I've made posts about Hakone, Okinawa, and various other places, but how have I not made one on Tokyo?! Also, this post will be so handy for me as, somewhere along the way, I've apparently become a freelance travel agent as most of the DM's I get are all questions about the best "secret spots" in Tokyo.
Unfortunately for them, the secret spots in my daily itinerary are usually my school, my local gym, the arcade down the road, and the grocery store. Obviously my routine is lacking in flashing lights and visits from Godzilla... but I have found a few greats spots during the three years that I've been living here. I'll try to provide an eclectic mix of popular and unknown places that might appeal to a variety of travelers. I'll also give you a short pros and cons list for each location just so you have an idea of what you might be getting yourself into. Enjoy!

Ikegami Honmonji - A Buddhist Temple in the Ota Ward

Honmonji's famous five-story pagoda.

That beloved, vermilion color. 

Pros:

• ⧫ It's free and it's always open!
• ⧫ You can catch a very lively festival there in mid-October.
• ⧫ It's a gorgeous place to view cherry blossoms in the spring.
• ⧫ Apart from festival season, it's never crowded.
• ⧫ There are many buildings and structures to see.
• ⧫ You can easily find lots of information on each structure in English.

Cons:

• ⧫ It's a bit far for people who are staying in the northern areas of Tokyo (approx. 40-50 minutes from Shinjuku).
• ⧫ There are a lot of stairs (96 stone stairs to the gate) and slopes so be prepared to walk a fair amount. 
• ⧫ It's in the middle of a very residential area so there's nothing you could easily jump to after. 

Mori Building Digital Art Museum - A Hands-On Art Exhibit in Odaiba

This is the most well-known room at the exhibit in Odaiba

Lots of rooms for the little ones to enjoy too!

Pros:

• ⧫ There are only a select number of tickets sold for each day, so it's not wall-to-wall with people. 
• ⧫ The museum is quite large so everyone can move around easily and at their own pace.
• ⧫ It's definitely a unique experience that you can't get elsewhere.
• ⧫ There are no maps and so you can find something new every time you go. 
• ⧫ There are a lot of other interesting things to see and do right beside this museum. 

Cons:

• ⧫ Be sure to meet your friends outside of the venue! You will never find them if you try to meet up inside of the museum.
• ⧫ Don't wear a skirt. There are lots of mirrors on the ground and you will be urged by the staff to wear this heavy wrap-thing to prevent your panties from being on display.
• ⧫ You have to make sure to reserve your tickets ahead of time. You can order them easily online, but they sell out fast. 
• ⧫ As with many other attractions in Tokyo, it's not good to go on the weekends. The line to get in can be massive.

Venus Fort - A Mysterious and Beautiful Mall in Odaiba

Here's what the interior of the mall looks like.

The location couldn't be better! It's right beside the giant ferris wheel in Odaiba.

Pros:

• ⧫ This mall is massive so it never feels crowded.
• ⧫ There are a wide variety of shops and it seems to have everything you might need (high fashion, fast fashion, toys, furniture, etc.).
• ⧫ They have different projection mapping events that are great to see even if you don't like shopping.
• ⧫ The decor is a spectacle in and of itself.
• ⧫ There are a lot of other interesting things to see and do right beside this mall like taking a ride on the Daikanransha. 
• ⧫ The staff members at the help desk are so friendly and they will gladly help you find the shop that you are looking for. 

Cons:

• ...Honestly I can't think of a single con. Perhaps if you hate shopping malls it won't be your cup of tea, but I personally think it's a fabulous place to check out!!

Sweets Forest - A Paradise for Your Sweet Tooth in Jiyugaoka

You'll feel a bit like you've jumped down the rabbit hole into Wonderland.

The desserts are both cute and delicious!

Pros:

• ⧫ It feels like Harajuku, but you don't have to deal with massive crowds.
• ⧫ All of the sections within the forest have different themes and sweets.
• ⧫ It's a very fun place to go for themed goods during Christmas or Halloween.
• ⧫ You can eat at the forest or you can get the sweets to go.
• ⧫ It's a perfect place for taking "kawaii" pictures for Instagram.
• ⧫ The walk from Jiyugaoka station to this place is very beautiful. Lots of nature and other things to see and do.

Cons:

• ⧫ It doesn't take too long to walk through so it's not a place where you could be for the whole day.
• ⧫ There isn't anything else to do inside of the forest other than eat sweets and take pictures.  

Bourbon Road - A Small Bar Street That Feels Like Old Tokyo

The street looks perfectly staged for a film.

This road comes to life at nighttime.

Pros:

• ⧫ It's really close to Kamata station. 
• ⧫ You can experience a very different side of Tokyo.
• ⧫ If you are interested in places like Golden Gai, go here instead! It's cheaper, less crowded, and friendlier to foreigners.
• ⧫ A lot of the bars have interesting themes.
• ⧫ The food in a lot of these bars is actually really good!

Cons:

• ⧫ Sometimes it's hard to find a bar to sit in as some of the bars only have space for about four or five customers. 
• ⧫ It's difficult to enjoy the experience to its fullest if you don't speak Japanese. Many of the bars don't have English menus and the people working there don't speak English.
• ⧫ If you don't drink alcohol this place might be a little dull for you. 

Oedo Onsen Monogatari - A Great Onsen for First-Timers with an Edo-era Twist

It will make you feel as if you've gone back in time.

A great place to enjoy with friends or family.

Pros:

• ⧫ It's a really good place for foreigners who have never entered a Japanese hot spring. 
• ⧫ There are many things apart from the baths that you can enjoy with your friends or family.
• ⧫ There are instructions in English everywhere so you'll never feel like you don't know what to do. 
• ⧫ The spa treatments are insanely good. I really recommend the body scrub.
• ⧫ They have a lot of delicious festival foods in the cafeteria area. 
• ⧫ Once you are in the onsen, you will use your bracelet to pay for food, treatments, etc., so you don't have to carry cash around with you.
• ⧫ It's a perfect chance to try wearing a yukata.

Cons:

• ⧫ Don't go if you have tattoos. They will ask you to leave and you won't get a refund. If your tattoo is really minuscule, you might be able to get away with putting a band-aid over it... but just know it's a risk. 
• ⧫ If you're not comfortable with getting naked in front of others, it might not be worth the money to go. 
• ⧫ If you are into very traditional onsens, this isn't the place for you as you might find it a bit too "kitschy".

Okubo Dori - A Small Slice of South Korea

You will never go hungry when you're in Shin Okubo

Skin Garden is the first pit stop I make when I walk down Okubo Dori.

 

Pros:

• ⧫ All of the Korean goods and foods are authentic.
• ⧫ It's the perfect place if you are interesting in trying K-beauty products. 
• ⧫ The price of most of the goods are comparable to the actual prices in South Korea.
• ⧫ There are a lot of interesting shops selling popular Korean street foods.
• ⧫ You can find a lot of goods from your favorite Korean idols.
• ⧫ You can simply walk down the main street and find plenty of things to see and do.

Cons:

• ⧫ Wow... the crowds. Don't go on the weekend or after school hours because the streets FLOOD with high school girls. 
• ⧫ If you're only interested in experiencing Japanese culture during your visit, you might want to just skip this place. 

  Bondi Cafe - A Brunch Spot with Beach Vibes

You can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine while you eat.

Yummy yummy!

Pros:

• ⧫ This is such a relaxing cafe that's especially perfect for brunch.
• ⧫ The location is prime. It's right beside Yoyogi Park. After you finish eating you can walk straight through the park to Harajuku.
• ⧫ It's nice to enjoy brunch on the sofas outside on a sunshiny day.  

Cons:

• ⧫ You might be waiting for a table for a while if you forgo making a reservation. 
• ⧫ It is a little bit expensive.
• ⧫ For people who are looking for an "authentic Japanese" travel experience, this place isn't for you as it doesn't serve typical Japanese food.

  *BONUS* Anata No Warehouse - A Very Unusual and Unconventional Arcade

Yes... This is an actual arcade.

Beware of the "jump scare" at the entrance.

Pros:

• ⧫ It's interesting to see even if you're not a huge gamer.
• ⧫ There are a lot of classic games that only cost 50 yen.
• ⧫ You can also pay to play ping-pong, billiards, or darts if you're not into video games.  
• ⧫ There are a lot of interesting photo spots.
• ⧫ They have a very wide variety of games to choose from.

Cons:

• ⧫ This arcade is located in Kanagawa, not Tokyo. If you are staying near Shinjuku it might be a bit of a trek to get there. 
• ⧫ Unless you sign up to be a member, you cannot use the ping pong tables and other things on the top floor. 

Okami - Charcoal

The spooky season is upon us and I am PUMPED. To all of those people out there who think it's too early to get excited for Halloween in September... Please leave this blog now and may Pennywise visit your drains.

Last Halloween I took on a really big challenge. I decided to dedicate myself to "Inktober" and draw something every day. In order to get myself motivated to do it again this year, I thought I'd cycle back through the drawings that made me feel very accomplished. I've also included a few random projects that I've done in the last few months. 

So grab up a pumpkin spice latte (don't judge me) and enjoy the "spooks" of my labor!

Edith from Crimson Peak - Ink (Definitely watch this to gear up for Halloween!)

Bat Hair Day - Ink

Copy of The German Tango - Ink

***This is not an original!*** I tried to make my own copy of Louis Raemaekers' The German Tango. Do check out his cartoons! He has a lot of interesting war propaganda to check out.

One Sleepy Bee - Ink

Zombie Millennial - Ink 

Netflix and Chill - Ink

Reaper Sensei - Ink

Waiting for a Rainy Day - Ink

Tsaheylu - Ink

These last two projects are a bit random, but I decided to thrown them in here anyway. I was able to get my hands on some interesting goods so I just had to try them out!

An Onsen in Hakone - Charcoal

Okay, why didn't anyone tell me how AWESOME charcoal pencils are?! They are smooth and easy to use and they don't make a horrendous mess! 10/10 will use again!

Deku Mask - Floral foam / acrylic paint 

I went home this summer so I had ample time to take on a bigger project. I've been slowly chipping away at this massive undertaking, but I've been trying to make all of the masks from Majora's Mask for my brother... So far I've made two (lol). Luckily, the Deku mask was far easier to tackle than the Majora's mask.
If anyone wants to try making these masks, I really recommend floral foam! Yes, it's not as cool as wood, but it's easy to shape if you are a beginner like me. It's also not as time consuming.

There you have it! I hope you've enjoyed looking at some of the things that I've worked on over the last couple of months. I hope you have a spook-tacular autumn filled with knit sweaters, warm drinks, and everything pumpkin!

52.1 weeks, 8.765.82 hours, 525,949.2 minutes or 31,556,952 seconds.

What does this equal? If you said a year on Earth according to the Gregorian calendar... well yes, that's technically correct but not really what I was going for... It equals, drum roll please...


The amount of time I've been living in Tokyo, Japan! Weeeeee! すごいでしょう？！

My goodness, it feels like I arrived at Narita, plane sick and covered in sweat only mere weeks ago. Actually scratch that moment. Not really a nice nostalgic place to bring everyone back to... Let's try this again.. Goodness gracious, it feels like I stepped into this magical land of "gacha gacha" machines and "kira kira"lights only a few mere weeks ago. There! Now that's better. This is a much better way to start up my nostalgia train!

So as you can probably guess, I'm going to take you with me on an adventure to reflect on my year and review the good, the bad, the ugly, and the absolutely fan-freakin'tastic moments. That being said, if you're not about that "livin'-in-the-past" life, I suggest you bail out now because... まもなくMemory Lane!

Memory Hoarder

I have something to confess... When I travel, I don't like to pick up souvenirs. I hate the idea of a cheap, plastic bobble taking up space in my "minimalist" (fancy word for itty-bitty) apartment. However, I have one downfall. I am addicted, and I mean ADDICTED, to collecting paper. Any kind of paper. Receipts, tickets, stationary, postcards... Basically if it's flat and reminds me of the place, my grubby, little hands are all over that business. So, as a self proclaimed paper hoarder, I find myself with a drawer full of paper goodies from the past year in Japan. Instead of listing out what I've done, I thought it might be cool to just show you these "souvenirs" as a way to map out some of the places I've been.

 The Sumida Aquarium

 For a date night, by boyfriend took me to the special Edo Goldfish exhibit. The goldfish stamp rally was fabulous!

 The Trick Art Museum

Another date! A really great place in Odaiba to walk through and take millions of silly photos.

Kamakura

I went on a day trip to Kamakura and did all of the wonderfully typical Kamakura things; eating sweet potato ice cream, enjoying the sunny beach, and visiting the giant Buddha statue.

 Letters from my Students

I am always over the moon when I get a letter from one of my girls! Prime letter times include: Valentine's Day, New Years, and birthdays.

Letters from Myself

Now you must be thinking, "Well aren't we a little proud hmmm Ms. Samantha?!".  Before you judge me too harshly, this is a letter I sent to myself before I left for Tokyo. It really gives me a little push when I'm feeling low. Especially the last line; "Trust yourself, love yourself, be happy". It's become a little mantra of mine.

 Time Capsule Letters

This was one of the greatest going away gifts EVER. My family packed tons of sealed envelopes for me to open on certain days. It made me feel so connected to them and it always gave me something to look forward to.

Yomiuri Land Illuminations

Going to this theme park during Christmas time really made my holiday feel more homey. There really is a special sort of magic in enjoying illuminations during frosty winters. 

Party Times

Just a few scraps from my nights out in Tokyo. One from a well known club in Roppongi and another from a bar hop. Thanks to my great friends here, my nights out are always crazy fun.

Disney

I am kind of ashamed to tell you the exact number of times I've been to Disneyland and Disneysea... So instead, I'll show you an actual souvenir I bought! Wow! Such rarity! Much wow!

Meiji Jingu

Basically serenity plopped into the middle of a metropolis. We had a guided tour of this shrine when I first came to Tokyo.

Tokyo National Museum

How I LOVE this museum. I always find it so relaxing to go there solo and enjoy the sights. There are a lot of English transcriptions of the original Japanese explanations so it's a great place for foreigners.

 Cards, Cards, and... More Cards!

I'm like your 80 year old grandmother in the way that I collect cards. I enjoy reading them again and again... Jeez I'm embarrassed at myself haha!

 Studio Ghibli Museum

There is no better way to spend a Sunday than to take a stroll through the mystery that is the Studio Ghibli Museum. I went with my brother and cousin when they were in town and I can say for sure that we all enjoyed the adventure.

 Bunraku

This is basically traditional Japanese puppetry. It's quite impressive with the amount of skill it needs to harmonize the movements of the doll with the speaker's voice and the background music. I've been twice with my school.

Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower

Nothing better than getting a birds-eye view of Tokyo! I've been to these towers on more than one occasion. They always remind me a little bit of home because of the CN Tower. 

 Okinawa

Here is a stamp rally map that I completed with my family at the Shuri Temple in Okinawa as well as a map of Tamaudun mausoleum. It was a fun and historical hike though Okinawa's history!

Kusatsu

My train ticket and my onsen stamp from when my boyfriend and I made a long weekend trip up to Kusatsu during the winter to enjoy the natural onsens.

Journey to the End of the Night

WOAH! Again, something that's not paper! It's a miracle! These bands are my "Hero" and "Villain" bands from a "catch me if you can" kind of game that I took part in. Running around Tokyo is surprisingly a lot of fun!!!

Miscellaneous 

My apologies, as we've come to the end of the line I have some random tickets left over, but they are fabulous memories none the less!! I went to the Shinjuku Robot Restaurant twice; once with my friends and once with my family. The art museum ticket is from a random field trip I was able to go on with my students. Finally, the movie ticket is from the first Japanese movie I saw in Tokyo which was "Bakemonoko". 

My Favourite Memories

Now that I've forced you to look at my weird "secret of the travelling papers" collection, I feel it's only fair to show you some actual footage from some of my favourite moments from this year. 

Enkai

The most mysterious of all work parties. The ultimate balance between Japanese formality and complete, drunken informality. During my first year in Japan, I've been lucky enough to experience a few of these special Japanese work parties. Basically, for all of you not living in Japan, Enkai's include a set food course with an all you can drink added on. Usually they are a bit pricey, but most definitely the fastest way to get to know the real heart of your co-workers. Enkai's are the secret 90210/Gossip Girl moments of all Japanese parties. You never know what will happen.
Both of the following videos were made by a co-worker/friend of mine who has been super-de-duper awesome to me over the last year so I'll give him a quick "YOU RULE" shout out here while I have the opportunity.

Hakone

Our girls trip to Hakone was definitely one of my highlights from this year. Hakone is beautiful to begin with, but in autumn it is breathtakingly stunning. Not only that, but it a perfect time to enjoy a Japanese ryokan complete with an onsen experience! I had such a blast enjoying the scenery and getting lost with two of my favourite JET ladies. They were best travelling buddies and I would go on another journey with them in a heartbeat! I hope to have more adventures like my Hakone trip in the future! If you want to hear more about my Hakone adventures, you can check it out at Let's GO, Hakone!

Summer Fireworks

OK I'll be straight up with you by giving you a "romantic post" heads up! If you're not up for that cheese please feel free to scroll down now. If you are, grab your gouda 'cause we're goin' in!
So just a few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to watch the Arakawa fireworks. This quickly made the top of my greatest memories list for a few reasons.
One reason being I was able to wear my own yukata. In the past, I've always borrowed yukatas from friends and have had other people help me into my yukata. This time, I was able to wear the yukata and obi that I picked out and bought for myself! Also, I was able to put it on and tie the bow all by myself! ...Okay, so maybe I put it on by myself and then had my boyfriend's family fix the disaster afterwards, but it still counts.
Another reason is because of the grandeur of the fireworks. USA boasts that its fireworks are the best, but oh my sweet blinded eyes, you haven't seen fireworks until you come to Tokyo. They are the biggest, most colourful, and most creative fireworks I've ever seen! They even have one called "Niagara Falls" which is basically a line of fireworks that spew silver lights and mimic a waterfall!!! So cool!
Lastly (and here's where the cheese comes in), it made my list because it was honestly like a moment torn straight out of a Shoujo manga. There we were, hanging out in our yukata, drinking beer, watching the fireworks go up hand-in-hand. It got even more Shoujo-ier when my boyfriend knelt down to help me put a band-aid on my foot and fix my geta (wooden shoes). That moment is so vivid in my mind because I remember laughing to myself and thinking DAMN my life is hella shoujo romantic right now! A mix of comedy and romance. Just the way I like it.

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Birthday Bath!

I am probably the only person in the world to ever plan a birthday party in a bathhouse haha! When you think about it logically, it seems very, very strange to ask your close friends to come bathe with you to celebrate the day of your birth... but you know what?! In Japan there are no rules (except.. you know, the Japanese ones). I had such a blast hanging out (literally lolol) with my closest friends. I was so happy to see that everyone was having a great time wearing their yukata and enjoying the spa. It was really memorable for me because it reminded me just how lucky I am to have such good friends who are willing and eager to celebrate my birthday with me. It was also memorable because of that AMAZING body scrub and back massage that I got. I'll definitely never forget that euphoria haha!

What I miss

Of course while there have been many awesome things that I've experienced this year, there have been some not-so-awesome things as well. An obvious and inevitable part of life I suppose. Luckily, this list isn't very long, but I wanted to include it because while my time in Japan has been a lot of rainbows and sunshine, there has naturally been a cloud or two along the way.
The first thing that I dearly miss is my family of course. I miss being able to see their lovely faces all of the time. Thank goodness for the technology that allows me to get some proper face time with them! Another thing that I miss is Canadian directness. I miss people telling you directly what they like, what they want, and what they mean without any guess work. Japanese culture avoids "pushing people" or "speaking too harsly" which is good and bad in a lot of ways. I just hate how it makes you second guess yourself. For example, if a Japanese person says that they like my skirt, I'm left guessing "AHHHH did they mean it? Did they mean it's innapropriate? Is it too short?!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN??" I've never wanted the power to read people's minds so badly...
Another thing I miss is RED. MEAT. Sorry to take it to such a surpurflous complaint, but man... I just want some GOOD ribs...
Lastly, I miss open space. Now obviously Japan has some open spaces. Their parks are beautiful and people here really care about the environment, but I miss being able to walk twenty steps out of my house and just run in a field that goes for miles on end.

What I didn't expect

To brighten things up a bit, I have two, big things that happened to me this past year that I really didn't expect! The first thing is I didn't expect that my coworkers and students would become my second family. Almost every day I wake up with a smile on my face knowing I'll get to talk with a funny student or an interesting teacher. They have all taught me so many things about how to be a sensitive and caring teacher and about how to understand each other better on a cultural and even personal level. It's been such an amazing experience seeing the girls grow in such a short time and I'm so happy that I get to watch over them for another year.

This is on our website so it's cool to show on my blog I believe...

Secondly, I never expected to date someone in Japan. I can't tell you how many times my friends, family, and I joked about how I wouldn't come home with a Japanese guy. Well, jokes on all of us I guess because I'm dating the greatest guy in all of Japan heehee (sorry, that got cheesy again). My boyfriend and I have been together for five months now, and he's become such an inseparable part of my life. He's always there when I need someone to chat with, or when I want someone to go on adventures with , or even when I need someone to nap on when I'm sleepy on the train. A lot of people ask me "what is it like to date a Japanese guy" and I never have a good answer for this. The experience is so different, but not because he is Japanese, but because he is the person that he is. He is unique, funny, and an all-around great human being. That said I better end this before I embarrass him too much lol.

What I plan on doing next!

As it is important not to live too much in the past, I'll bring this memory train to a halt by quickly mentioning what I've got lined up for the future!
Firstly, I want to start seriously studing for the JLPT 2 test. This past year, I've done some flimsy studying, but I didn't really pressure myself to study that hard. This year I really want to try to study  every day so that I can ace that test!!
Next, I want to work on getting some more ESL teaching credentials. I already have my TESOL, but I would like to learn more about how to effectively teach my students so that they can really see an improvement in their English!
Other than that, I'm just excited to see what the next year in Japan brings as this year has been such a wild ride! A big thanks to you too for sticking with me for a whole year! Lots of love to you!!!