QH SENSATIONS Tokyo cityscape over the Ginza district
By Lynsey Riach
Bright and buzzed meets chilled and zen in this country that seamlessly intertwines modernity with tradition.
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f you imagined a city where neon lights shine bright all night, people buzz around you and most of the signs are not in English, then you’d be spot on. This is Tokyo – and you can expect to spend your time here on fast-forward.
japan: it’s all about
balance…
Slicing sashimi at Tsukiji Fish Market
Japan's sentinel Mt. Fuji
Japan is home to many clichés and you can be assured you’ll find them on your stay. First up? Those sumos. Yes, they do exist and yes, you will see them towering over everyone else in the stereotypical crammed subways. On your first day, hop in a taxi to Chou-Ku Nihonbashi to see the big boys practice their shuffles, shoves and bun-tying skills (that alone is worth the visit). Careful on overdoing the Instagram snaps…they don’t like being photographed much. From there it’s a lunch stop at the freshest sushi joint in town – the Tsukiji fish market. Open since dawn, these traders have been haggling over the price of tuna while you caught up on your sleep. Pull up a pew at the many sushi bars offering their freshest cuts all prepared in front of your very eyes by seriously skilled sushi chefs. Photos are welcome. Taking a stroll to nearby Ginza (the main shopping area in town) I walk past more clichés – the Japanese vending machines, (and lots of them) selling all sorts of products from warm milk tea (this I love!) to umbrellas. It appears the Japanese have excel at being self-sufficient. If you’re looking for a chocolate fix, you’ll need to bring your own as a green tea Kit-Kat is about as much as you’ll get (seriously). They don’t really ‘do’ fast-food chains or well-known snacks which is a rare novelty for today’s traveler.
A Kyoto geisha
But more on those stereotypes! Karaoke. It’s everywhere. In the trendy area of Roppongi, Lovenet is home to themed and private soundproof booths where you can belt your heart out. And, with a phone in your room, drinks service is delivered direct to you (here, you start to believe you really are a pop-star). With a complex corridor of booths, I stumbled upon the wrong room and found a Japanese businessman belting out an emotional ballad. Wish I’d had my camera… On the subject of photography, that’s another Japanese stereotype isn’t it? But in this town you’ll need your camera on-hand at all times. Tokyo is a city where you’ll marvel at so many interesting sights from your very suave and suit-clad taxi driver (watch out for the automatic popping doors), to the endless colourful signs in Japanese, to the Halloween-esque outfits adorned by the girls of Harajuku. This is a sight to see – hop on the train to this densely populated area of teens, shops and cafés. It’s the Tokyo you’ve always imagined. And for the inner geek, Akihabara is where Sega, Nintendo and comic book stores dominate. At night head to Tokyo Tower for a view to remember. If you come at sunset, you may even catch Mt. Fuji in the distance. Take a stroll down the hill and you’ll find plenty of noodle bars waiting to
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welcome you. Ramen (noodle soup) and teppanyaki (grilled meats on skewers) are cheap and cheerful. It’s now time to face what is often dubbed the busiest place on Earth – Shibuya pedestrian crossing. A hub of giant videos flash overhead as you attempt ‘The Scramble’ to the other side. First, head on up to the giant Starbucks to watch everyone else cross, re-cross, and cross again – then attempt it yourself. You’ll feel crushed, you’ll be carried by the crowd and you’ll want to do it all over again (don’t forget that phoo op!) As the days of Tokyo to start to take their toll, head on out for some respite to see what else Japan has to offer. If skiing is your thing then in the winter this is a popular country to visit. But let me suggest Kyoto, home of the geisha and just a 2 ½ hour bullet train ride away. With trains departing frequently, you can find yourself rocketed to Kyoto just for the day or, I recommend, a little longer. Marvel at the scenery as it whizzes past homes, gardens, schools, through Osaka and stopping at what feels like old Japan. Firstly, chances of seeing an actual, real geisha are slim. Reportedly only a few hundred remain working in this ancient Japanese art, and you may well think you’ve seen one when in fact tourists dress up for yet another selfie. If caking your face in white, dense makeup sounds like fun then visit Maica to fulfill your fantasy. I tried it out for size and it seems being a geisha isn’t all as glamourous as you think. The kimonos are heavy – five kilograms heavy. The wooden clogs are tricky to keep your balance in (and I have good yoga balance), then, add on the concretetight makeup and toppling wig. WOW, these girls have a job just to get about so it’s surprising that a real life geisha will actually nip past you very quickly and into a tea room to entertain in the blink of an eye, or, in my case, hear the sound of her clogs hitting the cobbled street behind me. While in Kyoto, it felt fitting to stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan – an inn with tatami-matted rooms and communal baths. Most ryokans offer bicycle rentals to explore the beauty of Kyoto, and with so many iconic Japanese temples, sublime gardens and shrines to behold, passing the day peddling is the best way to take them all in. Whip out your map and set yourself free to explore this other type of Japanese culture.
The traditional backstreets of Kyoto
Fresh sashimi rich in colour
Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine
Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha
Night falls in Tokyo's Shinjuku district
End your stay in Japan with a traditional tea ceremony. Prepare to wait for your cuppa as this cultural activity involves the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha (powdered green tea) – just don’t try to dip that Kit-Kat into it… Safe travels and happy holidays! Qatar Airways flies direct from Doha to Tokyo twice daily. For more information on Japan, visit www.jnto.go.jp. n Lynsey Riach is a qualified yoga Instructor living and working in Doha, normally walking her dogs, on her yoga mat or on her travels. To learn more about her services visit www.andstretchyoga.com.
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