Just a few days left in Japan

Hey folks

Just a wee bit more than a Week to go before I have to leave the beautiful country of Japan. I thought It's time to publish some random "not-so-well-known" facts about Japan. These are things I have noticed during my stay here and will hopefully destroy some of the stereotypes you think of when you think about Japan. After these, I will continue (like always) to tell you about what I have been up to in these last few days since my last post.

1. Japanese are not as shy as some people would want to make you think.
2. They sure know how to party!
3. 90% of all cars are white.
4. There are actually people here that don't follow the rules.
5. Gosh, they sure like to stand in line. It's like a national sport.
6. The japanese are not as small as rumour has it.
7. Pocari Sweat tastes like Isostar (my fellow swiss know what I am talking about)
8. It's is possible to travel all over the country with about 20 words of japanese.
9. You will fall in love with this place

So now that we got that out of the way (btw. it sounded much better in my head when I was thinking about it) I will continue with the usual.

So what have I been doin; I spent a few days in Naha on the Island of Okinawa. Did I like it? Welllll, thats a yes and a no. I didn't like the fact that it is very "touristy". Also there are just too many marines. Seriously, how bad do you have to behave to make clubs and bars come up with the following rule: "If you try to pick up a japanese girl, you and the rest of the "western" guests will be thrown out of the club for the rest of the evening".

On the other hand, I loved the whole sub-tropic feel of the ISland. This is really not the Japan you have in your head. If you visit Japan you should really come down here and visit some of the beautiful small Islands. Also, I met some really nice people at my hostel. Especially my last night there aka my goodbye party was a heap of fun.

Funny how one evening can really change your opinion about a place.

I am now in Osaka, will stay here till saturday and then leave for Tokyo where I will stay until my plane leaves for Soeul on the 7th of october. Let's get on with the pictures, shall we?

Northern tip of Okinawa

These dogs are kinda the trademark of Okinawa.. although Jimmy and I

stand to our opinion that they are lions!

Hemingway had a jolly good time in Naha. On a side note, I have some grand plans for this dude, more in due time.

Shuri-jo, one of the more impressing castles I have seen in Japan.

They have the weirdest things in Japan, like these mango flavoured Cigarettes... or so I thought, until I turned the pack and realized that they are produced in Berlin... that was rather surprising!

Not much to say here.. futuristic transport as befits Japan (or Monorail)

Breathtaking view of the coast in southern Okinawa

Meet my friends from the Shell house hostel in Naha. Not in anyway affiliated with a big company that happens to have a similar name. Thanks for the great evening folks.

thats all for now..

.. keep smiling

Kagoshima + Amami-Oshima

Hello fans

I send you all a hearty hello from Okinawa(Naha). I just arrived here last night. Sadly this means I have reached the southern most point of my trip around Japan and I will soon make my way up again to catch my flight to Seoul. I love this country and I wish I could stay much much longer. But hey, my guess, Korea is just as awesome, maybe even more so?

So let me tell you a few things about the last few days. I stayed a few days in Kagoshima, which, I am torn about. On the one hand it was kinda frustrating cause I spent alot of time searching for either my hostel or an ATM that would accept my Mastercard. Let me tell you. Searching 2h for an ATM sucks when you find out that the one you were looking for is about 100m from your hostel.
On the other hand I met some really cool people at the hostel, with which I had a great last evening there. See the pictures for more on that.

I then left Kagoshima for Amami-Oshima. Which is a really small Island about half way between mainland Japan and Okinawa. If your looking for a place with a lot going on, this is not for you! It was really nice though to get away from the hectic Japan for two nights. I was rather a celeb on the Island.. I don't know how many Gaijin's they get there, but the way people looked and smiled at me it can't be that many.

Nothing much to say about Naha yet.. will let you know in a few days how I like it here.

I'm out.. enjoy the pics.


Shimpei and Romain

Simon and Lior (please forgive me if I spelled your name wrong *runs and hides somewhere*)

A biiiiig volcano just across the bay from Kagoshima. This is an active fellow.. but sadly those clouds are just clouds.

This is not just any dirt .. this is actually volcanic ash in Kagoshima.. I got told, when it "rains" volcanic ash "again" they just open the umbrellas...

My first glimpse of Amami-Oshima

Looooooooove my japanese food.. yeah still.. yummy getting hungry.. will have to get something tasty after I finish the post.

I stayed in this little village on the Island. First bus 07:00 am, last bus 08:00 pm to the next "bigger" place.

This is what you sleep like if your on a ferry between the southern Islands of japan. Who needs privacy?

stay happy!

Hakata, or how much fun japan can be

Hello beautiful people

I send you greetings from Kagoshima. I don't have so much to tell this time around but there are a few things I wanted to send out to you.

First of all, I will board the Ferry (15h!) to Amami-Oshima today (an Island between Kyushu and Okinawa), there I will stay for 2 nights before I will take the ferry to an even smaller Island (Yoron-to) before eventually getting to Okinawa. Why am I mentioning this? because I don't know if I will get internet on those Islands. It might well be that I might be cut of from the world for a few days. Worry not, nothing will happen to me and I will say hi again when I get to Okinawa. My Cell will be switched on, so if anybody from my family needs to reach me, send me a txt or call me.

Now let me tell you about Fukuoka. It's not the most beautiful city in Japan but boy was it fun. SO MUCH FUN. My CS host Joel was just the bestest. This time the pictures are not about beautiful sights in Japan but to show you just how much fun I had. If you ever go to Fukuoka contact Joel, he is the guy to tell you where to have great food, what to see, where to party and generally knows so much about this place.

First night I got there we went for dinner with some friends of his and went to drink at a bar later. SUCH.A.BLAST. Next day I explored the city by myself, which wasn't that exciting but the evening is whole other story. Joel took to a place where I had the best Ramen so far. Afterwards we went to FUBAR a club/bar. The music was ok but not really my thing. BUT I highly recommend the place ;) nuff said!

Let's get on with the pics!


Hemingway and Simon love a good night out. Can't you just tell from this pic what a good time I had?

Joel and his friends. Spot the japanese guy!

The girls serving at the bar were stunningly beautiful.. let me know if you want to know what it is called ;). Them all shouting "thank you" after an order is just the cutest thing ever.

This pic is for my finnish friends.. I had a laugh when I walked past this café!

Did I mention the beautiful girls in Fukuoka/Hakata?

Well that's all folks.. cu in a few days.

Days 71 and 72

Hi all

I am in Hiroshima and will move on to Fukuoka later in the day. Hiroshima is awesome. There is really no other way to say it. I had such a great time here.

First thing I did when I got off the Shinkansen, was, visiting the A-Dome and the Atomic Bomb Museum. That got me really really depressed. Yeah you know alot about it, you see alot about it etc. but when your actually here, it's a whole different story.

Later in the day I went to a Baseball game.. the Hiroshima Carps were playing. That was more fun than I expected. The crowd was really loud and cheering like the crowd in an europian football game would. With one difference though.. the cheering was very organised. No cheering from one team's fan's when the other ones were cheering. "Please cheer, but in an orderly fashion".

The true highlight of my visit here was Miyajima no doubt. It's the place with the shrine in the water. You'll know when you see the picture further down. Visiting that place including the walk up mt. Miten was just a spectacular experience. I just sat there staring at the shrine while the sun was going down. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

have a great day all (when you wake up)

garden in a shrine in Kyoto

Cool castle in Kyoto

R.I.P people of Hiroshima. Let this be a reminder of what can never happen again.

Baseball games are fun :))

The wild deer of Miyajima are not really wild.

Beautiful view from Mt. Misen

Miyajima

Miyajima

Looooooooooooooooooooooooove japanese food.. this is a local speciality from Hiroshima

ps: would have written more and better stuff but I was in the common room of the hostel while doing the post. ANNNDDDD there was this english girl insisting to talk to me in a constant flow eventhough I was clearly busy..

Nippon banzai!

Hi Friends n Family

What was the hardest part about this post? Selecting the pictures! I took so many awesome one's I could post at least 30 more. I think I have selected the nicest one's though...

I am now 6 days in Japan and still love the place to pieces. Worry not friends at home, I couldn't live here. I am just to lazy for this place. But the people are so friendly, the food is just the best I have ever had and the contrast from the high tech to tradition is just amazing.

I stayed in Tokyo for two nights and then started heading southwards. I intend to stay a few more days in Tokyo before I leave for Korea. Just have to, it's such a great city. I stayed one night in Nagoya instead of the two I wanted, mainly due to problems with couchsurfing. What was the problem? Me waiting at the wrong Subway station for my host was. I usually write the host's cell number down once I get it, but forgot it this time and didn't find any wireless so there wasn't any possibilty to contact him while waiting. First time something goes wrong couchsurfing was 100% due to me. I stayed in a Hotel for the night instead and decided to travel on to Kyoto the next day.

Kyoto is where I am currently at. I will stay here for another 3 nights. I love this place just as much as Tokyo. But i'll let the pictures speak for themselves. One more thing before I sign out again... if you ever have the chance to visit japan.. by all means, do it! You won't regret it!


no comment.

Simon loooooooooves japanese food. I usually don't know what it is I'm eating, but when it tastes that good, who cares?

Tokyo old and new.

This guy freaks me out... I would never buy that drink ^_^;

Roppongi by night 1.

Roppongi by night 2.

Akihabara, or where you buy your gadgets if your in Tokyo.

This is Kyoto....

.....this is also Kyoto

Hello ladies.

Japanese temple above Kyoto.

Tomo my first and most awesome japanese Host.

Konichiwa!

Dudes,

Japan is weird. Especially if you haven't slept for 24+ hours. All I see are flashing signs and vending machines. I even ordered my dinner at a vending machine

Love this place already.. now let the rain stop, the taifun pass and the adventure japan can beginn for real.

Copenhagen prt1

Hi all.. don't let the titel confuse you.
I don't know if there actually is going to be a prt2. I have been in this great city for 7 days now and I thought it's about time I say hey again. So... Hey! I will stay here for another 4 days (not including today) If those 4 days will be worth another post or if I will say my next "hey" from Japan has to be seen.

So, whats new? Most important (!!) my tattoo is finished. if you haven't seen it yet, scroll down to the last post and talk a look. I promise you won't be dissapointed. If you are dissapointed, sorry, here have a cookie.

I am currently staying with 4 very cool guys. Actually Andreas from Roskilde hooked me up with them. I stayed a few days at a hostel because from experience I know that the first night after tattooing can be very messy. This I didn't want to do to any CS host. Let me tell you that Hostel sucked; noisy teenagers, construction work starting early in the morning and to top it all off, 3 guys in my dorm that snored. I know that it is a golden rule; If your in a male dorm (no matter where) there is always one guy that snores... but this was a wee bit much. Gosh look at me, complaining like an old man.

What have I been doing? Well this and that.. mainly alot of walking in downtown Copenhangen. Visited all the places a tourist should (expect Tivoli [yet]) including Christiania. I did walk out sober though.. quite proud of myself I have to say.

What am I up in the next few days? Heavy planning for Japan. Got my Hostel for 2 nights in Tokyo and my JR Railpass and have to figure out what to do next. Thing is, I can start planning and arranging things, but hey, what if I meet some cool people on the way and decide to travel with them for a few days?.. mmmmmm.. can't decide what to do. Yeah I know I know, you would like to have my problems.

Too much talk again.. here go the pictures:

Entrance to the "cool" Meatpacking district.


Copenhagen is great fun

Leaving Christiania. Would have loved to take some pictures of the hasch/weed on the tables but I think the guys with the scary dogs wouldn't have liked that.

Yeah a church.. took many pictures of churches on my travels so far.. this one is more than worth showing!

LIES! I checked!! (don't ask)

another shot of myself

Nyhaven, typical tourist foto

Hemingway in his natural habitat.

the torturers den aka where I sat to get my tattoo (5h in fact)

Staying with Andreas, Simon, Rane and Michael is great fun! Saturday night dinner with friends.

This is the place I am staying out.. first one that is not an appartement. Thought I should mention it.

Of course I will keep it coming..

stay humble