I live in Finland, in the country with 4 totally different kind of seasons. I still fell in love with Japanese weather. I don't mind the weather reaching +34C It's fine but hot and my hair won't stay in any kind of style in that hot weather. (Maybe someone will give me ideas how to keep hair looking good in hot weather??)
I found my second home from Tokyo, Japan. The reason why isn't fully clear to me but maybe it never should be fully clear. People there are nicer and more polite and friendly than in Finland where you might get glared at or shouted for doing nothing too bad. Don't get me wrong I like Finland and some people living in here and the way we do things. I also know that beneath Japanese people aren't as nice as they give the impression. I have literally experienced and saw bitch in Japan in one concert I went to with a friend. Both countries have their good and bad and similarities. I have always felt I shouldn't stay inside of Finland. There is much to explore and see. I have grown to keep mind open and being flexible with lots of things. And I'm lucky enough to have great friends around the world. Thank you ♥ Latest overseas friend(s) I did saw were from Indonesia and Japan. With hanging around Indonesian friend I met few friends she have...but that's another story. Soon I will see couple friends from Germany as they come to Finland.
Like I said I feel Tokyo is like second home to me and I have spend lots of time inside of it. And once again I'm going back to Tokyo. It's full of different things you can do. Maybe my favorite place in Tokyo is Asakusa. Asakusa keeps lots of heart warming moments inside and those moments will warm my heart for days to come.
In Japan there are other cities where I have visited. Such as Niigata, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kannai and Nagoya.
For some reason Nagoya reminds me of Finland. It was pretty quiet place and not many walked on the streets. Maybe people were still at work and schools. It was only one a day visit. While we were visiting at Nagoya castle one older male person came to us and tried to get us in tourist tour bus... then he started to tell different stuff how he had friends overseas and showed something, (card?? photo??) to friend. I tried to ignore him but it was kind of hard when he kept following us. Let's quote him "Look bambi!!"
Other than that I would definitely go back to Nagoya and see it all over again and get to know it better.
In Niigata hadn't spend much time in it. It was purely on purpose to see GRANRODEO live and it was only chance where we could have gone and where we got tickets. It felt like ghost city at the time but my guess goes that summer it is more lively city. There isn't much to say about Niigata yet but will visit there again and actually stay over night. What I can say is that in Niigata there isn't much cheap hotels. I read somewhere that there are few foreign people working and living but mainly it is only Japanese. We got quite a lot eyes on us while walking down the roads.
Haven't had too good impression of Hiroshima. Maybe should go there again in summer time. It was cold and really cold wind blew there almost whole time. Though Miyajima is pretty place. You can go there by using ferry. It's rather small place but pretty. I will recommend everyone to visit there if you have a chance.
Kyoto is cool place but confusing a little. At least for foreigner because you need to use buses to get from certain place to another. Been at Kinkaku-ji ("Temple of the Golden Pavilion") twice this far and would love to go there for the third time. It's beautiful and nature in there is adding the beauty of the place. I don't know what kind of luck rain brings but it has always rained in some way while I have visited in Kinkaku-ji. First time rain came down hard and we didn't had umbrella with us at the time. We tried to protect our cameras and ourselves someway. One foreign lady was nice enough to cover me from rain while I took photo. I didn't even asked but it was nice gesture. Second time it was small shower of rain. While getting back to station second time we took wrong bus and ended middle of nowhere...it was bus station in middle of nowhere. We had to ask how we get back to train station from worker in there and he explained us with his broken English how. Some Japanese people are hard to understand when they speak English. Take time to listen them and try not to hurry.
Osaka is close by Kyoto, so we have always stayed in Osaka while also visiting at Kyoto, it's only hour or two away. Been staying every time in Osaka this cheap area what is close to Namba. In the small area there is this shopping street with seriously creepy older men. Walking through it you find post office but I recommend you to not go there alone, specially if you are female. Even when been walking there with a friends, men do these boobs signs with their hands and try to flirt with you. Otherwise Osaka is nice place to be. And the Osaka castle is one of the gorgeous castles I have this far seen but tell the truth I never enjoyed Osaka as much as I enjoy myself in Tokyo...
Visited also Osaka Aquarium. It's huge place and also confusing (laughs) While walking the place it made me wonder if I have had already walked here or there. It's bigger than it seems.
I like high places, so guess where I went... Ferris wheel. Tempozan Ferris wheel. (been also in Tokyo's ferris wheel)
Osaka is second most days spend place, almost 2 full weeks.
Most visible difference between Tokyo and Osaka is that in Osaka people walk in right side of the street when in Tokyo and almost rest of the Japan left. It always takes short time to get used to walk again in right side. Every time I have came back to Finland I always end up using left side. I have gotten couple people complaining about it to me. Total strangers! (laughs)
Most things that had happened to me had happen inside Tokyo. One time I was waiting to get in to Shibuya O-East live house to see AND, ViViD, Sadie, DELUHI, Mix Speaker's, Inc. and Lolita23q. While waiting one guy came to us and asked if we wanted to be in Japanese television. We denied that opportunity because at the the time neither of us couldn't use Japanese much, let alone talk in Japanese. Ever since I have sort of avoided video cameras and reporters there had been. Maybe one day I will get caught again... there are always many many doing some sort of interview around Tokyo.
In Tokyo is Moomin cafe for us Finnish people, if you feel even bit of homesick. Only visited inside of it quickly but maybe one day I will actually buy something from there. What I remember there was some sort of mugs and plates and breads and of course drinks.
I also ended up loving Japanese clothing. Why most of you will ask for sure. Reason is that there is more details even most simplest clothing. There is much more where to choose and not really simple and something what everyone ends up having. More shorter said; unique clothing and bigger freedom to wear whatever you want. Of course Japanese people have certain places on your body you shouldn't show in public without being whorish. Biggest different is most likely the fact that even when there are far more clothing to choose from Japanese people cover their upper bodies more than Finnish.
Here is one shirt I bought 2012 winter. I maybe might do clothing entry one day...depending if readers want it.
And then we finally get to part where we go London, United Kingdom. It's totally different from Japan but more close to Finland. Everything there is walking distance. I was there with a friend about a week and saw main sights in that time and managed to do little shopping. Bad thing doing shopping was that there was at the time at least things what looked close to stuff what I could get from Finland..
It is true what they say about UK. It rains often, it may not be much but there will most likely small rain within the day. Remember to take umbrella with you!
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