Tokyo Disneyland.

No matter what 2013 decides to throw at me, I will always have the day I went to Disneyland. There is a reason why it's called "the happiest place on earth" because it quite literally is. Walking around to Hollywood-style music from films of my childhood and inhaling the aroma of  sweet sugar with every breath was wildly intoxicating. With my Minnie Mouse ears and yellow coat on I spent the entire day in a elixir of happiness, grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Growing up Disney was like a staple part of my diet. I loved everything from Recess, Kim Impossible, That's so Raven to Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life of Zac and Cody.Then there was the movies! Going to Disneyland was always this fantasy that I was never quite sure if I would be able to live out. I can safely say walking out of the gates at the end of the day that it lived up and beyond any expectation I could have set. 

The park was totally encompassing, every detail had been carefully planned and executed with such finesse that it could nearly be passed as magic! As the day drew to a close, the lights lit up the famed castle and the fireworks exploded in the sky, little tears streamed down my face for the most perfect day that was, as cliche as it may sound, a dream come true. 

Tokyo Travel Diary.

 

The bright lights, tall buildings, flashing billboards and swarming crowds of people in Tokyo was a sight and sense to behold. It was a place that couldn't be imagined. It needed to be felt and lived. Everything was so different and foreign, colourful and quirky. We started our first day by setting out to discover all of the amazing architectural feats that grace the Tokyo cityscape. It turned out we weren't the only tourists who had mapped out must-see buildings, we met some other tourists, who were architects, from Sweden who were also taking a photo of the same building as us! They said that nearly every major architect has a building in Tokyo. I don't doubt that at all. Every street we walked and every wrong turn we took lead us to a pleasant surprise. It was amazing to walk around a city that embraces creativity and proudly showcases it for the rest of the world to admire.

I have the utmost admiration for the Japanese and their way. They have adapted to a western world but in every way remain their own people, their own culture and unashamedly just do their own thing. From charming little cartoon characters on their Olympic Games bid to anime advertising on billboards to their politeness and tolerance in every day situations is something that is disarming and truly inspiring.

The sheer size and magnitude of the city is something I had trouble coming to terms with. With so many unexplored neighbourhoods I feel like I left with only a taste for Tokyo. These photos trigger some of the most wonderful memories of my time in this wild and wonderful concrete jungle. 

Kanazawa Travel Diary.

When my boyfriend told me we were going to this town called Kanazawa on the western side of Japan I wasn't too sure what to expect. After realising Kyoto wasn't as small and old as I thought, for some reason I was still expecting Kanazawa to be somewhat quiet and remote... but it wasn't. After the long train ride we were both left feeling a little unwell so we headed straight to our ryokan. Unfortunately most of our time in Kanazawa was spent inside our room as we both came down with the flu. We managed to get out in the afternoon on our first day to see the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art which was well worth it, mostly for the amazing gift shop! As we had to check out the next day we mustered up some strength and went walking around the Kenrokuen Gardens. This was my first time being surrounded by snow and everything just looked so out-of-this-world magical! I could have walked around for days. We stopped for a quick sugar fix at a hidden French cafe and then went on to find the Nagamachi Samurai District. The Samurai District is full of preserved residences which have been restored and made into independent stores that sell local arts and crafts. Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's gold and is celebrated throughout the town. In one store there was so much excess gold leaf that they covered a whole room, inside and out, with it. You could buy things like gold leaf saki, honey and beauty lotions. It was truly unique. From thinking this would just be a small town experience, Kanazawa was rich in culture and history - just wish we had more time and better health to have seen everything!

Kyoto Travel Diary.

 

This was one of my favourite and most treasured days in Japan. We hired bikes and rode around Kyoto, seeing landmarks, temples and shrines. It was also the first time that I had ever seen snow! It was such a weird and overwhelming experience but I instantly fell in love with it when I caught a piece on my glove and saw that it actually looks like pictures of snowflakes. I expected Kyoto to be this small, really old, traditional town that I had imagined from Japanese classes in high school. However it was just as metropolitan as everywhere else! Riding around on our bikes with the wind in our hair and the snow flying in our faces made the experience feel all the more authentic. We had the opportunity to explore everything for ourselves, finding places that were both on and off the map. Some of the castles we were hoping to see were unfortunately closed for the New Year holiday but luckily there is no shortage of temples and shrines to in Kyoto! My favourite was called Kinkakuju - a big, beautiful temple plated in gold leaf. It was so majestic, the way the gold leaf reflected off the quiet, flat lake among the trees and rocks was something that needed to be seen and felt to be truly appreciated. Kyoto was full of unexpected adventure and I believe most of that can be put down to exploring on a bike so I definitely recommend it if you go!

Osaka Travel Diary.

1. View from our hotel room at Osaka Tokyu Inn / 2. Osaka Castle in the early morning / 3. Bike riding around Osaka Castle / 4. Interesting architecture in Umeda / 5. Umeda Sky Building / 6. Dontonbori at sunset / 7. In front of  famous Glica Running Man (turned off) on New Year's Day / 8. Beautiful foyer in Shinsaibashi / 9. Streets covered in fairy lights down Shinsaibashi / 10 + 11. Advertising billboards in Dontonbori

Every place we went to in Japan was a highlight though I especially enjoyed Osaka and could see it being the most livable city in the country. We spent five days in Osaka, which in hindsight was a good amount of time. We explored the department store food halls, the stores in near the train station, the streets of Umeda, Shinsaibashi and Dontonbori, back streets and Osaka Castle. The streets are spotless and temples and shrines can be found on nearly every corner. We hired bikes and rode to and around Osaka Castle (which is actually a replica of the real building that was destroyed twice by fire). The bikes were great for covering more land and taking in the sights with the wind blitzing through your hair. The department store food halls are also amazing and completely one of a kind! During the days before New Years the halls were jam-packed with people out shopping for their holiday spread. The Japanese have a little obsession with French food and it almost wouldn't surprise me if the Japanese make French food better than the French do! Think glorious fruit flans, complicated cakes and slices, crème brûlée  and macrons. If you ever go, make sure you don't pass up the food halls!

Osaka Rose Gardens.

Coat: Target

Jeans: Country Road

Beanie, scarf and gloves: ASOS

Bag: Who is Hue? (similar)

During the New Year break I went travelling around Japan. First stop of our trip was Osaka, where we had five days for exploring the country's second largest city. On our first day we did lots (and lots) of walking around city exploring the centre, back streets and hidden temples. I read about Nakanoshima Rose Garden in a travel book I borrowed off a friend. Even though the roses were not in bloom we still made a stop off to check it out before heading down to the bustling Shinsaibashi. The garden is spacious and a nice place to pause and relax from the overwhelming hustle and bustle of the city. The garden is divided into three areas with over 4000 types of roses, some planted back as far as the 1800s. Even though I have never been to New York, the park had, what I imagine to be, a Central Park feel that I loved. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the spring time!