I turned 30, so I ran away to Japan for a month! Hopefully this is a fun and informative album!

Figured I would start with temples/ spiritual sites, because Japan is literally STUFFED to the brim with them. If you want a religious experience, or to find inner peace, head on over.

This was my best friend on the trip, he reminded me of my big snuggly doggies back home.

Before you pray you must "wash!" Pour the water over your Left hand, right hand, mouth, and then let the water run down the handle.

Adorable little shrines like this can be found randomly on the streets.

On the way to a loooooooooooooooove temple ^.^

Lots of the temples have modern aspects built into them like this. It's really cool seeing the old mixed with the new.

Cute little temple guardian

Reigando cave! temporary home to legendary rōnin, Miyamoto Musashi.

This is the cave where Miyamoto Musashi wrote the book of the five rings in 1645. I am pasting a wikipedia link to the story, because I figured wikipedia is a pretty internationally known site, so everyone on here would feel comfortable clicking the link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings

Super badass swordsman who spent the end of his life writing the book of the 5 rings. If he wasn't 400 years old, he could get it.

From what I was told, this is the person who decides whether you go to basically heaven or hell. This was a Buddhist spiritual sight, and the woman taking me was trying to translate it into western beliefs for me. I'm not sure how accurate the translation was, but the moment I stepped near him, I had the feeling that someone was looking into my soul. I've never been to a religious place as old as this, and it had a powerful impact on me. 5/7 would NOT fuck with this guy.

I'm going to put the same advice here, that I will put when I upload my album from South Korea. Dear American girls, for the love of god, stop wearing spiky heels to these ancient sites! I know you want to look cute in your pictures, but you're going to bust your ass, and ruin your trip. Not to mention, everyone behind you (because you end up causing a line), waiting for you to nervously inch your wobbling ankles up these death trap stairs (these aren't as bad as South Korea's water temples), are judging you, and shaking their heads, and sighing about how stupid American girls are. Put on something you can walk in, please. You'll look cute no matter what shoes you have on, pinky promise! I wore sneakers and a dress, and lived to tell the tale. Don't die, or the scary dude in the previous picture will get you.

At Reigando, there are 500 of these stone statues, and legend has it that every person in the world can find one that looks like you. This was super fun since i'm a white chick haha. Sato San finally decided on one of the statues for me because she said we shared the same smile, though I do have a *smidge* more hair than him.

Largest rope in Japan! When I got underneath it, it looks like it was woven with coins inside ^.^

Food pics INCOMINNNNNNG. So one of the coolest parts of Japan, is that outside of most restaurants are these nifty little things. They tell you what the foods are, and you can see what is IN the food. This is super helpful for foreigners, especially if you have allergies, like shrimp.

Gold flecked ice cream!

Japan takes Gelato VERY seriously.

Hot dog with lemon sauce. Was delicious!

Raw horse meat. It's a delicacy in Fukuoka, and while I was nervous to try it (actually freaking the FUCK out is more the word), I ate it, and haven't died. It was surprisingly good. Even though I love sushi, I thought the texture of raw meat would bother me, but it didn't.

Fried lotus blossom is also well known in Fukuoka, and was super yummy!

Tons of burger places are around for those of you scared of non western food haha. Avocado burgers for the win!

The burger place was covered in cute Americana stuff, and was playing Garth Brooks when I walked in. I got a huge giggle out of this place.

Snacks are off the chain in Japan. Love it!

I was a little shocked to see how popular cheese was. Lots of sushi dishes with cheese sauces, this one was parm and basil.

Sea Urchin. It was not my favorite thing. Better than Natto, but not by much haha.

The whiter meat they call "Hormone," which my friend refused to tell me what it actually was until I tried some. It was intestines. Tasted better than Chitlins i've had, but I was not a fan of the texture at all.

Melon soda! Looks like slime, tastes awesome though!

Japanese ice. I liked Korea's version better, but that's for another album haha.

Jellyfish! Didn't really have a taste, it basically tasted like the seasoning, but it had a funky texture. Almost like gristle... it's hard to explain.

Okonomiyaki on a stick! Festival food is amazing.

I went to a 100 year old noodle house in the mountains. Best food i've ever eaten. The woman who took me was so worried I would hate it, especially the fish, because American tastes are so different. Little did she know my friends call me a reverse twinkie, and the taste of that fish will lovingly stay with me for the rest of my life. I have already tried to get the same meal here from Japanese restaurants, and was sadly disappointed.

100 year old noodle house ^.^

Went to a fruit farm in the mountains. I'm only 5'5, but my entire head poked out of these leaves and above the grapes. I had to bend nearly in half to get through here. Also, fruit is SUPER expensive. Two of these little bags of grapes cost me $25.00. My friend tells me it's because Japan is very strict and doesn't allow a lot of food import, but also doesn't have a lot of land for crops, compared to how many people they have to feed, so the price skyrockets.

Cutest takoyaki ever ^.^

All their food was ridiculously beautiful.

Tables in Japan come with this little baked potato thingy. You push it and the waiter comes. You don't push it, and they leave you alone ^.^

Went to a mall called "Canal city," and got to watch a Godzilla teaser on a screen 3 floors high!

Destroy the cityyyyyyyy

Canal city also had some cool DBZ statues

The nerd girl inside me lost her absolute friggen MIND. Many a picture was had this day.

I rode the shinkansen, AKA the bullet train.

Pretty park in Kumamoto

The albino turtle! Legend has it, this turtle is super rare to spot and just seeing him can bring you a lifetime of good luck! I flew home between two typhoons, only a 1 hour layover in China, and a hurricane in Hawaii, and made it safely and on time. I owe it all to the power of the albino turtle! I'm forever in his gratitude!

Water so clear it looks like they're just laying on concrete.

Kumamoto castle! Sadly under construction because of a huge earthquake three years ago.

For all my fellow short girls (or dudes) out there: Katō Kiyomasa, Lord of Kumamoto and this castle, was only 5'6, and killed tigers with his spear, while in battle in Korea. So the next time you forget you're a badass, remember, someone nearly your size took on a tiger, so, so can you bitch.

The earthquake did some serious damage, but this badass structure, built originally in 1467, is still standing!

One of the super cute trams I took while in Japan.

Lantern festival in Japan! Look how cute they are with their gold lantern crowns!

a drumline. Sorry for blurry pictures, it was SO crowded, it was hard to get a stable shot.

August is Yukata month, so lots of people wear them, especially to festivals. I didn't wear one, because I didn't want to offend anyone (people nowadays are really touchy about white people stealing their culture, and I did not want to get my ass kicked in a foreign country), but when I talked to the older Japanese women who were showing me around they waved that off saying that that was stupid and no one would ever get offended over a white person wearing one, and that Yukata is for everyone, and if I ever come back in August I must wear Yukata ^.^

Everything in Japan is tiny. Just look at it!

American sized hand basket clips onto the buggy and makes a Japanese grocery cart.

Fancy toilets! Play music and keep your booty cheeks chilled while you sit!

My friends apartment. The shower and the sink are one haha.

I have childrens size hands, seriously, I'm not a big woman. Look how tiny! You buy this little tube of (basically pringles) for a dollar, and apparently there are people out there who can go one sitting without eating the entire thing. Maddness.

So wittle!

Goku condoms, teddy bear condoms (Rilakkuma bear), and "Big boy," Horse condoms. I cannot WAIT to see the comments about these. I believe the wrapped bundles underneath are pregnancy tests. Japan is very modest.

Vending machines ARE everywhere, BUT the thing I never see on posts about them, is the littering policy in Japan. The garbage can is there for a reason. Do not walk and eat in Japan. Old ladies will hiss at you. Eat right there at that vending machine and recycle your wrappers/containers away properly. I repeat: Old ladies WILL hiss at you.

The downtown area Is like an outdoor mall. Very cool!

#japan #travel #food