This is a list that I’ve been working on since I arrived in Japan (Lies! Since I was 14…), but most of the items on the list haven’t been crossed off because Hokkaido is so far away from most/all of them! Gah! While I’ve made up for it with copious amounts of Hokkaido sightseeing (A Hokkaido Highlights post will make an appearance soon, promise), I’ve been dying to get to these places. Soon I can. Woo!
In general, these are some things I’d like to do when I move south:
· See a Bunraku performance-(traditional Japanese theatre)
· See a Kabuki performance
· See a Noh performance
· See a Butoh performance (a new form of Japanese dance)
· Attend an Ukiyo-e (Woodblock painting) workshop-I really want to see how this is done!
· Join a Taiko team: Best free bicep workout under the sun + bonus stress-relief, guaranteed!
· Join a Kimono club and eventually buy one to keep and admire but not to wear…something weird about foreigners in Kimono. I love wearing them and think they’re breathtaking, but only when it’s appropriate and doesn’t scream, “Look at me! I wanna be Japanese! I’m Kawaiiiiiiii” Gah. Although I won't deny I’ve always wanted to go to Kyoto and wear the full get-up for a day! Okay, rant over…
· Learn Ikebana I’d like to be able to, as Lynette from Desperate Housewives recently put it: learn the art of “putting sticks in a vase”.
· Shinkansen the length of Japan. Yes. Oh yes. When I’m a bit richer L
Okay, let’s start with the obvious:
TOKYO
· See a Sumo match I’ve been outside the stadium, and even seen a Sumo wrestler in the flesh, but never managed to get to a game
· Edo-Tokyo Museum Okay, I’ve been here twice already, and rave about it to my friends, but I’m going again because I love it so much! And because I’m a crazy J-History nut.
· Tokyo Disneyland Does this need an explanation? I hear they give out Easter eggs at Easter-guess I’ll have to go then! Oh, and I’m going to get my Mickey Ears once and for all!
· Imperial Palace and gardens Just serene. I love cycling around it
· Harajuku (Crazy fashion people watching never gets old
· Asakusa-jinrikisha Only because I have a discount ticket haha! Someone come with me??
· Ghibli Museum because I’ve recently become interested in Japanese animation, and I’m quite impressed
· Meiji Jingu I’ve been dying to go here ever since I learnt about it! I could talk for hours about this place, but I’ll spare you
· Yoyogi-koen To hang out with the buskers and troll the markets
· Ueno-koen
· Yasukuni Jinja The infamous and controversial war-dead dedication shrine. Also dying to go here
· Yasukuni Jinja Yushukan The Museum of the above
· Kabuki-za I’ve glimpsed this briefly-can’t wait to see a show inside!
· Shitamachi Museum
· Tosho-gu
· Kabukicho My J-Culture weakness is Maiko and Geisha-I’m sheepishly obsessed. Need a book on them? I’ve got about 10 and counting…and it’s pronounced “gay-sha” not “gee-sha”!
· Shinjuku gyoen Tokyo’s largest park-just to say I’ve been to Tokyo’s largest park…that’s the only reason people go to those kinds of places, anyway.
· Ota Memorial Art Museum
· Hachiko Statue To see the statue of the dog who waited faithfully for his master every day at the train station, even after he died.
· Hie Jinja Orange tori, orange tori, orange tori. It’s all about orange tori!!
· Oedo Onsen Monogatari (Apparently it’s an onsen town up like old style Edo onsens, sounds very, very cool!)
Food: (Because, frankly that’s what travel is all about, and, well, because I love food.)
· Sakata (Tokyo’s best noodle spot)
· Ten-Ichi (best tempura)
· Tokyo Dai Hanten (Sunday Yum Cha, chinese style-not really Japanese but who can sanely pass up Yum Cha?)
I’m totally booked up for the next year at least with this list! This is only a small chunk out of my J-list; there’ll be much more to come.
By the way, I’m totally coining a new word: JEEK (=J—Geek-nifty, I know). If Glee can do it, so can I.
-Your humble, terribly-excited Jeek (the family-friendly, non-crazy-Kimono-wearing kind) ;-)
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