Kimonos to Katanas – Our Japan Story

We visited Tokyo and Osaka for six days in total. So much was done in so little time. Kimonos, tea, Universal Studios, Mount Fuji, and too much shopping for the bags to handle—this was our Japan trip. On our first day, we arrived from Hong Kong feeling very tired and headed straight to the Tokyo Skytree to take in the sights of Tokyo from above. The next day was packed and personally, it was my favourite.

We set out for Vasara for kimono rentals. There were so many pretty options to choose from. I chose a pretty blue floral design with a pink obi. We then visited the oldest Buddhist temple, Asakusa Temple, and attended a tea ceremony that offered a perfect balance of flavours. Afterwards, we went shopping along the street near the temple, where someone bought a whole katana. We then returned the kimono and had lunch. Next was a Japanese calligraphy session with two wonderful ladies who were really sweet and guided us kindly.

The next morning, we explored the Mount Fuji region, starting with a pirate ship ride across Lake Ashi, then taking a ropeway up through Hakone. We travelled to Osaka by Shinkansen, a smooth two to three hour journey. From the station, we made our way to the Umeda Sky Observatory to enjoy the panoramic views of the city. Next, we stopped by Osaka Castle for a quick photo opportunity, before heading to Namba for what ended up being more walking than actual shopping.

On our final day, we spent the morning at Universal Studios Japan, soaking in as much fun as we could. Later, we made our way to Parco which was the best shopping spot of the entire trip, and that’s saying something since we’d been shopping since day two! Following a solid round of retail therapy, we returned to our hotel to unwind and wrap up our media projects.

Writen By Reeham Ahmed (Pathways World School, Gurgaon).

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