When we last left off I was about to take a bunch of Midterms. I took them and got it out of the way so I could enjoy my dad visiting me in Tokyo for a few days. I'd been looking forward to this trip since I came to Japan and even before when he told me he might get the chance to visit. Before he got here, I made a list of all the fun things we should do together and all of the delicious food we would need to eat/try! I also sent him a list of things I wanted him to bring me from America that I had been missing. Among these items include: popcorn, trident gum, beef jerky, protein powder, fiber one bars, Jif peanut butter, and Special K with Red Berries cereal. Many people know that I consider all of these items necessities for life itself.
Dad was set to get in Tuesday afternoon Japan time and I was super excited. We kept in contact as he was boarding the flight and I couldn't wait! Then a while passes and he emails me that his plane is delayed a long time which I understand. So we adjusted plans and continued the day. Then I get another email and apparently his flight has been cancelled. There was a sick passenger on the plane so they had to turn around the plane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! They ended up going to Anchorage, Alaska for the night so Dad came over a day late! It was unfortunate that we lost a day to hang out but it didn't affect our most important plans so it was ok. I went ahead and checked in and stayed at the hotel alone the first night while he was stuck in Alaska. It was amazing being in a room that was more than the size of a walk in closet. I had a big bed and I could actually walk around my room. Plus the hotel is right next to my school so it eliminated a two hour round trip commute to school which may have been the best perk of all.
On Wednesday, after an amazing night of sleep in the hotel bed and a huge buffet breakfast, I went to class. After class I came back and hung out at the hotel to wait for Dad. He got to the hotel in the late afternoon and it was awesome to see him. We started joking around like we always do and went up to the room to chill for a little while. We went out to dinner that night at a traditional Japanese restaurant that serves Shabu-Shabu, which is basically Japanese fondue. There is a pot of boiling water on the table and the waitress cooks your meat and veggies right in front of you in the water. The meat is amazingly tender and thin so it doesn't take long to cook in the hot water. Then you dip it in sauce and eat it. It was an amazing meal. We ate a ton of meat and vegetables and Dad and I had some traditional Japanese Sake to drink with it. It was a cool experience and one I would definitely recommend to anyone going to Japan.
Shabu Shabu Pot
Dad figuring out chopsticks!
Sake
Waitress setting up our pile of meat and vegetables for cooking!
I wish I had taken more pictures during the meal of Shabu Shabu, but Dad and I were too busy eating! After dinner, Dad and I headed back to the hotel for some sleep. Dad was doing surprisingly well adjusting to the 13 hour time difference but we called it an early night anyways.
Thursday was Dad's birthday and I was lucky enough to get to spend it with him. I had planned a super special day for the occasion. We started off with a big buffet breakfast at the hotel. Then I had to go to class for a couple hours while Dad took a nap. After class, Dad and I went to my favorite Japanese restaurant for lunch. It's called Coco Curry House and it is so good. I have blogged about it before I am pretty sure. We both got my favorite meal there, Deep Fried Pork Cutlet Curry Rice. It is my favorite food in Japan so I had to get Dad to try it. He of course loved it too.
Coco Curry House
After curry, Dad and I went to an indoor hot springs. It's a Japanese tradition to go to "Onsen" hot springs. The water is from under volcanoes or something so it's supposed to be really good for you, plus it's like a huge hot tub so it is awesome. We didn't go to a real natural hot spring because there aren't any in Metro Tokyo, so we settled for an indoor one. It was really nice and relaxing and definitely a cool experience. After the hot springs, we headed back to the apartment and got cleaned up to go out. We went to a place called the Tokyo-American Club to meet a friend of a friend of my Dad's. He is in business in Japan and his step-brother is good friends with my Dad so we met up with him for a drink. He was extremely interesting to talk to since he studied abroad in Japan like me and ended up working and living in Japan for 20 years. He was a very nice guy and a great connection to have made thanks to my Dad.
We left the meeting to go to a special birthday dinner for Dad. We made special reservations at a steakhouse in the hotel so we could try the most famous/best beef in the world: Kobe Beef. It's famous for it's taste and tenderness and Dad and I couldn't have been more excited. The Johnson family is notoriously carnivorous so it was only natural that we would have to try Kobe Beef while we were in Japan. Most people never try it because it is such a rare delicacy. Almost anything labeled as "kobe beef" in America is not actually legit kobe beef. We ordered Kobe steaks and had a nice time enjoying the atmosphere and talking. When the steaks came out, it was obvious these weren't your average Applebee's sirloin. We bot tried a bite and it literally melts in your mouth. This steak was so tender you could cut it with a spoon, no exaggeration. It was probably the best meat I've ever eaten. Dad and I finished every bite and it was exquisite. Definitely an experience I'm glad I got to share with my Dad on his birthday.
Kobe Beef Steak
Happy Birthday Dad!
After dinner we went to bed early because we were planning to go to the Tsukiji fish market in the morning at 3 am. I slept only a couple hours before it was time to get up to head to the market. I went before on this trip but didn't get into the tuna auction so we were determined to get there even earlier than I had last time. We got in a cab and got to the market around 3:30 in the morning and we got in line to view the tuna auction. We were given neon shirt things to put on that said we were guaranteed a spot. The auction only lets in 120 people a day but we made it no problem since it was a weekday. It ended up filling up as we waited and some people got turned away. We sat and waited for about two hours and then got to go in to the auction. They auction off giant bluefin tuna to buyers for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's the largest fish market in the world and the tuna auction is the crown jewel of the market. It was extremely cool to see the process. Each potential buyer would inspect each fish by looking at it and hitting the backs with ice picks to see the thickness of the meat itself. Then the auction started and it was so fast and intense. You have to train a long time to be able to run one of these auctions because so much money is at stake. Dad and I had a killer time and it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Sitting waiting for auction with other guests
Starting to really fill up
Tuna Auction
HUGE TUNA
Auctioneer yelled the whole time talking super fast
After the auction we explored the huge market and found a sushi place to eat. The sushi bars at the market have some of the best and freshest sushi in the world so we had to try some. We found a small place that was packed and waited for twenty minutes then went in and had some seriously amazing sushi. We split two sushi bowls: one with premium tuna over rice and one with all kinds of fish, crab, squid, eel, roe, and other stuff we couldn't name over rice. They were both incredible and we washed it down with some traditional Japanese green tea.
Dad and I waiting outside the sushi bar
Packed Sushi Bar
Two Bowls of Sushi Over Rice
We headed home and got back to the hotel with an hour to spare before I had to go to class. After class, Dad and I headed out for lunch at a traditional Japanese Ramen Shop. We went to one that specializes in Tonkotsu Ramen, which is ramen made from pork broth. We loved it and we ate until we were totally full.
Pork Ramen
Because this was going to be the best week ever, Dad and I scheduled massages at the hotel for that afternoon. We got traditional Japanese Shiatsu massages and I think it's safe to say I have glimpsed heaven now. It was awesome and super relaxing and a nice treat after a couple of rigorous months abroad (that weren't that rigorous). That night, Dad and I checked out the rooftop bar at the hotel 40 stories up for an awesome view of Tokyo. Then we headed to a famous place called Trader Vics for drinks and some American snacks like ribs and chicken wings. We were pretty tired at this point so we went to the room and ordered burgers from room service. We ate while we watched the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Not exactly a conventional Japanese night, but one of my favorites of all time anyways.
Tokyo at night
On Saturday we got up at 7 am to prepare for a special Tokyo tour. We went to a special place in the hotel for breakfast overlooking a Japanese traditional garden and waterfall.
Then we hopped on a bus to a terminal to get on our appropriate tour bus. We headed out to the most famous Shinto Shrine in Japan, the Meiji Shrine. On the way we saw Tokyo Tower which was pretty cool too. At the Meiji shrine, we explored around and even saw a traditional wedding! I taught Dad some Japanese culture and we enjoyed the sights.
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower Up Close
Meiji Shrine
Dad and A.J. take on Japan
After the Meiji Shrine we drove by and saw the Japanese Imperial Palace and the National Diet building. Then we headed to the beautiful Imperial Gardens and walked around and took in the scenery.
After the Imperial Gardens, we went over to Asakusa and saw the Sensoji Buddhist temple and shrine. It's the oldest temple in Tokyo and probably the most famous one in Japan! We explored around Dad bought a fortune. He got a terrible fortune that said he'd have horrible luck which we thought was pretty funny. We tied the fortune on to this rack where you tie bad fortunes to keep them from coming true. We then went to get some snacks. I got some grilled corn on a stick and Dad tried Takoyaki (fried octopus balls). He didn't like them very much so we split the corn to tide us over to lunch. We then walked along a famous shopping street inside the temple grounds where we tried some homemade sweets and looked for souveniers. We also stopped at the Thunder Gate (Kaminarimon) which is the entrance to the Temple Grounds. The Thunder Gate is an iconic image associated with Japan that you may recognize.
Thunder Gate Entrance To Sensoji Temple Grounds
Sensoji Temple
Temple Grounds
Inner Temple
Dad Tries Takoyaki
Thunder Gate! (You can see Dad behind the girls in kimonos)
After the Temple, we went to a hotel restaurant next to Tokyo Bay for a steak lunch with our tour group. After lunch we went on a cruise around Tokyo Bay. It was really cool to see all of Tokyo from the Bay and enjoy being out on the water. I was really glad our tour included this.
Our Boat!
Tokyo Bay
Toky Bay
Dad on Tokyo Bay
Father and Son!
When the cruise was over we took the bus over to Odaiba which is a man-made island in Japan that is built to be very futuristic. We walked around and saw some really cool buildings and stuff. We also saw a small replica of the Statue of Liberty which was weird. We also stopped at Starbucks where Japan has a famous Green Tea Frappucino that we tried out!
Small Japanese Statue Of Liberty?
Odaiba
Green Tea Frappucino
That was the end of our tour so they drove us back to Tokyo Train Station. I got Dad a temporary train commuter pass and he got his first experience riding the trains here. It wasn't very crowded so it was no big deal. I kind of wanted him to experience the living hell that is rush hour on the train but no such luck! We went back to the hotel and chilled for awhile before we headed out to explore Shinjuku which is a city I go to often for its night life. Dad and I were looking for a specific restaurant but couldn't find it so we just explored around and also stopped at a Pachinko Parlor so Dad could try it out. Remember from a previous post that Pachinko is like Japanese Pinball/Slots. After Shinjuku we caught the train back to the hotel and ordered some delicious room service and watched the U.S. Open some more. We had Oyakodon which is chicken, egg, and rice in a big bowl and its a classic dish here that I wanted Dad to try.
On Sunday, we woke up at 6:30 to get ready for another all-day tour to Mount Fuji and Hakone. It was also Father's Day so I was lucky enough to be able to be with my dad for his birthday AND Father's Day. Talk about awesome! We got on the bus and drove a couple hours to Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji has 10 stations and we went to the first station first where you can see a nice view of the mountain and learn some history. Mount Fuji is so tall (About 12,500 Feet) that often the summit is surrounded by clouds and fog and is difficult to see. But we could still see a lot from the first station.
Fuji
Fuji San
Mount Fuji from First Station
Then we took a bus to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji where you're actually half way up the mountain. The view from there was really cool too. They also had shops and a shrine right there so Dad and I checked all that out. We also got some ice cream with a special sauce made on the mountain! It was delicious. We got a free lucky bell from the tour and Dad got a new fortune to replace the bad one from the day before. This one was better but still not great. He just couldn't catch a break. They have a working post office on the mountain so we bought cool Mt. Fuji postcards and sent a few from the official Mt. Fuji post office before we left.
5th Station
Dad with special ice cream
Me with special ice cream
Shrine
Shrine
Dad and Me on Mt. Fuji on Father's Day
Mt. Fuji View From 5th Station
Mount Fuji View From 5th Station
We left Mt. Fuji and went to a nearby scenic place called Lake Kawaguchi for lunch. We had a really nice traditional lunch with fried chicken, udon noodles in a broth over fire, rice, pickled ginger, tempura veggies and shrimp and fish, and a whole fish with the tail, head, and bones. It was delicious and Dad ate it all too and a lot of people wouldn't have. He is adventurous like me, especially when it comes to food. We hung out around that area for a little while and bought some cool souvenirs before heading on a bus to Hakone which is a really cool and peaceful city.
Lake Kawaguchi
Traditional Lunch
Dad at lunch
We went to Hakone and the first thing we did was take a cruise around Lake Ashi and saw all of Hakone from out on the water. It was a cool ride and the scenery was really beautiful.
Our boat
Lake Ashi
Hakone View
After the cruise we took the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway Gondola up Mount Komagatake. We were really hight up and could see amazing views of Hakone and the surrounding area plus a distant view of Mt. Fuji. When we got off the gondola at the top of the mountain we explored around and enjoyed the view. They had a small shrine that you could take a brief hike to and so we checked that out and walked around.
Our sky gondola
Mount Komagatake
Hakone and Lake Ashi
Shrine on the top of Mt. Komagatake
Lake Ashi and Hakone
Real Purty
Dat View
We took the gondola back down the mountain and took the bus back to Shinjuku station which took two and a half hours. We then took the train back to our hotel and relaxed for a little while. It was Dad's last night in Japan plus Father's Day so we knew we had to have a special dinner. We decided to go to Yakinku which is a famous style of restaurant in Japan. You sit at a table and there is a grill in the middle of the table and you get raw meat and cook it yourself on the grill. It was all you can eat and they had a bunch of different types of meat to try. We often ordered without knowing what we were ordering because I didn't know some of the words in Japanese. We asked our waitress though and she told us all that we ate. We ended up eating chicken thigh, chicken cartilage, beef rib meat, all kinds of different steak, liver, squid, and cow tongue. It was super delicious.
Dad checking out the menu
Our Yakiniku Grill
Yakiniku Dinner
Meat!
After dinner we went back to the hotel and watched the U.S. Open and enjoyed the last night. The next morning Dad and I had a big buffet breakfast and I went off to class and he headed to the airport to go home. I was sad to see him go, but I am so thankful he got to come visit. It was seriously one of the best weeks of my life and I was so happy I got to spend it with my dad.
It was an eventful week with Dad and I hope you enjoyed hearing about our time! We did a lot of the typical tourist stuff in Japan which was definitely really cool. I'm going to be busy the next couple of weeks so hopefully the next post will be interesting too! Miss everyone from home but I'll be back in like 5 weeks! Try not to miss me much until then! Lots of love to America and hopefully the World Cup team can make some miracles happen!
Sayoonara for now!
-A.J.
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