Little pleasures of Japan
by The Flamingo
Japan has a very special meaning for The Fox and The Flamingo, we are connected through the language, the Japanese friends, the many experiences there and the passion of our husbands for her. We can’t possibly begin to recommend, why you should go visit, not in an article at least…maybe if we wrote a whole book.
In our opinion Japan has her charm not only in the big things (like Mt. Fuji, the amazing buildings in Tokyo, the temples, her beautiful gardens, the exquisite castles, her turquoise rivers, the Pacific or the bamboo forests), but mostly in the little things, which you will find nowhere else in the world.
The Flamingo will share with you some of those unique “little things”, that made Japan such a lovely experience:
- Eating makis from a supermarket on the golden beach of Kamakura watching Japanese adults float on swimming rings in the Pacific;
- Drinking matcha (green tea) near the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, after admiring the whole complex of temples in the forest;
- Staring at teens dressed in the famous Japanese street fashion in Harajuku;
- Spending hours in the gaming arcades in Tokyo and taking pictures with friends “Japanese style” (purikura) in their unique photo booths;
- Savoring curry rice with the mandatory glass of cold milk in a tiny two table place, on a random corner of a street;
- Hearing a group of monks sing while they march beside you on the way to the top of Mt. Fuji;
- Getting leg cramps while sitting at a Japanese style table eating from eight different dishes at a time or just performing the tea ceremony;
- Laying on a tatami and hearing just the sound of the whirling river flow;
- Tying lucky charms on trees in the temple gardens;
- Finding a juice selling machine in the middle of nowhere;
- Admiring a Japanese woman wearing a beautiful kimono or yukata, standing in line at the Indiana Jones Adventure ride in Disney Sea;
- How it becomes second nature just after a few days there, to bow every time you greet or thank someone;
- Learning to love everything what Japanese think is “kawaii” (cute) like little charms, bows tied on sport shoes, colorful fans, sun umbrellas or tying the hair on the side;
- Climbing the foggy heels of little Japanese villages and hearing all the weird insects sounds;
- Spending time in the evening in the hotel room, after a most tiring day, watching open-mouthed and with tears of laughter the Japanese commercials, which are really unique…and weird.
These little things, the attention to detail that only the Japanese can master to such an extent, make your experiences there unforgettable. So, what we suggest, is to keep an open mind when you travel to the Land of the Rising Sun and let all the tiny pleasures sink into your core. We promise it will change you in some small way forever.
We know that we referred to Japan as “her” and not “it”…we hope that you understand now why.
