Tokyo Disneyland: A double date!

A little while ago, Sheridan and I decided to bully our other halves into going on a double date to Tokyo Disneyland this month. She’s a resident pro, having been about 8 times, and I was more than willing since it’s been a long time since I’ve been to Disney in Florida. 

Tokyo Disneyland is very different from other Disney parks, as visitors really get involved and often wear themed outfits, couple t-shirts, and go all out when buying merchandise. Obviously I took this as an invitation to embrace my love of fancy dress again; since there is a Monsters Inc. ride there, I couldn’t resist dressing up as Boo, and letting Kohei be more subtle with a Sulley shirt and token Toy Story Vans. In preparation, I even got the best Winnie the Pooh nails a girl could wish for.

That definitely made the whole experience so much better, and I honestly think it had a better atmosphere than any other Disney park I’ve ever been too. I almost cried when I saw a little baby dressed as Sulley, but thought it was best not to steal a sleeping baby just for a photo, no matter how cute it would have been.

The first ride we went on was the teacups… never again. I think we collectively thought we were all going to vomit afterwards, and the video we now have of Sheridan screaming her lungs out is pure gold.

I was so hyped for two rides I’d heard so much about: Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Monster’s Inc. Ride and Go Seek. Obviously I’d taken my Pooh Bear to Disney with me, so having that be his first ever theme park ride was quite apt. He sat inside the honey pot with me as we went on a little adventure around the Hundred Acre Wood and got to meet some Heffalumps. 

I did have a mild heart attack though when posing for a photo op, he almost ended up in a lake, but hey he must have been too excited to contain himself. Monsters Inc. was super fun too, although I’m very disappointed you couldn’t score points, because I know for a fact I won.

Sheridan managed to grab us the best spot to watch the electrical light parade in the evening, where all of the characters outfits and floats are covered in hundreds of lights. I’ve never seen anything like that, and it definitely had the Disney Magic.

Tokyo Disneyland is known for its weird and wonderful food, like Mickey Mouse shaped churros, Mike Wasowski melon bread, along with many random flavours of popcorn. So many of the foods are themed, and you can even get burgers and chicken nuggests shaped to be Mickey's head. I was so disappointed because I've been wanting to try the infamous Little Green Alien mochi ice cream dumplings from Pizza Planet, but sadly that was closed. Looks like I'll have to grab some next time when we plan to head to Tokyo Disney Sea in July

Kumamoto Sake and Shochu Tasting

A few weeks ago we’d been asked if we wanted to attend a sake and shochu tasting event in the city, and even though we didn’t expect much from it, we thought we’d give it a go. Sheridan and I walked into said event both wearing Birkenstocks, while everyone else was in suits. We’d seriously misjudged the evening, but that’s what the term “gaijin smash” is for. 

Chase also joined us, and somehow got roped into being one of the select few who got to dress up and break the barrel of sake with a hammer. From that moment on, everyone was greeting us, giving us their business cards, and one man even offered us a visit to the onsen at his hotel near Mount Aso for free. 

We also had a very jolly man at our table who wouldn’t let our glasses go empty. I’d like to say it was purely his fault for the states we ended up in, but I’ll admit we did our fair share of tasting at the stalls before the event even officially started. I’ve found a new love for all kinds of sake and shochu, a heavenly plum wine, and even a magical orange liquor. All of which are made by breweries in the prefecture, so they’ll be my go to presents now for people back home wanting a bit of Kumamoto in their lives.

Speaking of which, Sheridan had a mild heart attack and convinced herself Kumamon was going to attend. To all of our disappointment, he didn’t, but we did meet Miss Sake, a super nice girl around our age, who spent the evening looking pretty and presenting the raffle. 

Typical me, I didn’t win a baldy thing in the raffle, and felt seriously left out when both Sheridan and Clare did. Cue Clare giving an impromptu and unnecessary speech (much to the delight of the crowd and embarrassment of us) but hey, that’s why we love her! Major thanks to the random man who gifted Sheridan a bottle of plum wine though, it was my favourite one of the whole evening, even if it was seemingly a pity bottle when she gave it to me.

Look out for us this week on TV and in the newspaper; judging by the amount of cameras shoved in our faces, we’re bound to be somewhere. Let’s just hope they don’t decide to use their interview with me... failing to know how to describe how the sake tasted smooth, I proceeded to do an action that ended up being a tipsy body roll. Not how I expected my Thursday evening to turn out at all!

A wisteria wonderland.

Ever since I became interested in Japan, many things have entered onto my subconscious bucket list, Kawachi Fujien being one of them. Back when it did, I didn’t think I’d be living in Kumamoto, not so far away, or that Kohei would literally live down the road.

The downfall of seeing the wisteria in full bloom meant that so many other people would want to do the same. Despite my fears of it being jam-packed and ruining the experience, we managed to time it perfectly and miss the crowds. The wisteria tunnels were just enchanting, making me feel like a princess in my own fairy-tale. 

You follow the trail under the tunnels, through changing colours from violet and lilac, bright and dusky pinks, to crisp white. Every so often was a little dome of hanging wisteria, which reminded me somewhat of little Hobbit homes in The Shire.

Once we reached the top of the gardens, the view down the hill was stunning. Under the green canopy you could see glimpses of the colourful wisteria underneath, all while the light wind was blowing some of the petals around us.

It’s hard to describe how beautiful this place is, since the pictures barely do it justice; you need the full experience of the sweet smell that just engulfs you upon arrival, and the abundance of bees enjoying the flowers just as much as we were. 

It’s not just the wisteria garden that is worth a visit, but also the surrounding area. I’m definitely planning to head back when it’s not flower blooming season anymore, to have a picnic and a paddle in the huge lake next door.

Golden Week in Busan!

During Golden Week (a time in Japan were three public holidays are back to back, and everywhere in Japan is bedlam) Kohei and I decided to take a trip to Busan, a first for the both of us.

The evening we arrived was spent wandering around the Jagalchi and Nampo area, famous for its bustling markets and street food. BIFF Square and Gukje Market had such a similar feel to Myeongdong in Seoul that it was easy to forget where we were. 

I’ve been craving strawberry daifuku in Japan for weeks now, but the season has already past, so I was utterly delighted to see a stall selling the same red bean and strawberry filled mochi balls. We also tried something that can only be described as a soft, sweet, egg-y bread with bacon. So wrong, but so right. The next day we also ate “Quattro-cheese topokki” which was practically life changing.

Brown Hands Café

Somewhere I’d stumbled across while stalking cute locations on Instagram, this café is hidden in the back streets near Busan station amongst some random nightclubs.  It’s located inside an old converted hospital, providing one of the most hipster settings to a café I’ve ever been to. Coffee (and more importantly the banana smoothie I had) were good too.

Centum City

Deemed the largest department store in the world, we had to take a visit to Shinsegae in Centum City. The food court is an experience in itself, and the abundance of every type of Korean and some Western foods will have your head on a swivel. Nearby is Café the Box, another quirky little joint overlooking the river with cardboard leaves on the walls and a chocolate block ceiling.

Another café we visited was The Pancake Epidemic in Haeundae. Although the pancakes were magical judging by Instagram, they were sold out by the time we arrived. The store itself is pretty cool, overlooking the beach and is also connected to a pretty cool clothing store which is worth a visit. I even bought a hat.  

Gamcheon Culture Village is a must-visit when in Busan. What is commonly referred to as “Korea’s Santorini” is a favela like area, given an update and is now one of the most quirky areas I’ve ever been to. Art installations are everywhere, hidden along tiny paths in backstreets, or brazenly painted on any surface in view. I didn’t truly appreciate the abundance of colours until looking at the pictures afterwards. I’d love to go back and explore when it’s less crowded and get a change to fully delve into hidden gems I’m sure exist. However, if you’re not a fan of creepy birds with human heads perched on buildings because it’s “artsy”, this place may not be for you.

That night we headed to Gwangalli Beach just after sunset and spent the evening wandering along the beach, drinking beer and soju, and watching the infamous lights adorning Gwangan Beach in the distance. Although we went to Haeundae Beach the next day, there’s something a little more special about Gwangalli as there are less tourists flooding the place. Even better, you can sit, watch the lights on the bridge, hear the waves and see people setting off fireworks.

 While I’ve been to Seoul three times and will inevitably always have a return trip planned, Busan was a completely different experience, but also so similar. I missed the famous lantern festival by a few days, and also never got to do some of the beautiful coastal walks because of the weather… Let’s be honest though, like I need more of an excuse to return; the Korean BBQ alone does it for me.

 I’m proud to say that Kohei and I didn’t want to kill each other either! It won’t be long Busan, and maybe I’ll squeeze in a trip to Jeju too. Although I do need a Korean skin care intervention, it’s getting out of hand.

Taiko Festival time!

Back in October, I briefly mentioned how I’d just started taiko drumming with Chloe and Kim. Our group actually dances Eisa (エイサー) which is the traditional performing art originating from Okinawa. There a three types of drums; odaiko (the big one I play), and two smaller handheld ones, shimedaiko and paranku. 

I’ll admit, after weeks of practicing our posture and form, the basic foot work and the correct arm placements for hitting the drum, I felt like a big girl when I got handed a drum and told to put it on. Needless to say I felt like I had a temperamental child strapped to me that neither did what I wanted, knocked me off balance and threw itself in the opposite direction.

Fast forward to almost 6 months later, having just performed for the first time at the Ryukyukoku Matsuri in Oita. Don’t get me wrong, I was nervous as anything, especially since they’d decided to change the formations 3 times in the week leading up to the performance. 

Extra pressure was added when they announced how the Kumamoto team had three ALT’S; like I needed more eyes staring at me and my glowing whiteness.

That was an ongoing theme of the day though, since being the only foreigner does make you stick out. However the children whispering “gaikokujin”, seeing me smile, asking me if I understood and freaking out when I replied were actually pretty cute.

Despite the killer early morning meeting at 4:30am, the entire day was something I’m so glad I got to experience. Especially since now the younger members of the group have warmed to us, rather than staring at us petrified like they once did. We only performed one song being the novices we are, but we’re being taught more routines as the weeks go on, so maybe next time we’ll get to show off our skills a little more. 

I’ll admit that despite feeling like a pretty cool Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle all day, I’ve never been happier than when I could finally take my tabi off (which I’d been taped into might I add). Cankles don’t exist in Japan, that’s something I’ve had to come to terms with.