Marino's thoughts -
We ate a lot of ramen. All of it was good.
I do not believe a bad ramen shop would survive anywhere in Japan, and they therefore do not exist.
Tiz is the best travel companion.
I would be happy to rent out her services, some but not all, to others that may need her many talents whilst travelling.
I have not discussed this with her yet, so please don't buy her that first class plane ticket just yet.
Every city, every prefecture, every block has "better" ramen than the other cities, prefectures or blocks depending on which one you prefer.
We tried many and they were all different and they were all good.
We did a lot of research on how to travel and where to stay.
We knew that we had not covered it all after the "first cut" and so we went over every step again, a few times.
Nonetheless, even though we were more prepared than most first time visitors, we still had at least one surprise to keep us on our toes every day.
We tried to cover too much ground in too little time. I think one week in at least the major cities is barely enough.
Next time we will try to schedule our visit to take in more festivals or shows.
As guests in their country, which is the most polite country I have ever been in, the very least we can do is learn some very basic phrases which must include please, thank you and excuse me.
Be polite and softly spoken. Being loud, especially when frustrated, and there will be frustrating incidents, will result in "shutdown".
The only Japanese that react in a situation where one or both parties are loud and or angry are the gangsters, and you do not want be part of that reaction.
Remember to carry tissues when you're out and about as they do not have hand drying facilities in 99% of public facilities and don't forget that the traditional and most common, toilet is the "squat" variety
Because you think you have fair understanding of their cuisine, unless you are married to a Japanese or have lived there, you do not.
As we discovered with okonomiyaki, amongst other dishes, there are regional differences.
The best example I can think of, as the son of Italians, is that it's like going to Italy and ordering pasta thinking you are going to get the same dish as you get at your favourite local Italian restaurant back home.
It is very unlikely you are going to get any foodstuffs that are the same as what you can get at "home" so embrace the local way of eating.
A bowl of shio ramen, or a plate of big fat oysters, and a beer for breakfast is pretty damn good once you get used to it, and it only takes once to do that!
For the Aussies reading this the Japanese drive on the same side of the road as we do.
This can be a big help if you are considering a self drive holiday but please consider that not all places are well signed in English, and some not at all.
We drank a lot of nihonshu, of the cheap and expensive variety, and it was all good.
The Russians must be so pleased the "Xīn zījīn" Chinese have started to travel.
The later make the former look like quite refined, culturally aware, softly spoken, timid visitors.
I wonder how much beer do the Japanese drink per capita per annum?
Tiziana's thoughts -
Japan has left a lasting impression on me, one that I will never forget.
Firstly, the wonderful people, so polite, so willing to help strangers.
From the waiting staff taking our order to the chefs preparing our food, everyone was polite, & pleasant.
They would make you feel welcome and their faces would light up when you tried miserably to order in Japanese.
So it 's worth the effort to learn few phrases before you arrive.
Secondly, the culture and traditions I found fascinating.
I had very limited knowledge of Japanese history & was thrilled when we were lucky enough to meet an english speaking volunteer at the Edo museum, who was so very informative.
It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.
The Gion prefecture was another insight into the Geisha way of life and really fascinating.
Thirdly & lastly, the entire experience could not have been as special if not shared with Marino.
The time and effort he put into the research both before and after our arrival made our visit so much more enjoyable.
Thankfully we both share similar desires to experience the Japanese food, culture & people which ensured an unforgettable holiday.
Thank you to all of you for allowing us to share our experience with you.
ありがとうございます。
(Arigato gozaimas = Thank you)
for reading our blog
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