different from the one at home though…

Went into a manga store. I think this is Full Metal Panic! novels. I like that show…

Passed this… FAIL!
 
11/10: The day had to come… the black spot is a hole in the sole.

I THINK these guys were lining up to enter the Pachinko. Not sure though. Maybe there was something special about today. Btw, I was up very early this morning.

Yet another shrine.

A nice little park where I had a nap, hehe.
 

A nice old car that I’m sure my dad could have spent a few minutes examining and telling me about… although my interest in veteran is kinda… non-existant.

Oh yeah, one thing my dad has a hard time living without (mainly if going to work), is havregryn (oats).

Arrived at Junko-san in Tokyo, a friend of Reiko-san’s from university. Dinner was mapo doufu (spicy tofu) and a salad.
 

It was pretty cheap (and yet very good)! 1600 for two people!

That’s it! Still have to decide on where to go tomorrow. There’s soooo much to see in Tokyo, so I MUST make a plan! I’m off to bed ;)