Getting ready to leave.

Heya All!

So, we're leaving the shores of Ol' Blighty in less than a week from now so I thought I'd get a blog ready before we get gone.

And so begins the journey to the land of the rising sun, like so many great adventures, in a very average and mundane way; I'm trying to decide what to pack. Well, I'm actually avoiding packing (because i cant really be bothered yet) and writing this blog to you instead!

So, rather than bore you with an itemized list of my luggage I will instead tell you a couple of the things that we plan to pack into the short trip we have planned in Japan. (One month by the way)

Studio Ghibli Museum! ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

Mitaka

www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Anime and I LOVE Studio Ghibli films. If you are one of those who has never watched a Studio Ghibli film then SHAME ON YOU!

Go away and watch 'My Neighbor Totoro'(One of Laurens favorite films), 'Howls Moving Castle', 'Spirited Away' and 'Tales From Earth Sea' then I will welcome you back.

This Museum is dedicated to everything Ghibli so i know that we'll love it.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tokyo

An amazing looking fish market through which most of the best fish are sold and sent to all corners of Japan, the most famous being Giant Tuna.

For a while foreign tourists were banned from attending this market because of "hygiene risks" after many were caught 'riding' the giant tuna for photo ops! Cool.

Hakone National Park

A beautiful looking national park, this is supposed to be one of the best places to see Mount Fuji (or Fuji-San). So worth a look!

Fuji-Q Highland Themepark

Yamanashi Prefecture

This place has the longest walkthrough Horror House in the world! Plus all the other rides you would expect from a theme park but with the added danger thrill that we can't understand the safety instructions! WooHoo!

Nikko National Park

Nikko

For a little Zen time after Tokyo this place has some beautiful Shrines, woodland and Onsen baths. Time to get Nekid!

SUMO! YEA!

Wherever

Who DOESN'T want to see two fat guys in nothin but their pants giving each other wedgies and throwing each other around?! Seriously!

Sony Building

Tokyo

The Sony Building is Huge. With shops, see and play Showrooms, Restaurants, pretty much everything to keep you entertained for a good few hours, or so I'm told.

Kamikochi National Park

Nagano

They have Monkeys! Snow Monkeys! They chill out in the hot spring baths all day! and they're Monkeys! I think you get the picture. Just in case you don't; heres a picture!

So there you go.

Just as an added bonus I thought I'd end each post by teaching you a useful little japanese phrase or two. So here's todays lesson class:

Greetings!

Hello - Kon-nichi-wa

Good Morning - O-haio-gozaimasu

Good Evening - Kon-ban-wa

Much Love and Sayonara,

Matt (and Lauren) X