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JENESYS Trip
  • Fern Stuart
november 2019

JENESYS Trip

Japan đŸ—ŸđŸ‡ŻđŸ‡” LĂ€s mer
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  • Resans start
    12 november 2019
    Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenÀr

    Wellington Airport

    12 november 2019, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☁ 11 °C

    Early start at the airport ✈
    Headed to Auckland Airport and then Narita Airport (Japan!) ❀

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Auckland - > Tokyo

    12 november 2019, Nya Zeeland ⋅ ☁ 11 °C

    On the Airplane headed for Narita Airport.
    Feeling pretty cool and excited đŸ˜»
    🇳🇿 🔜 đŸ‡ŻđŸ‡”

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Initial Thoughts of Tokyo

    12 november 2019, Japan ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Landed in Japan...

    The staff are nice and very polite :)
    This wasn't a surprising fact, but experiencing it in person and comparing it to New Zealand's hospitality was interesting.

    I thought I wouldn't be a big fan of Tokyo, considering the size, the busyness and amount of buildings but I was actually really amazed by it. I found it to be really cool. They have these little spots of water canals and bridges, trees are spotted throughout with small city garden/parks, I found it really beautiful and cool.

    I enjoyed seeing that the architecture I've seen in anime is accurate. It's just one of those small things that make you happy and the trip feel special.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Lunch

    13 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I really love the set ups for Japanese Dining. You can kneel on the floor or because the floor beneath the table drops down you can swing your legs under there and sit normally on the floor :D

    The miso soup was the best I've had yet! And that salmon đŸ€€ sooo gooooood!
    I wasn't a big fan of tofu but I ate it anyway, I also attempted to eat the other piece of fish but it had bones all throughout and I had chopsticks... So I probably only got through half of it 😅

    It was nice eating with everyone though :) I don't always speak but even just listening has been enjoyable for me.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Senso-ji Temple

    13 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Wow.

    I had no idea it was so huge!! Senso-ji is so amazing. I just can't stop fan girling about it haha :)
    It is such a special place, one that made me constantly stop in awe.

    Normally I get easily bothered, irritated, etc. by other people when exploring sites, especially when trying to take photos but I don't recall feeling that once. It was such an amazing place and I was so happy to be exploring it!

    I noticed not a lot of people were following the customs for when visiting a shrine. People followed the purifying all fine and dandy but unless it was a æ—„æœŹäșș, then people completely disregarded things like bowing before entering the gates of the shrine, keeping to the side of the pavement as you approcach the shrine, etc.
    That made me a little a sad and confused but I did my best to follow the customs and show my respect and appreciation. I hope it becomes more common for others to do so too.

    The buildings were so tall, ă›ăŒé«˜ă„!!
    It was impressive and had me in a constant state of wonder. I love Senso-ji temple so much and I feel like I could spend a whole day there! Madeleine said that it's really amazing to visit at night - there's less people, the place is lit up and the shops close their doors, revealing numerous traditional Japanese art. It all sounds amazing and I can't wait to visit there again and see that đŸ˜»

    The grounds were so big and because they linked up to souvenir shops and a shopping alley, it was easy to get confused with where you were. But I loved every bit of it and scored myself some lovely items. They had one of those ball machines that you put money in and then turn to get a toy in a ball out. I saw that you could get an otter and I got it on the first go! I was so happy and blessed and I can't wait to give it to Lachlan :D

    I'm so happy I got to visit Senso-ji and the memories of it are so special to me too.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Shopping at Venus Fort

    13 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    ⚜ Odaiba Venus Fort ⚜

    I didn't recognise it until I had returned back home and was watching ReLife, but Venus Fort is a very well known shopping centre - one that I had seen many times before, as it is often referenced in anime.

    There were many things to explore and I wish I had longer to do so. I really enjoyed viewing the Toyota History Garage. Though when walking through I couldn't help but think of my late Grandpop. I can imagine how much he would've loved and appreciated this museum. I wished I could've shared it in some way, other than my thoughts.
    On a lighter note, seeing the DeLorean was a particular highlight, I stopped to fangirl over it several times...

    The architecture and decorations of Venus Fort overall gave me plenty of sights to marvel at. It was hard to move on from each view, as all I wanted to do was sit and admire the decor.

    The sheer volume of manga that lined the walls of stores was astounding. Of course, I knew I was in Japan and there wer eplaces like this.. But seeing it in person is another thing. The fact I couldn't capture the height of the bookcase was amusing to me, and I felt reflected how my eyes felt when taking the sight in, in person.

    Lastly, the Ghibli store had me very excited and giddy. The entrance way itself had me stopping in my tracks to admire it. There were so many things to choose from and to be indecisive over haha :)
    I managed to have some self restraint and only purchase two items though. A Totoro picture frame and a 3D theatre art from Spirited Away. I'm so happy with my purchases, and I can't wait to display them in my room. 🎊    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Hiroshima

    14 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Coming into Hiroshima the first thing I noticed was the vast amount of trees. They were spread upon hills for miles, all displaying their autumn colours.

    As the plane approached landing I looked outside the window to see the trees grow closer and closer in sight. That's when I realised this airport was unique to all others I had visited. It was not by the seaside and we were not landing at sea level. We were landing a top a hill.

    The bus trip is revealing just how different Hiroshima is to Tokyo. The array of trees, quiet shrines that look to keep to themselves mostly are spotted throughout the autumn hills. Buildings when spotted have a more traditional feel and are much more rooted to the ground than the crowning sky rises that compete so boldy in Tokyo.

    Some facts with Fern:

    🌾 Hiroshima is the name of the prefecture (one of forty seven). Its population of about 2.8 million. Hiroshima City is the capital with about 1.2 million.
    🌾 It has two world heritage sites - Atomic Bomb Dome and Itsukushima shrine.
    🌾 Famous for oysters and sea eels.
    🌾 Head quarters of daiso is here.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    ⛩ Miyajima Island I ⛩

    14 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I didn't realise until on Miyajima Island itself, but there were a lot of deer or 'しか' (shika) 🩌 that populate the island. I was so excited when I realised how close you're able to get to them. Majority let you pat them :)
    Though you must be careful because they will eat anything, especially paper! 📄
    People have had their money eaten from their back pockets in the past...

    I think I'm getting better at taking photos which is exciting because there were many cool things to see and explore in the island. However despite having a couple hours to explore, I was not able to see the whole island and all it had to offer.
    On a map I picked up it detailed suggested tours, the shortest of which took 3 hours and the longest 6 hours, yet that still did not cover everything! No wonder I couldn't explore everything I wanted to :/

    The famous Otorii Gate was something I missed out on seeing. I freaked out because I thought it was my fault for not managing my time well and making it my priority to see. However, it had actually been under repair since June 2019, so it was no fault of my own that I missed seeing the sight.

    I was able to visit the main Itsukushima Shrine which was really cool to see. I love a lot of the architectural features. Something else that was noticeably a cool inclusion, was the artwork painted and hung to the walls of the temple by junior high school students. They were very talented and beautiful scenes.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    ⛩ Miyajima Island II ⛩

    14 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    I explored with my friends after visiting Itsukushima Shrine to see smaller shrines, explore the scenery, try some food, look through the shops and take the ferry back.

    We didn't go inside the smaller shrines but I found enjoyment in just looking at the architecture from the outside. The surrounding scenery was an added to delight to visiting the shrines too.
    We found some interesting spots on the way, including some signage Madeleine got a photo in hehe :)

    I decided to try some grilled squid. I was excited to try it because I have seen it in a quite a few anime (when the characters visit a festival generally). I enjoyed watching the vendor prepare it and cook it over a metal grill with coals beneath.
    It tasted pretty nice, however the price wasn't exactly cheap so I don't think I would purchase it in the future. Though I am glad I tried it in the first place :)

    There were MANY shops with various things for sale. I managed to find the perfect shot glass to represent Japan for my collection :D
    I also came across a store that sold 'fruit honey' - something I have wanted to try and buy since I saw Felix and Marzia try it on their trip to Japan. However, the price was about $15 for only 120grams and I felt despite its allure, I should spend my money more wisely.
    Another interesting find was the small samurai swords that could be used as earpicks...

    The ferry ride back was fun, especially when accompanied by friends that like to have fun and be a little silly :)    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Dinner and 7/11

    14 november 2019, Japan ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Dinner had some tasty elements, though I did not enjoy everything in the dish.
    I found out I am not a fan of eggplants. But beside that, all of the tempura was very delicious. The sashimi was tasty too, however not the best I've had yet in Japan, or Wellington for that matter. Lastly, I found the side salad dish really yummy too.

    I got to visit a 7/11 which I was really happy about. I know that may seem weird but we don't have them in New Zealand and it's such an accessible franchise in Japan that it would be wrong not to see one haha :)
    I bought a melon pan, a cafe latte, a kit kat, some mints and some more of the meji chocolate (the same kind that mum bought me as a gift on her trip to Japan).
    I quite liked the cafe latte but that was mostly because I was in the mood for it. The melon pan was nice but not as amazing as the bit I tried of Madeleine's at Senso-ji Temple. The kit kat was meh but I'm glad I bought and tried everything that I did.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Nukui Springs

    14 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    After an hour long bus trip, which I kept dozing off on... We arrived at our hotel for the night. It was in the mountains and called Nukui Springs.

    I got paired up with Tessa for my room, which I was very happy about. Our rooms were so big and wonderful. In the cupboards they had kimono-like garments for you to wear when going to and from the Onsen, which they had as a part of the hotel!

    We had to practice our cultural performance for a while in preparation for the upcoming performances but after that, with the encouragement of Madeleine, a group of girls ventured to the Onsen.
    I was a bit timid and scared but because there were not many of us ,and we were in Japan, I decided to go for it.
    I was excited to the wear the 'kimono' and the facilties of the Onsen where really cool, so it didn't take long for me overcome my fears with excitement.

    I had to constantly look to Madeleine for guidance but the process was pretty simple and nice.
    The room where you first enter the Onsen was for dis-robing and where you put your belongings in a basket. They also had a wall lined with mirrors, basins and various facial care products.
    From there you venture into the washing and bathing area. Where two walls were lined with the showering stations.
    The showering stations included a stool, a small tub/bucket, body wash, shampoo, 'treatment', and the controls for the shower head and taps.
    We each washed up at our stations and then headed to the pools within the same room. They had two spa like pools of different temperatures and one cold pool. I thought the baths would be a bit deeper, regardless, their design and sizing was perfect.
    The ground was all at the same level so if you were sitting up right, you were doing so with your legs straight out in front of you.
    We brought the smaller towels from our room with us, which we wet with the cold water and put on our head to keep us from over heating. We also tried the sauna and outside bath but found them too hot and more stuffy than enjoyable.

    I found it to be a real bonding experience with the girls and very relaxing. After only a few minutes I stopped being so self conscious about my body and was able to enjoy the experience of the Onsen.
    Although I was there with a group of girls, I bonded with Madeleine and Tessa the most. I'm really glad for it, I really like them as people and get on with them so well.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    ă€Žă‹ă‘é«˜æ Ąă€ă€Žkake high school 』

    15 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 5 °C

    The building for Kake High School was very impressive. It had been recently rebuilt and was a place I wish I could've attended for my high school years.
    We had to take off our shoes and put on 'slippers' for walking around the school.
    We started off with a welcoming ceremony where several speeches were given by multiple people from both sides. The vice-principal gave an interesting speech, it included topics about sharing and exchanging culture but expanded beyond that, and got a little philosophical.
    He touched on topics about how we are weak in comparison to other animals in all ways except our brain. That we are the only 'animals' that are able to speak and communicate at the level we do. And as we have the skills for communication and relationship building, we should utilise them.

    We later had our exchange of cultural performances. It started with my group (New Zealand) performing our two songs; He Honore and Tutira Mai. I had been nominated by the group to be the Kaea, which I was really excited about and proud of. However, that also meant extra nerves!
    I think we did great though :) Everyone seemed to enjoy it and they even started clapping along.
    (Side note: the songs are so catchy and likeable, that the other members from Group 1A kept singing them throughout the rest of the trip haha)
    Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Samoa followed our performance, then Kake High School in return. I really loved their dance. The music and choreography was so cool, I wished I could be up on the stage with them, performing.
    To conclude, all members of Group 1A performed a Bon Odori. We had intended to invite a few people up from the audience to join in. We were worried that it would be hard to encourage enough students to turn up, however, they were so enthusiastic that the whole school ended up joining in!

    After the performances, we were split into groups with the students. We shared information and quizzed each other on our respective countries. During this time I was able to give each of the students a piece of paua shell, they seemed to like them, which made me really happy.

    Later we shared lunch which gave me a chance to converse with the students and use some Japanese. I had a lot of fun getting to know the students in their native language. Sharing with them the aspects of their culture that I liked, they were so excited to learn how much I knew, it made me really happy.

    Lastly, they had a few lunchtime games (similar to ones I grew up playing) which we were invited to join in. Though some were completely new, and I struggled with picking up the new words\lyrics\terminology they were using, I found it quite fun nonetheless :)

    We took a photo to commemorate our visit and said our goodbyes :')    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Homestay Family

    15 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 16 °C

    Umeda Family ❀

    Kimoko (from the Marshall Islands) and I were paired up with the Umeda Family. They were so lovely, inviting and eager to talk with us, despite the language barrier.

    Upon arriving to their home, I was slightly taken a back. It looked like the house from the film '8 year engagement' which I had watched a week before. It was a really nice place to stay, even though it was only a night. I got to experience a lot of furniture unique to Japan which I was pretty happy about.
    ° A futon - super comfy, I had a wonderful sleep.
    ° A genkan - it was a little bit of a hassle considering I was wearing docs, but I quite like the concept.
    ° A kotatsu: I'm in love. I knew I would love it but I'm glad I could experience it in person.

    Our homestay parents were very sweet and wanted to share a lot of their culture with us. We made oragami, helped out in their garden, watched some sumo, made traditional confectionery sweets and dinner.
    It was a lot of fun. It was quite cool how we were able to connect and do these activities without talking.
    I really enjoyed playing cards with them, they were fun and it was sweet to see how Mr and Mrs Umeda interacted. A thing that I noticed was that they called each other ăŠæŻă•ă‚“(mother) and ăŠçˆ¶ă•ă‚“(father). It surprised me, but I found it cool :)

    I did try my best to converse with them in Japanese. However, I was limited with my vocabulary and grammar, so I struggled a lot (especially due to the lack of WiFi to assist me). They had a device called a 'pockettalk' which worked as a translator for us, and although I was grateful for it, I often had to use it myself becaud eI wasnt proficient enough in Japanese. I felt so defeated. By the end of the day I was so exhausted and emotionally spent from it that I cried. (Made worse by the fact that I had no one to talk to.)    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Lunch

    16 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 15 °C

    This buffet was one of my favourites. So much selection. So many goodies to try and to eat đŸ˜»
    My favourite thing was the Matcha Latte.
    ...I miss it so much.

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

    16 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 17 °C

    We were provided with a tour guide for the park and I was glad for it. He was able to help us understand and respect the magnitude of what had taken place in Hiroshima.

    It's incredible to not only learn about Hiroshima but also see how far they've come since then. The land still showed signs of the aftermath. For example, the blast from the A-Bomb was so powerful that a samurai tomb was dismantled and became embedded in the ground. Its remarkable that despite the A-Bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and all the disastrous effects it brought, they were still able to rebuild a city.

    At the Park, I saw numerous times that Hiroshima was spelt using katakana. This is because, the use of ăƒ’ăƒ­ă‚·ăƒž means 'Atomic Bomb City' . Whereas, the Kanji means 'Wide Island'.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Sadako's Story

    16 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 17 °C

    Sasaki Sadako is a famous story, one that is fascinating, yet heartbreaking.

    Sadako was exposed to radiation at the age of two when Hiroshima was bombed. A decade later, she was diagnosed with leukemia and died after an eight-month battle with the disease.
    Based on a traditional Japanese belief, Sadako thought that if she folded 1,000 origami cranes she would recover; she ultimately made more than 1,300, often using the paper wrappings from her medicine.
    When she died, her shocked elementary school classmates wanted to build a statue for all the children who died as a result of the atomic bombing, and schools around the country began raising money.
    On May 5, 1958 (Children’s Day), the statue was completed. Schoolchildren often bring folded cranes with them on trips to the monument today.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

    16 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 17 °C

    Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum had many visitors. I was glad to see that. I think it's important that people know in detail the events that unfolded, the gravity of that kind of attack.

    It was a very heartwrenching museum.
    It's one thing to read or hear the facts of the Atomic Bomb and the events that transpired. But to stand in that museum, see the deformed building materials, the scorched clothing, read detailed recounts of the events, have it depicted through painting and photographs, read the last words of children.
    It was a very somber experience.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Hananomai Edohaku

    17 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 19 °C

    We visited for lunch here before heading to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The lunch was nice, though not the best on the trip. However I really liked the decor...
    They had a actual Sumo Ring. And customers were welcome to enter it, and even fight if they so wished! Though, provided they were men 🙄 Tradition and what not... But I really wish I could've given it a go :/LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Edo-Tokyo Museum

    17 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 19 °C

    Edo-Tokyo was another large museum that we only scraped the surface of. There was so much to see and learn, but so little time.

    Two things I really loved about this museum was the amount of interactive exhibits it had and the miniatures.
    The interactive works were life-size recreations from throughout history. The were fun to see and touch.
    The museum was full of miniatures, none of which I could capture a photo of very well but they were amazing to look at, and I have my memories at least haha :)
    Their detailing was incredible, I loved viewing them from all angles. The museum also had binoculars you could view them with which was a nice touch.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Shopping at Sunshine City Mall

    17 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 14 °C

    Our hotel in Tokyo, the Sunshine Prince Hotel, joined back onto the Sunshine City Mall. So we had dinner within the mall and then got to do some shopping :)

    Heres some finds that captured my eye ✹

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Tokyo Findings

    18 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 14 °C

    On our way to Lunch, and thereafter a lecture on Peace building, I captured a few scenes.

    The small red shrine was just on the sidewalk, outside a big building. I found it really cool though, I liked the small fox statues.

    This was a very difficult lunch to each...There were so. Many. Bones. I think I barely ate anything because it was so challenging, even with a knife and fork!

    I liked that some buildings had greenery incorporated into their structure. The one shown here looked healthy too :)

    These funny cats where found outside an Arts centre in Tokyo. Couldn't help but smile and take a photo :)    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Buffet Dinner

    18 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 19 °C

    So Amazing. I wish I could eat here again!
    There was such an amazing selection. I wish I could've tried everything but I just didn't have the room :/ however... There's always room for a bit of pud ;)

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Last Night in Japan

    18 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ☀ 20 °C

    After dinner, a group of friends and I 'hit the town'. I was having a fun time, staring in wonder at the lights and branded buildings that I recognised. But we ventured on towards a photo booth parlour.
    It was crazy (in a good way). They had a whole floor of photo booths. Costumes were available for hire (so you could dress up for the photos), a wall lined with a giant mirror, as well as a station for preparing your look - the kind that you'd see in a classic theatre (a mirror lined with light bulbs.) They also had hair straighteners and curlers, which I found entertaining.

    After our photo session we found a karaoke place to hire a room. It was the first time I had been able to do karaoke without feeling stupid or too self conscious. They had a large selection of songs, in multiple languages too. It was really fun, and my favourite song to sing was "I'm gonna be (500 miles)" by The Proclaimers.

    It was a really fun night, I'm so glad I got that experience. I just wish I could've had more times like that with those friends.    LĂ€s mer

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  • Fern StuartJENESYS TripResenĂ€r

    Tokyo National Museum

    19 november 2019, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Tokyo National Museum was huge! Three seperate buildings, in addition to a Japanese Garden sector.

    Unfortunately we were only given just over an hour to explore, which was in no way ample time.
    I did enjoy the gardens but after that I only had the time to explore a singular exhibit and zoom through the gift shops.

    I attend to return and explore some more :)    LĂ€s mer

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