By Maya Haziza
I am back in Hong Kong after spending a week in Japan with my mom and am still not over my experiences in Japan. This country and its people have exceeded my expectations beyond measure – in every way. We flew from Hong Kong to Tokyo for about 3 days and immediately felt the kind nature of the Japanese people and the beauty of the city. If I could describe Tokyo in any way, it would be organized chaos. After having travelled through China which is disorganized chaos, Tokyo was so drastically different. Even while walking in Shibuya crossing, the most heaving populated intersection in the world – there was a quiet harmony amongst the people. People in Japan are very formal and polite and do not waste any time on nonsense – they simply go about their days with order and peace and it is for this reason that the city feels so calm yet extremely dynamic. We began our first day by visiting the Mori Art Museum in the Tokyo Tower which had an incredible exhibit of Japanese architecture and also explored the helicopter pad view of the city. After that we went to the Tsujiki Fish Market and saw the fish auctioning and busy streets selling sushi and other street foods. I knew I was in a place with top quality sushi because even the fish market itself did not smell like fish. The sushi was as soft as butter and tasted so clean and fresh. Later that day we explored Ginza Area, Harajuku, and even went into a hedgehog café to play with them! The following day we explored Daikanyama, which is so peaceful and artistic with pop up vintage boutiques all over the area. One of my favorite moments was going to the Park Hyatt and seeing the bar where the movie Lost in Translation was filmed. The next city we ventured to was Kyoto, one of the older and more traditional cities of Japan. Kyoto was charming beyond words – from the golden temples, bamboo groves, picturesque nature, tiny little streets, and kind people, it was the perfect place to explore a place outside Tokyo. One of the most memorable experiences about Kyoto was sleeping in a Ryokan, on a tatami mat floor and futon bed. This is considered to be traditional Japanese hospitality and it was very unique that I got to experience this. This type of bed is surprisingly so comfortable. After spending two days in Kyoto, we took way 3 trains, a ferry, and a bus to arrive at Naoshima Island. This island is hard to describe in words because it is so special in every way. This island is a secluded island on the coast of Japan that is solely dedicated to art projects and museums beyond belief. This was my favorite day in all of Japan. I saw 5 museums that are purposed at being integrated with the nature of the island and this is what makes the island so special. There are pumpkins made by Yayoi Kusama sitting on the boardwalk in front of the ocean and museums overlooking the entire island. I saw a room filled with 4 paintings made by Claude Monet and I was shaking from how lucky I felt witnessing it on an island in Japan. My last day I spent wandering Osaka and shopping in Dotonbori. I am simply in love with Japan and can’t wait to travel back to this incredible country.