Welcome back!
It's been ages since I last had the time to put a whole blogpost together. I'm just back from my three day holiday - which felt like a whole week to be honest. I got to visit some really cool places in Tokyo, and I vlogged most of it as well, so watch out for the coming weekly vlog on my second channel if you are interested!
A ROUGH START
 | My holiday began with a massive migraine AND the beginning of the Bayu (Rainy season in Japan, usually lasts 2-3 weeks) so all activities got delayed by a whole day. On monday I got to visit the Tokyo Sea Life Park near Odaiba, which was really nice. It's one of the smaller aquariums around the Tokyo area, so it's really cheap but also really close to other sightseeing spots like Disneyland, Odaiba and the Oedo Onsen. I got to wear my new AnkRouge dress which kind of fitted the occasion with a sailor collar and the light blue colours. |
While around the area I got to visit Venus Fort which has a ton of brand outlet stores, including Nike where I got myself a new pair of running shoes for the season. It's my goal to actually go running every day to build up some stamina which I still lack of...
OEDO ONSEN
| My next stop was Oedo Onsen, which I wanted to visit for ages. I'm actually a big fan of Onsen in general, what keeps me from it is the lack of make-up or more likely the ages it'll take me to put my make-up back on after washing it all off for the bath. While the plan was to stay in the bath for at least an hour (to make it worth the long trip) I didn't last for longer than half an hour and nearly fainted on my way out. It was fun to try out the different types of baths and also some more traditional japanese food that I didn't have the chance to eat until then. If you are coming to Tokyo for a visit, don't worry: There are English guides and signs EVERYWHERE. It can't possibly go wrong. |  |
 | One thing I really liked about Oedo Onsen was the outdoor foot bath which is probably the only mixed bathing area. The design was super pretty and it gave me the feeling of no longer being in hectic Tokyo - until I saw the cranes and construction sites in the distance. Food-wise they had a huge variety from snacks to sushi to vegan alternatives which weren't all that pricey either. They were also offering a variety of games that you can usually find during a Matsuri (fishing balloons, dart games, etc.). |
SHINSENGUMI FURUSATO
| On my last day I FINALLY (!!!) got to visit the Shinsengumi Furusato (a history museum in Tokyo centered around the Shinsengumi). I'm a huge fan of the Shinsengumi and the Bakumatsu time, so this was a trip that I was more than just excited about. It wasn't allowed to take any pictures of the exhibits, but here's what you can expect: Actual swords, pieces of writing and art as well as a glimpse into ALL the media and pop culture around the Shinsengumi. That being said there was a ton of Manga (including Nanae Chrono's "Peacemaker Kurogane" which got me into the Shinsengumi hype around 2005 and still haunts me to this day since the anime is getting a remake!!!!). |  |
Among the original exhibits there was one piece of writing that I really wanted to see - the original rules of the Shinsengumi. Though it was written in super fancy curly handwritten kanji it made my entire trip worth while.
 | Another great part about the museum was that I got to try on a easy version of the original Shinsengumi uniform and pose for some pictures. The museum staff was fairly excited having a foreigner come to the museum and they gave me a replica of Souji Okita's katana to pose. It was an experience that nearly made me cry, considering how many years I wanted to try this.(And let me say that even costume katanas are pretty heavy.) I got a lot of great posing suggestions from the staff and they even told me how to properly draw and put away the sword which probably looked super cool! |
| After some Tayaki (sweet red bean filled paistry) I nearly went back home when my bus passed another shrine area and one special statue that made me hit 'stop' and go explore. The place in question was Takahadafudoson and it's main sightseeing point is actually not the statue of Hijikata Toshizo, but the massive Kongoji temple behind it. You can already see it from the station and it is absolutely beautiful. However it was the statue I had dragged my already really tired body back up the hill for. Worth it. |  |
Since this experience I am really looking forward to more Shinsengumi-based sightseeing around Tokyo and I'm even planning on visiting Kyoto again, which was super fun last summer around the same time.
