To those reading who don't know me, it's time for a confession, for those who do know me, this will be no surprise.
I am an obsessive Japanophile.
Since childhood I've always had a fascination for all things Oriental. I think I get this from my Grandmother who, going by her holiday destination choices & decor adorning her home, shares my interest.
In my teens I was a full blown Goth. Being in the Goth scene here in Melbourne in the mid '90's brought me into contact with the role-playing, manga & anime loving types who hung on the periphery of said scene. I never understood the obsession with all things Japanese (aside from the cuisine of course, which had long been my favourite). Being a Goth, the be all - end all city was of course, Berlin. Mecca for the alternate set (I did get there & loved it, but that's another post. Suffice it to say thank God I'd eschewed Vegetarianism before I got there). So this salivating love of all things Nihon was puzzling to me. That was of course, until I went there.
Upon booking our 1st Overseas sojourn my sister Emma & I found ourselves with a 10 day gap between out tour of Cambodia & China. Where to go in the interim? We pondered Vietnam, but the season was not good for Halong Bay - Monsoon time apparently (& Halong Bay was my #1 reason for going to Vietnam). Then I remembered my best friend/brother from another Mother, Julian, was living in Japan, teaching English. "Let's go to Japan & see Jules!" I cried. Emma, being the easygoing, up for anything adventurer she is agreed. My date with destiny was set.
I didn't read up much on Japan before going (a trend that has continued with my travels since. It's part laziness, part - I like the element of surprise. I try not to form any ideas about a place until I get there). So I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Having just been to Cambodia, I figured being a fellow Asian country, there'd be similarities. How wrong I was.
Japan is not Asia. Asia is not like Japan. Japan is it's own country & unlike anywhere else I've been. Neither Eastern nor Western, Japan is just simply, Japan, and you just have to have been there or need to go there to get it.
As soon as we jumped on the Narita Express to take us from the airport to our hostel in central Tokyo, I knew I was in for something special. Passing through countryside & then suddenly, it began. Mile after mile of high-rise, densely packed housing. I had no idea just how gargantuanly BIG this city was. It seemed to go on forever. I got a buzz, a feeling, this was shaping up to be my kind of city & I hadn't even got off the train yet.
Once we got to Tokyo Central Station & switched from the Narita Express to a Hanzomon line subway train to get us the whole 1 stop to Jimbocho & the awesome home away from home Sakura Hostel I was already feeling oddly at home and was growing more excited by the minute to go explore this city.
Waiting out the front of the Hostel for us was Julian, who had a few days off work back in Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture, to come & hang with us in the big smoke. We checked in & off we went, hell bent on finding food, more memory cards for the camera & whatever excitements Tokyo had in store for us.
I can't recall exactly what it was, or at which specific moment I realised I had fallen deeply, crazy, A over T in love with Tokyo, and thus Japan as a whole. I think though, it was on Day 2 of our adventures when we trekked in to the famous Shibuya and Harajuku areas that I became acutely aware that I loved this place. I'd been a bit tired & hungry & still getting over a bit of a tummy bug from Cambodia the 1st day to be aware of the feeling of "this is pure awesome!" wafting over me, but all I knew is that within 48 hours of being there & quickly becoming adept at switching from line to line on the batshit crazy looking subway, feeling at home in every neighbourhood, loving the food, the culture, the chaos, this was going to be one of those life changing travel experiences. And I was right.
When people tell me to "find my happy place" I close my eyes & see & hear this:
Bliss
No comments:
Post a Comment