I’m late in wrapping up Japan, but the rest of the trip was mostly work and I apologize for not finishing these entries earlier!
Overall, I am extremely happy with the time I spent in Japan. I didn’t know it yet but at some point in the last few days in Tokyo I had picked up a cold… and my energy levels the final three days reflected that. When I wasn’t working, I was right back to the hotel and to bed for the most part. I did, however, get taken out for two more meals and both are worth pointing out, and spent one night at the bar in the hotel which I had never visited previously and tried a Japanese whiskey which was expensive, but good!
The first meal to call out was, again, ramen. This was quite a different ramen but still miso-based, and very enjoyable. There are hundreds of variations on ramen I was told, and I learned on my last night in Japan there are also different types of miso (regular, red, white)! I had no idea! While in Tokyo this trip I’d had each of those three at one point or another though there are also variants of all sorts in between those as well (red miso is actually a mixture of the other two, you see). This ramen had larger noodles, and more of them! I came to find out that my friend from work had been ordering me extra large portions at each restaurant we visited and I was continually not finishing them, so I finally asked him to stop! The food here has all been amazing, though… absolutely worth the larger portions!
My last night in Tokyo, my colleagues from work had arranged a sushi meal and I was not at all disappointed. The fish was fresh, some of the best I have ever had, and sushi here is different than in the US in very distinct ways that I found lovely. In something different to my standard order, people in Tokyo prefer sashimi, which is a thin cut of fish on top of rice. They are always delicious, but the ingredients seem to each have a more distinct purpose here if that makes any sense at all. In the US many of the rolls (and even the sashimi) that I have had are focused on overall flavor. The sushi in Japan, especially the last night I was there, was still enjoyed as a single bite but you could individually taste the fish, the rice, and a smooth layer of wasabi that gave the sashimi just a small kick in the middle that separated the flavors. It warmed the tongue, announced itself, and then faded to let you enjoy the rest of the flavors. Maybe I’m over-thinking that part, but it was delicious, a joy for the tongue, and you should try the sushi in Japan! It’s a completely different experience, and well worth it!
I’ll leave you with a picture of the whiskey I tried at the bar, and little more description of my last morning in Japan. I packed my suitcase before sleeping that night, and woke up late with my bus coming just after noon-ish. I had breakfast at the hotel, grabbed a Starbucks and sat for about an hour reading my book (Still reading the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter, but I’m on book 8 now) while I waited for the day to pass. After coffee, I went back to my room, freshened up, ensured I had everything packed… and then checked out of the hotel and left my luggage with the airport-bus bellman. I meandered around the hotel some more, finding lunch at the steak restaurant one more time before I left (I had one big bill in Yen left, it seemed like the right time to use it!), and headed down to the bus terminal.
The rest of the trip was easy, the bus went straight to the airport and after checking in on Facebook was contacted by an old work colleague who just happened to also be in Tokyo at the time, and at Narita airport as well! I tend to run into random people in airports, so this isn’t entirely unheard of but by far this is the furthest from home that has happened! I sat in the United Club in Narita airport with my friend Will, catching up after a few months of not having seen each other (Will used to work for my company, but has since moved on, and up, in his new company), and had a few beers. We said our goodbyes, got in line for different planes (he was headed to Texas), and a long plane flight later I was back in the US where I would head home, do laundry, and pack up again for a trip to California the following week.
Overall, I had really enjoyed my time in Japan and I can’t wait to go back at some point. Feeling confident about the subway system, thanks to my tour guide the previous weekend, has opened my eyes a little bit to the idea that I could spend a great deal more time in Tokyo and learn the city like those that live there. It’s great to have that kind of knowledge about a place you are visiting and if I go back soon I hope to use this knowledge to spend more time out and about!
My travel companion this trip, a present from family 🙂
