If it is perceived that Singapore leads a fast-paced life, behold Tokyo.
Japan was, well...not my cuppa tea, though it served a good break away from Singapore and a great time spent with a wonderful friend of 9 years. This trip took us away from the main tourist attractions of Japan like 'em temples, blossom gardens and what-nots, and instead brought us into a more intimate part of Japan - food, lifestyle, people.
To start with, there wasn't the luxury of a long holiday to tour major destinations like Kyoto, Hokkaido and the likes. Given 6 days, 2 cities came into light - Tokyo and Osaka.
Tokyo. The City of Individualism.
With every well-dressed executive, there is a mobile phone attached to them. To this mobile phone they immerse themselves in, lifting their heads only to check for potential stumbling blocks. To this mobile phone they seem to be so absorbed in, relying on their digital devices for communication, news, entertainment and anything else to prevent them from looking around idly.
Walking speeds at three-times the leisurely stroll, women tapping down the marbled floors with 3-inches (and above) worth of stilletos, both of us stuck out like a sore thumb. We ambled along with our shopping bags, they rushed around like they were gonna miss the last train of the day. Meals consisted of a simple rice bowl set, followed by a after-meal conversation (to aid digestion), and we watched men shed off their blazers, and follow a very simple regime upon entering a small eatery.
They sit, order, eat (whilst busying themselves away with their cell-phones...AGAIN), pay, go.
Alone.
Tokyo had its fair share of ganguro girls, emo boys and bombastic hair. Tokyo had the gorgeous office babes, the sweet schoolgirls, and the bronze goddesses (fake, of course.) Tokyo had plenty of slot machines, arcades and not forgetting - neoprint stations which we were so crazy over. The last highlight? Disneyland. 'nuff said.
Osaka. Land of Food.
Abroad the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, a very quick journey across vast green pastures and sprawling urban built-ups summed up the 1hr 45 min journey. (I think.) Osaka was much friendlier than Tokyo, so we concluded. Osaka showed us a glimpse of family warmth, friends' laughters and puppy love. Osaka was filled with rice-bowls (more rice bowls!), bentos, udons, tempuras and sushi. Osaka was shopping paradise.
The best day of Japan had us chance upon an authentic sushi place in a rather dodgy lane of Namba (Osaka). Thank God for Mir's decision to turn into this small lane, thank God for my eyes catching pictures of sushi. Like those sushi counters, chefs prepare freshly-made sushi and hand them over the counter onto one's individual plate. Each order consists of 2 rolls of sushi, about 300yen per order...probably about S$4 for superb premium slabs of raw fish/unagi the size of my hand.
It was rather hilarious, the way Mir and I tried to communicate with those chefs with half-past-six-Japanese, and them back in equally bad English. Haha. I loved the whole feeling of the "restaurant" - warm, cosy, friendly, casual, rowdy. I liked how chefs made small talk with their customers, I liked how comfortable everybody was perched on those high chairs along the counter.
So we returned the following evening for sashimi.
Tuna belly, salmon belly...hamachi, salmon, maguro...you name it.
The bill - 6000Yen. That's approximately S$70 for 2 people.
Never will Japanese food in Singapore taste the same again. :)
So sums up Japan for the year. Thanks Mir. Love you. :)
Japan was, well...not my cuppa tea, though it served a good break away from Singapore and a great time spent with a wonderful friend of 9 years. This trip took us away from the main tourist attractions of Japan like 'em temples, blossom gardens and what-nots, and instead brought us into a more intimate part of Japan - food, lifestyle, people.
To start with, there wasn't the luxury of a long holiday to tour major destinations like Kyoto, Hokkaido and the likes. Given 6 days, 2 cities came into light - Tokyo and Osaka.
------------------------
Tokyo. The City of Individualism.
With every well-dressed executive, there is a mobile phone attached to them. To this mobile phone they immerse themselves in, lifting their heads only to check for potential stumbling blocks. To this mobile phone they seem to be so absorbed in, relying on their digital devices for communication, news, entertainment and anything else to prevent them from looking around idly.
Walking speeds at three-times the leisurely stroll, women tapping down the marbled floors with 3-inches (and above) worth of stilletos, both of us stuck out like a sore thumb. We ambled along with our shopping bags, they rushed around like they were gonna miss the last train of the day. Meals consisted of a simple rice bowl set, followed by a after-meal conversation (to aid digestion), and we watched men shed off their blazers, and follow a very simple regime upon entering a small eatery.
They sit, order, eat (whilst busying themselves away with their cell-phones...AGAIN), pay, go.
Alone.
Tokyo had its fair share of ganguro girls, emo boys and bombastic hair. Tokyo had the gorgeous office babes, the sweet schoolgirls, and the bronze goddesses (fake, of course.) Tokyo had plenty of slot machines, arcades and not forgetting - neoprint stations which we were so crazy over. The last highlight? Disneyland. 'nuff said.
-------
Osaka. Land of Food.
Abroad the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, a very quick journey across vast green pastures and sprawling urban built-ups summed up the 1hr 45 min journey. (I think.) Osaka was much friendlier than Tokyo, so we concluded. Osaka showed us a glimpse of family warmth, friends' laughters and puppy love. Osaka was filled with rice-bowls (more rice bowls!), bentos, udons, tempuras and sushi. Osaka was shopping paradise.
The best day of Japan had us chance upon an authentic sushi place in a rather dodgy lane of Namba (Osaka). Thank God for Mir's decision to turn into this small lane, thank God for my eyes catching pictures of sushi. Like those sushi counters, chefs prepare freshly-made sushi and hand them over the counter onto one's individual plate. Each order consists of 2 rolls of sushi, about 300yen per order...probably about S$4 for superb premium slabs of raw fish/unagi the size of my hand.
It was rather hilarious, the way Mir and I tried to communicate with those chefs with half-past-six-Japanese, and them back in equally bad English. Haha. I loved the whole feeling of the "restaurant" - warm, cosy, friendly, casual, rowdy. I liked how chefs made small talk with their customers, I liked how comfortable everybody was perched on those high chairs along the counter.
So we returned the following evening for sashimi.
Tuna belly, salmon belly...hamachi, salmon, maguro...you name it.
The bill - 6000Yen. That's approximately S$70 for 2 people.
Never will Japanese food in Singapore taste the same again. :)
------
So sums up Japan for the year. Thanks Mir. Love you. :)