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| J A P A N April 9 - 16, 2015 (✿´ ꒳ ` ) |
Looking back on it now, a big part of my childhood was spent sitting too close to the television screen. I would sit cross-legged while spending hours on end watching anime. And though I never left the room, I felt like I was rarely in my house. My heart was in Japan - watching the cherry blossoms fall, experiencing high school as a first grader, making pastries with hard to pronounce names, and falling in love.
There are times people express their surprise at the things I know, and rarely do I get the chance to say, "Oh, that? I learned that from an anime I watched". Although anime has a largely bad reputation I never grew out of it. Instead, I went even further and discovered the country behind my dream-like childhood - Japan.
Fast forward:
Roughly two weeks ago from today, I realized my dream of visiting Japan. Although I knew it my heart that I was no longer in the Philippines, everything was touched with a tinge of familiarity. Of course I had never been to Japan before, and yet there I was, feeling like it was a part of the Philippines I was just not familiar with.
And yet, every day was full of excitement, adventure, and exhaustion. We always came back to the apartment nearing midnight, but we always found the energy to wake up the next day for more endless walking and exploring. We went to places whose names I only heard on TV -- Shibuya, Harajuku, Odaiba -- and then more, to places I have never even heard of.
I never wanted to leave. But alas, all good things come to an end.
...
And all good things give way to even better things.
...
If everything goes according to plan, this time next year (as part of our school's Junior Term Abroad program) I'll be back in Japan. And I simply cannot wait!
***
Here are a couple of shots I took while I was in Japan, complete with my stupid commentary:
Day 1: Kachidoki - Yotsuya - Shinjuku
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| Tokyo-ready! ... or not. I did not expect Japan to be so cold! "Baguio weather", they said. LIARS. ALL OF THEM. |
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| A lovely flower shop along the lovely neighborhood of Yotsuya |
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| (Free) Aerial view of Tokyo! |
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| Collect them all! Stamps at major tourist destinations and train stations! (Plus purikara) |
Day 2: Sophia University - Akihabara - Shinjuku
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| Anime-worthy Sakura trees beside Sophia University |
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| This is where the shoujo happens - School Hallways |
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| Akihabara - the Electric City also known as Otaku Capital (Help, the weeb in me is coming out!) |
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| It was my bae's birthday <3 |
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| Took shelter from the rain inside the Gundam Cafe. Only hot lattes because we're all cheapskates. |
Day 3: Asakusa Shrine - Ameyoko - Ueno Park - Shibuya
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| Skytree looking a mist-yrious :> |
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| Asakusa Shrine from the back (where the great food is at, btw) |
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| Japan's "Divisoria" |
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| Vain-ing it up at Ueno park. |
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| Hachiko, the ever loyal dog. I think I captured that aura pretty well in this picture. Nyan~ |
Day 4: Odaiba - Harajuku
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| Breathtaking tulips in Odaiba. Tulips > Giant Gundam |
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| Why, yes! We are still in Japan Odaiba's just a bit of a trickster, that's all |
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| VEN(etian)US PORT |
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| Best. Sushi. Ever. |
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| Takedori Street in Harajuku! With all 'em fash-own people and their fash-own clothes. |
Day 5: Philippine Embassy - Akihabara - Ginza
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| With the Ambassador Lopez |
Day 6: DisneySea (Maihara)
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| The Disney Monorail is definitely the best train I have ever taken. |
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| Prince Eric @ Disney Sea The Mermaid Lagoon was my favorite area! Mostly because the inside made you feel like you were high. Ehe. |
Day 7: Tokyo-Edo Museum - Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park - Akihabara - Odaiba
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| Arriving at the Tokyo-Edo Museum with style. |
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| Meiji Shrine feels like a place suspended in time |
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| ... |
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| Looking for a cheap date in Tokyo? Look no further. Odaiba at night is where it's at. |
***
おわる.
fin.
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