Kouen Mae Ramen →

I had a new ramen experience today so go check it out on the Ramen page or by clicking the title above.

enjoi

An Okazaki Train

I really like trains here. And I know I am not the only one cause there is a legit train sub-culture here which includes riding all the various lines and train models throughout the country, taking pictures of them in various settings (urban and rural), and then even collecting and/or building actual working models.

It's pretty cool and if I spent enough time here, I think I could find myself getting into that hobby more. But alas, I am just a passenger on this train and I will appreciate their magnificence from a safe distance, preferably behind the crossing arms.

Takoyaki

The other night for dinner we made Takoyaki (grilled dumplings with octopus inside). It was the first time I had made them myself as I had only ever really eaten them at various festivals.

It was super fun to make as we had lots of different types of ingredients to throw into the mix. That included:

• green onion

• ginger

• shrimp

• sausage

• cheese

• corn

After the bottom half of the dumping cooks, you run a little stick around the sides to rotate it on the grill so it cooks evenly.

Once cooked, you can top your takoyaki with some mayo, BBQ sauce more onions, nori and/or bonito flakes.

They are super delicious and it’s an engaging dinner to have with everyone as each person is actively participating in making their takoyaki and chatting.

Karate

My homestay family mother took me and the two friends I made to a karate lesson on Saturday evening. Her uncle is a Karate sensei and thus, our in to a free introduction to the sport.

I actually got to change into the appropriate attire, however, it was slightly too big but I’m glad I got to change since I didn’t really bring any clothes to change into cause I’m a newb.

When it came to doing all the stretching, I was definitely the weakest into the entire gym. This was quite noticeable when it came to attempting the splits. I have terrible flexibility and by all the laughing from the parents watching their kids, yah, I was merely entertainment for everyone. hah!

After all the various warm up activities, we got into punches, kicks and practice fights. Actually, we weren’t allowed to fight cause we would have destroyed everyone. Scratch that, everyone would have destroyed us. When the kids practiced fighting, they had various protection gear on that we just didn’t have. So, instead, we watched from the sidelines. This was fine by me and the others.

I quite enjoyed the experience of being able to try Karate in Japan. Even though I sucked big time, it’s a great workout and even now, 2 days after, I am still sore. That’s mostly due to my lack of being in shape. sob sob sob

When I get back to Canada, don’t mess with me, or else…

Momiji

Momiji is the word given to the changing colour of the leaves in the fall when they change from their glorious green to the various beautiful colours prior to making their journey to the ground.

The fall season seems to last longer here compared to back home as you get plenty of chances to get out to the countryside and enjoy some hiking. I feel that at home, it cools so quickly and then a giant gust of wind comes along and blows all the leaves off the trees. And then bam, the trees are bare and the impending doom of winter feels even closer.

I had the opportunity today when my homestay family went to a little area outside of the city to enjoy the colours. It wasn't a large area, but it was plenty lovely either way.

If you ever plan on coming to Japan, the fall is an amazing time. It's more moderate in temperature, great for hiking, and if you love being outside of the cities, you are gonna be in for a treat.

Lunch

There is a little cafe about a minute down the road from where the school is where a lot of students go to eat during the 50 minute lunch break.

I went three days in a row mainly because it's cheap, 550 Yen ($6 CAD) for what you see below.

The lunch set typically contains something fried, which in my case has been two different versions of fried shrimp and then a pork. You also get a bowl of rice, miso soup, some veggies (pickled and fresh) and then a little salad.

Today, I just couldn't do it again so me and a friend I made went to the grocery store and grabbed a Bento was was even cheaper.

There are two lessons here, variety is the spice of life and two, buying lunch in Japan is cheap.

A Train to Okazaki

I don’t have much time to write this evening as I spent some time studying and playing with the kids next door.

I was able to connect Pokemon Go to their Switch and give them some sweet Legendary Pokemon so they were super pumped about that. It was like they were unstoppable in the game once they caught the Pokemon I gave to them. It was great to see their excitement.

It was also my first full day of school today and overall it was what was as I expected. They move at a pretty fast pace and the entire class is taught in Japanese so I have my work cut out for me, but so far, other than not knowing some words here and there, I think I followed the teachers very well.

I’m looking forward for the rest of the week.

Below is a short sample of the view from the train window during my trip to Okazaki from Tokyo. This train is a local train so it wouldn’t be as fast as the bullet train (shinkansen) that I would have been on for most of the trip. But I hope it gives you a sense of general feeling of the country outside of the big cities.

Onsen Time

Without a doubt, visiting the onsen (Japanese hot spring) has to be my favourite activity when all you want to do is just relax. It’s one of the things I miss most when back in Canada simply because we have nothing that compares to how the great the experience is.

The whole part about getting naked with a whole bunch of people is totally just a little obstacle that those who have never been will absolutely get over. It’s really good to know that any embarrassment you have wears off so quickly once you realise that everyone around you considers this time totally normal.

Once you put your clothes away in the locker (100 yen, but you’ll get your deposit back. How nice!), you’ll proceed into the main bathing area where most people typically head to the shower area to soap up and rinse. All the soaps are provided and all the stalls are sitting areas with dividers between. You can spend as much time as you want showering which is a pretty sweet concept; unlimited showers! But don’t stop there as there is plenty more waiting for you.

Most onsens will have a few indoor and outdoor pools. The variety of such will depend on the specific onsen you visit, but don’t forget to check for outdoor pools. The pools range in temperatures (super cold to super hot), some might have jets, carbonation, electric bars (yes, this is thing and it’s crazy to experience), various natural additives to increase wellness, size (large all the way down to a personal tub), and probably a lot of other aspects that I am missing.

There can also be saunas and/or steam rooms if those tickle your fancy, too.

Once you finally succumb to all the heat, rinse off, dry a little bit with the little towel you carry around with you (which I forget to mention, never goes in pools but can be placed on your head or off to the side) and change back into your clothes. If you come at night, a lot of people will change into super comfy night attire like sweat pants and baggy shirts.

Or if you are like me, you change back into jeans and act like you never went in yet.

Now you might be thinking that your onsen experience is over and it’s time to go home. And I suppose you could be right, or, you can stick around and chill cause there are more options for you.

Find a lounge room and read all the manga (comic books) in the world. Watch TV or just chat with your friends. Have kids? No worries, there are typically child friendly play areas to keep your little ones occupied and happy.

You’re probably thirsty so you can grab yourself anything from water to beer to milk and pretty much whatever is typically found in Japan. Ice cream is awesome and that’s usually what I buy cause boy does that feel nice.

If you are feeling extra sore, go get a message, or maybe you burned a ton of calories and are feeling hungry, go grab a bite at the restaurant.

You could spend as little or as much time here as you wanted, your choice. It’s just awesome that so many options await you for however you might be feeling after your great onsen experience.

So, if you ever go to Japan, do yourself a favour and find an onsen. Get past the artificial awkward barrier that you might put up, and enjoy a life changing (yes, it actually is) and enlightening experience.