Japan travel: the first feelings of a traveler

The first feelings of a traveler when he arrives in a new country, it's a subject I had already discussed with an article that dealt with shock and euphoria. Japan is a country that is just fantasize many travelers, or even non-travelers, fans simply a part of Japanese culture. To be honest, I was not at all excited by the idea of ​​discovering Japan when I started this journey.

Between my volunteering in South Korea, I knew I would have a few weeks to travel, but at first I thought the opportunity to find out more about Korea. Finally, several reasons, including the wedding of one of my best friends in Tokyo (Some of you may know her blog Gaijin Japan), led me to orient myself on Japan.
Why Japan so fascinating?

tokyogodfathersTravelin Japan:the first sensationsdunvoyageurIlthere isa multitude ofpossible reasons foran intereston my partfor Japan:younger,I was a bigconsumer ofmanga,Japanese animationandfan of theFinalsagaFantasy.I eventried tostudy Japaneseforsix months, but hey,learning foreignlanguages ​​isnot really my thing...

Even today, Iregularly watchJapanesemovies and I'm a fanofSonoSiondirectors(Whydo not youplayin Hell, TokyoTribe), SatoshiKon(TokyoGodfathers,Perfect Blue),HirokazuKoreeda(Like father likeson)andHayaoMiyazaki(PrincessMononoke,The Wind That Shakes)course.And yet, no,before leavingJapandid not make medream.

I think mytime in Koreahas alsohelped to strengthenthis lack ofexcitement.Althoughsome people willcompletely disagree withthis point, cultures andsocietiesKoreansand Japaneseare very similar.South Koreais certainlythe nearestcountryof Japan,and not justgeographically.To be honest,even ifI spentoneof the most funsummersof my lifein South Korea, I was alsotired ofsome thingsand I wantedto make a realbreak, live andseesomesomething differentfor a fewweeks.Ireally wanted togo elsewhere,to liveat my own paceanddiscovera different atmosphere.I fearednot being able toreallyliveitwith Japan.So I wasmore excitedbythe idea of ​​traveling,review somelongtime friends,bythe idea of ​​visitingJapanin particular.

My interest inJapan wastherefore quitemoderate,but I thinkit's even worsefor Tokyo.I'm not necessarilya fanofvery large cities andI tend toshortenmystayin the big citiesmeto focuson the restof the country.I hadthe image of aTokyocitycrowded, noisy,withpeople everywhereandat all times.Basically,the kind of citythatIhatevery easily,which exhaustsmeafter a few hoursandas wefind it not badin Asia.

So I arrivedin Japanwith plenty ofshots inhead,a mad desire tohave fun andtravel, butnot necessarilyto coverthat particular country.And finally,afteran hour...  

 I was already in love Japan!

 
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Sensoji temple in Asakusa
Even arriving at Haneda, the closest airport to the center, it always takes a little time and a little too much money for my taste, to reach its destination. Typically the kind of thing that irritates me. In addition, when I finally get in the neighborhood of my hostel, I have the "right" surprised to find that it started to rain. And it only got worse as the day went. Between my a-priori and finish context, all conditions were met so I do not catch.

But I just arrived, I found my traveling companion and I still want to explore the surroundings. We started toward the Asakusa district, about 30 minutes walk from our hostel. And then something incredible happened. As in Cambodia, I immediately fell in love with almost everything I saw, everything that I discovered. It was dark, it was raining a lot, and yet I was a blast to see the scenery around me. And as for Cambodia, the first feeling has never left me the trip.

Above, I mentioned the similarities between South Korea and Japan. I still think they exist. However, once there, I did not see the differences, what was that Japan has something extra. It's pretty hard to explain, illustrate with examples, this is really a matter of feeling, atmosphere, but now I understand the madness that wins many travelers who discovered Japan. Japan really seems to be unique in the world. We go from one surprise, one discovery every day. Besides, Tokyo was far from the city than I imagined, and certainly played a lot in this time of instant heart.
Tokyo, a city far from his shots

tokyo shibuya Travel in Japan: the first sensations dun traveler
Shibuya
Most people who are interested a bit in Japan know: In traditional Japan, architecture, temples, gardens ... It is in Kyoto to do it. In Tokyo, the experience will be much more modern, it will neon signs all over the place, lots of noise, a lot like you've never seen, in short, Tokyo is the urban madness at its worst . Except that this is a good bunch of hogwash!

Already, this is not the topic of this article, but Kyoto is far from being a traditional town filled with temples. it is possible to see and do many other things. But anyway, let's focus on the topic of the day, Tokyo. Yes, the Shibuya, Shinjuku and a few others are really close to the image that we have of Tokyo. But Tokyo is not that some neighborhoods, it's a whole city, or every neighborhood has its atmosphere. The "lost" foreign side, travelers, featured in the movie "Lost in Translation" is only one aspect, very simplistic, this has to offer the city of Tokyo.
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First restaurant and already a culinary discovery with okonomiyaki

During my stay in Tokyo, I stayed in the hostel Aizuya-Inn, near the metro station of Minami-Senju. It is a very quiet area. There is no neon sign, very few people in the streets and hardly any noise. It's a neighborhood as I have found many other Tokyo. Japan's capital is primarily a quiet town, very clean, with little traffic and no pollution! I am fond of biking to get around on a daily basis or to explore new places, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the bike was a means of transportation used. Cyclists have both the right (or take it anyway) to be on the road and sidewalks, allowing to flow quite easily without getting stuck behind take ages for three pots of huge bus exhaust (haaa, Paris ...). At the risk of surprise, I think Tokyo is a much more relaxing and peaceful than other major cities like New York or Paris city.

Finally, the last shot I'd challenge: Tokyo is not as expensive as people say. Yes, transportation is expensive, yes housing is high in the middle. But it is possible to find plenty of things without spending too much and eat typical dishes at a small price.

Finally, you'll understand the first sensations of the trip to Japan was really special. It's very rare that I find myself as excited by a country after only a few hours as each time it happened, that feeling has not left me for the rest of the trip. And you, what are your feelings against Japan and Tokyo?