Day 1 in Japan

Konichiwa my friends! Day 1 in Japan proved to be pretty exciting. In the morning, we woke up, got ready and then went to the breakfast buffet in the hotel. You have the choice of that international buffet or a Japanese set breakfast. We decided the buffet was probably a better option because the Japanese set breakfast consists of things like poached fish, miso soup and other things that might not settle so well on an American stomach so early in the morning. After breakfast, we decided to trek out and see some of the sights within walking distance of our hotel. We saw 3 temples/shrines which were all gorgeous. I really like Japanese architecture. I got a lot of pictures of the outsides of the temples/shrines but photos aren't allowed inside. Neither are your shoes.

Funny story: Trying very hard not to be obnoxious American tourists, we were following all the rules we knew and had been reading up on Japanese cultural customs before our outings. When it said no pictures, we took none despite the other tourists around us happily snapping away. Well, as we left one of the temples, we were retrieving our shoes. We started to put them back on thinking we were free and clear of the temple and it was now the appropriate time to put them back on and continue about our day. Well just as we got them on a monk/priest comes out and starts yelling, "shoes! shoes! shoes!" and wildly pointing at us and glaring at us very angrily. And the other tourists looking around to see who was causing such a commotion. Apparently, although outside the door of the temple, we were still standing on the wooden floor that is part of the temple, and also the part that shoes are not allowed on. Had we walked maybe 5 feet further to the stone steps and walkway, we would have been in the clear. But no. So we quickly got our shoes off again, ran to the stone, put them on and hurried out of there to avoid any further scene or embarrassment.

After our morning hike out in town, we returned to the hotel, where there is a garden and bird watching sanctuary so we started to hike through that. It had some beautiful views of the city! We had to cut our hike short because lunch was starting. I had to get down some lunch in about 15 minutes so I could join up with the accompanying persons tour group. Lunch was okay, nothing too exciting.

I found my group and was asked if I had to get back to little ones back in the United States. I kinda stood there thinking, "Seriously??" and then was like, "um, no, I'm with my dad...I'm a daughter!" The lady who was asking me this (she was an American) just told me that it is usually just wives that come and so she assumed that I was with my husband. The group of wives was very interesting as well. I was a total misfit! They are all these chemical company executive's wives and fare from all over the world. One was from Korea, one from Canada, two from Venezuela, one from Brazil and then the one American lady, who is from New Jersey. Well after they figured out that I was a daughter and only 24, they all decided that they should marry me off to their sons. Nice. On the tour, we went to this Movie Land thing which is kind of like a Japanese version of Universal Studios, but without the rides. We saw a ninja show and a haunted house. Interesting look into Japanese film but maybe not the most interesting part of the trip. After the movie land, we went to this area at the base of the mountains called Arishiyama. There is a famous bridge there whos e name when translated means "Moon Crossing Over Bridge". When it is sunset, I guess you can see the moon setting over this bridge. It is supposed to be very pretty and romantic. While we were there, we went to a tea house and had traditional green tea (very bitter!) and a Japanese sweet (very sweet and very interesting). The two need to go together to balance each other out. After the tea, we walked around some shops, but I have yet to purchase anything. I don't want to get a lot, so I really want to put thought into what I am getting.

After we returned to the hotel, I showered and got ready for the conference dinner. The conference dinner was pretty tasty. There were different stations with different kinds of Japanese cuisine to try. I tried tempura, kobe beef, a noodle bowl and some real sushi (I think maybe called sashimi?). So yummy! I liked that everything was just a small sample so I could try it all. I was surprised to find that I liked the raw fish sushi too! I usually do not eat fish because I can't stand the taste, but decided to take the plunge here. I am so glad I did. The fish wasn't fishy tasting at all. I liked it so much I might even get it in the States when I return now instead of my usual Philadelphia Roll. Haha... After dinner, I crashed. I was starting to fall asleep even during dinner, but so was everyone else so I think we all called it an early night. I came back, laid on my bed at 8:30 still in my dress clothes and slept there until 10 when my dad woke me up to put my pjs on.

So yay! That was day one of my fabulous adventures in Japan. I have been keeping busy so my updates are a little behind, but have no fear, I will get it all in. Also, I am going to wait to post all my pictures until I get back because I need to sort through them all (the count is at 163 right now!) and pick my favorites to put on here. Hope y'all are doing well. God bless!