Food I want to try!

1. Kare Pan (Curry Bread)

2. Okonomiyaki - "Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese)."

(I've actually cooked Okonomiyaki before and loved it, but I would love to have it cooked by a professional)

3. Taiyaki - "Taiyaki (たい焼き , literally "baked sea bream") is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, or cheese. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki,gyoza filling, or a sausage inside."

4. Japanese Croquettes - "Korokke is not an original Japanese dish. There are many different kinds of korokke today, varying in their fillings. The recipe below introduces you two of the most popular kinds of korokke: white cream korokke and meat potatoe korokke."

4. Gyoza - Gyoza originated in China, but as with many other things it's gotten assimilated into everyday Japanese cooking. The filling is usually pork based, with cabbage, green onion, garlic or garlic chives, and ginger, though there are variations.

5. Ramen - "Ramen noodles are about as thin as spaghetti and are served in a soup that varies based on region, city and even specific vendor."

6. Vegetable Japanese Sushi - (I don't like fish)

7. Yakisoba - "It is prepared by stir frying ramen-style noodles with bite-sized pork, vegetables (usually cabbage, onions or carrots) and flavoured with yakisoba sauce, salt and pepper. It is served with a multitude of garnishes, such as aonori (seaweed powder), beni shoga (shredded pickled ginger), katsuobushi (fish flakes), and mayonnaise."

8. Japanese Curry - One of my favourite meals ever is the Yasai or Chicken Katsu Curry from Wagamama's or Yo!Sushi, however, I know that this recipe will have been westernised and I'm thoroughly looking forward to trying a Traditional unwesternised version of my favourite dish :)

9.Onigiri - "Onigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり^?), also known as omusubi (お結び; おむすび^?) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed)."

I have a feeling that I'll be eating a lot of Onigiri as it's easily picked up in convenience stores for cheap, and they're meant to be filling :)

10.Yakitori - "Yakitori (焼き鳥/やきとり/ヤキトリ^?), grilled chicken, is commonly a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The term "Yakitori" can also refer to skewered food in general"

11. Nikuman - "Nikuman (肉まん; derived from 肉饅頭 niku (meat) manjū) is a Japanese food made from flour dough, and filled with cooked ground pork or other ingredients."

12. Japanese McDonalds!!! - No, seriously. Look at this, their twist on the apple pie. (They do still serve the Apple Pies though)

13. Japanese Vending Machine Meal - Again, seriously, I'm not expecting anything great but it's totally worth a shot. Hot Food (Left), Cup noodle - Japanese Style (Right).

 

14. Tonkatsu (Pork cutlet) -  It consists of a breaded, deep-fried porkcutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup.

... This blog post has made me hungry.

Itinerary - Popular Tourist Attractions

Studio Ghibli Museum - ¥1000
Where: Shimornjaku (Shinjuku station to Ogikubo, Ogikubo to Kichijoji station. Walk down Kichijoji Dori)

Yoyogi-koen (park)  -
Where: Shibuya

"Today, the park is a popular hangout, especially on Sundays, when it is used as a gathering place for people to play music, practice martial arts, etc. The park has a bike path, a public basketball court, and bicycle rentals are available. As a consequence of Japan's long recession, there are several large, but quiet and orderly, homeless camps around the park's periphery."

Meiji-Jinguu -
Where: Shibuya in Yoyogi Park

Edo-Tokyo Museum - ¥600
Where: Ryogoku

Senso-ji - 
Where: Asakusa

Sony Building - 
Where: Ginza

Imperial Palace - 
Where: Chiyodu

Daiba Little Hong Kong - 
Where: Daiba Mall, Odiaba

Koishikawa Korakuen -  ¥300 Where: 5-10 Minute walk from Iidabashi Station

Itinerary - Events

Tokyo International Anime Fair - 25th March - ¥1000 
Where: Tokyo Big Sight (East Exhibition Halls No. 1,2,3 and other)

Art Fair Tokyo - Friday 30th to 1st April -
Where: Tokyo International Forum, Exhibition Hall BF2

Itinerary - Districts

There are of course more districts in Tokyo, but these are where I'll probably be spending a majority of my time :)

 Harajuku -

"Every Sunday, young people dressed in a variety of styles including gothic lolita, visual kei, and decora, as well as cosplayers spend the day in Harajuku socializing. The fashion styles of these youths rarely conform to one particular style and are usually a mesh of many. Most young people gather on Jingu Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge that connects Harajuku to the neighboring Meiji Shrine area."

Akihabara -

"Akihabara is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods."

Shibuya - 

"This area is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area. Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. The statue of Hachikō, a dog, between the station and the intersection, is a common meeting place and almost always crowded."

Itinerary - There, back and the two week tour

Hi all, my current trip itinerary for anyone who's interested :)

I fly from London on the 8th March at 13:00, and land in Tokyo at 9:55 the next day, the flight lasting 11 hours and 15 minutes, non-stop luckily.
The time difference from the UK to Japan is +9 hours, so technically I'll be leaving the UK at 22:00 Japanese time, and landing in Japan at 22:55 UK time, so major jet lag.

2 days later, I'll be starting my tour of Japan which lasts for 13 days.

Day 1 involves a meeting with the tour guide, so nothing particularly interesting.

Day 2 - 3 involves us taking an early morning trip to the Tsukiji fish market where all of the auctions for the fish take place. I'll have to update you on the smell which I'm not looking forward to, as I don't like fish >.<



We then take a bullet train for the first time. For those of you who don't know, Bullet trains (or Shinkansen trains) run at about 186mph! We transfer at Nagoya and journey into the Japan Alps and arrive in Takayami in the afternoon, approximately 2 hours to Nagoya and then 2 hours to Takayama.

"Nestled in the Japan Alps, Takayama earned the nickname of 'Little Kyoto' because of its skilled craftspeople who built houses and temples for the Emperors in Kyoto. Takayama is home to many old wooden houses which are unique in their design as they were built to withstand the harshness of the climate and terrain here."

Apparently there's an optional bike ride to take us 'well beyond' the town centre which I will probably do :)

Day 4-5 involves a short train ride to Kanazawa.

"In the 17th Century this beautifully preserved castle town was Japan's wealthiest, and it became a thriving centre for Culture and Arts. As we stroll through the Nagamachi Samurai district and Higashi Geisha district we are transported to a time when samurai were sworn to protect their lord , and geisha were on hand to entertain and amuse. In the Teramachi Temple District we visit the famous Ninja Temple. Designed as a hideout in case of attack, it contains hidden doorways, passages and escape routes.

 But the highlight to any visit to Kanazawa in Kenroku-en garden. Ranked one of the top three in Japan."

Day 6 - 7 will take me to Hiroshima, which, if you didn't already know, is famous for being the first target of an atomic bomb on 6th August 1945. 

"There's a large peace park in the centre which is dotted with memorials of those that were killed in the explosion and those that died as a result. At the top of the park are the remnants of Gembaku Dome. It was directly above this building that the bomb exploded, decimating all but the building below. A burning flame waits in the park to be extinguished when all the nuclear weapons in the world have been destroyed."

Then we take a short ferry ride to Miyajima island where we will find the floating Torii Gate, and we can also climb to the peak of the island, Mt.Misen.

Day 8 - 10 takes us to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. 

"Kyoto has some of the most magnificent temples in Japan which age back centuries. There are said to be 2,000 temples, shrines, palaces, museums, and traditional gardens in Kyoto. Use your time to wonder past huge wooden structures and multi-storied pagodas, all linked with famous walkways. Marvel at the huge temples of the Hongan-ji sect or the beautiful Golden Pavilion. Take time out to enjoy the Zen Gardens of Ryoan-ji and the silver pavilion, take a leisurly stroll down the lovely Philosipher's path to Nanzen-ji, or just walk around Gion and perhaps catch a glimpse of a Geisha going from teahouse to teahouse."

On Day 11 we leave Kyoto and travel to Kawaguchiko arriving mid afternoon and visit the Onsen Spa and on Day 12 we drive to the Lake Region around Mt.Fuji. Unfortunately, hiking on Mt.Fuji is seasonal, and only allowed later in the year.

Day 13 is when we travel back to Tokyo.

I then have over 3 weeks to explore Tokyo and I  fly back to London on the 19th April at 11:30, and land in London the same day at 15:50. Which lasts 12 hours and 20 minutes.