Hannah in Japan

Hello again from a much cooler Japan. The seasons are definitely changing, and soon winter will be on its' way. I'm excited to see all the leaves change colour very soon, and Halloween is fast approaching, which means all the stores are getting into the spirit. In New Zealand, Halloween is not really a big thing, and stores don't go all out with their decorations, but here you see decorations as early as the beginning of September, which baffled me. Japan loves commercialising things like Halloween, Valentines Day, Easter, Christmas etc... Anyhow, let's get into a review of my recent trip to Osaka and Kyoto! What a week it's been. I've had a wonderful time touring around Japan with my aunty and uncle who live in Australia. I started by showing them around some of Tokyo's iconic spots, including the Shibuya crossing, Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens and Harajuku. It was then off and away on the shinkansen to Osaka, and this was their first time riding on a sh...

Hello again from Japan! This will just be a quick update as I don't have a whole lot of news. I can proudly say I've survived the worst of the heat and humidity that is Tokyo summer! So glad that it's cooling down again! I can't wait for autumn to roll around and see the beautiful changing colours. It also means I can start to do a few more day trips and not melt in the process. Hallelujah! I actually went on a bit of a spontaneous trip yesterday up to Kawagoe in Saitama, and it was really nice! There were a few nice temples and shrines to look at and the buildings in the 'Little Edo' era reminded me of Kanazawa with dark wooden exteriors. I quite enjoyed the atmosphere of the main street where they had some music playing and lots of cafes and restaurants. Next on my 'day trip' list are Hakone, Kawaguchiko and Nikko. Give them a Google, they all look amazing and I can't wait to check them out! But before that, I will be playing role of tour guide wh...