From Unsplash

My first trip to Japan

Japan has always teased me. There had always been this interest in stepping into a different culture breathing a different air and tasting different food. When I was a cook, my coworker told me about how different it was there. The trees, the culture, the people. It was more than just Lala land. What did that mean anyway? Does it mean that everyone is free and flowing, or does it mean that there is a general craziness- it could really be either. A quick Google search comes up with references to the movie Lala Land, nothing about Japan.

Why was I so interested in this fascinating country? Was it because of my love of video games? Since I bought my first Nintendo Entertainment System (called Famicom in Japan), I have enjoyed titles such as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy or KOEI war simulator games like Nobunaga’s Ambition. The games tease of the beauty of Japanese entertainment culture and the aesthetic that the people like. Was it those bored summer holiday days I would spend watching Godzilla vs. Mothra? I was never enthralled with them, but I couldn’t stop watching.

It could have been my love of the food, especially sushi or tempura. I would later learn there is so much more delicious food this country has to offer.

Whatever the reason was, when I heard of the Working Holiday system from my then future wife when I was just 29 (the limit is 30), I knew I was going to come out here. And so it was decided that I would take a step that would change my life forever that day, that many years ago. Before that Working holiday, we came out to Japan to attend my wife’s friend’s wedding and get acquainted with the land of the rising sun. The first trip would take us through Nagoya, to Hamamatsu where my wife was, and finally over to Kumamoto.

**Nagoya**

Truthfully we just went through Nagoya airport on that trip and it was the old airport in Komaki. The airport was dull and old, draining the life from it. It didn’t help that my wife, who had come out ahead of me, went to the wrong terminal to pick me up. I have expanded a bit about Nagoya here.

Hamamatsu

Hamamatsu is a quiet city and not really a place that draws a lot of people through for sightseeing. There is a castle, a beautiful lake and some nearby caves for exploring but none of these are a big draw. Kanzanji, near Lake Hamanako (which is actually not a real lake), has an amusement park (PalPal) and a popular Hot Spring, which the Japanese love to flock to. A lot of the foreigners who settle here love surfing, so the proximity to the sea is attractive, I guess. All the same it was an interesting first experience coming here and I enjoyed some great hospitality at the wedding.

Kumamoto

We went to Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu to visit my wife’s friends and see the area. They also offered some great hospitality and I was able to eat raw horse meat (basashi) which is a popular delicacy here. Considering how back in Canada we imagine horse meat as being low grade and unappetizing, I was pleasantly surprised that the meat was quite delicious. We also were able to see the local volcano, Aso on a day trip.

It was an amazing experience and I was ready for the next adventure to Japan a year later.