Experience Japan like a local

Everyone knows Japan is a special country with many, many things to do. Since experiencing new things is one of the most exciting things while travelling, I want to give you some recommendations on things you absolutely shouldn't miss while travelling through Japan. Since most things are easy to google, like temples and festivals, I will go into other things I experienced as fun and local. This time these recommendations are more city-related, some other time I will write a blog about which places to visit to see some stunning nature. 

1. EAT THE LOCAL FOOD!!
Absolute number one for me (even though I was vegetarian while in Japan). Almost every region/city has a local dish, which makes Japan a Walhalla for food lovers. From okonomiyaki in Hiroshima (or Osaka as some people there claim) to miso paste in Nagoya, snakes in the southern islands of Japan and tofu in Kyoto. Some things might sound strange and not so delicious maybe, but you should definitely try it out. The Japanese really know what to do with their ingredients and are for example one of the best in making delicious fermented food. The best way to find out what the local dish is, is to ask locals of course. So get in touch with them, or ask at your hotel/hostel. Often you can just find it at restaurants in the streets, or at markets. Temple markets are often a great place to find delicious local dishes. 

* One thing I do want to say is that you shouldn't eat everything in my opinion. On Okinawa (one of the southern islands) they sell whale meat, which is absolutely terrible in terms of animal wellbeing. There are more of these examples so please don't just eat anything :). 

2. Try Purikura with your friends
In my opinion, purikura is disturbing but amazing. While in Europe, we can take pictures in a small photobooth with at most black and white or sepia colouring, in Japan there is a variety I can't even explain. These purikura machines are often found in arcades, where sometimes there is even a whole floor dedicated to them. You can choose themes ranging from model style photos, to cute photos, to gothic photos and so on. But what do the machines do then? Well, they don't just change the theme colour, like we are used too. They actually change your whole appearance. How they change you depends on the theme, but the main things are that they create huge anime-like eyes and silky-smooth skin.

When choosing a machinge, you put in 200-400 yen, depending on the theme, you go in alone or with friends and some pictures are taken. The real fun comes afterwards when you have about 15 minutes to edit the photos. Usually two people can edit at the same time and different photos. Backgrounds can be changed, make-up can be added, extra icons, text, eyes can be made bigger or smaller, it really is disturbingly funny. However, do take some time to do this since finding your way through all the options (which are shown in Japanese) can be quite a challenge as well. In the end you can pick a sheet type and the photo's will come out of the machine. 

BUT, THERE IS MORE! Sometimes, in certain arcades, you can even borrow clothes to wear in the purikura, like pokemon onesies, school-girl outfits, or proper anime clothes. Often it is free, but sometimes you have to pay for it. They provide dressingrooms and there are sometimes even mirrors to sit in front of so you can really make the most out of it. I don't understand why though, since you can add all the make-up afterwards. One thing to keep in mind however, is that if you are only boys, you can't enter. You need to have a girl with you, I have no idea why. 

3. Go to an arcade and play some games (or watch people play)
Similar to number 2, I would suggest to go to an arcade. Japan is known for its gaming industry, which is also illustrated by the high amount of game-addicted people. While it is rather a problem, I would still suggest to go to an arcade an try out as many games as you want. The prices are quite fair; last time I paid 100yen and played left4dead on a huge screen for 40 minutes. But it's also just really fun to try out all the amazing games they have. Taiko no Tatsujin for example, is one of the most popular games in Japan, and people are even waiting in line to play it sometimes. You can choose all kinds of songs and drum on the beat, so a kind of guitar hero for the drums. Here you can see a video of an amazingly good Japanese person playing it (watch from around 1:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ujTE_GbB4

Don't worry, there are always different levels, so everyone can play :)

4. Join a tea ceremony
One of the more traditional cultural things is experiencing a tea ceremony. This tea ceremony is all about the preparing of matcha, a japanese type of green tea and is often accompanied with food. In Japan these ceremonies were first performed in buddhist monastries. Nowadays they also take place in people's houses on special occassions and in formal and informal settings. Experiencing such a ceremony, however, is hard since you will often have to be invited by someone. What you can do if you're just visiting Japan briefly, is join a more touristy type of tea ceremony. A woman dresses in Kimono can explain you everything about the ritual and about the making of the tea, you can try it yourself, drink it and eat some sweets on the side. It is really fun to experience and learn about it. One of the best cities to join a tea ceremony is Kyoto, where they often happen.

5. Visit a second hand store 
 Japan really really is amazing for their second hand shops. They have so many and also so many types. You can find second hand electronics stores, second hand clothes stores, second hand book stores, second hand home appliance stores, second hand CD stores and so on. There are really so many that you just have to look around a bit, or google and you can find one. However, I want to tell you about my favorite, the -OFF chain. The most famous one is BOOK-OFF where you can find many great books for great prices, sometimes they also have CD's, clothes and other things, but this one is mainly about books. For hardware they have HARD-OFF. I bought my IPod here for around 35 euro's and it still works great. They also have camera's, CD's and many other things. Nowadays they also have a special name for the clothes shops, called MODE-OFF. I have bought many great clothes here, like shirts, dresses, skirts, all for around 100-200 yen (make sure you find the 100yen corner where the amazing treasures are often found). And then there is HOBBY-OFF, GARAGE-OFF and HOUSE-OFF. Well, these are my favorites but there are many more so just google and check it out! 

6. Visit at least one of these three: Izakaya, Maid Cafe or a Cat Cafe
I would suggest you to visit all of them, but if you don't have a lot of time, at least visit one. Izakaya's are amazing places to visit with friends and again, they come in all types and shapes. They are kind of pubs where you can go drinking and have some nice small dishes for a good price. Sometimes they even offer all you can drink I believe. In the modern ones you get a kind of booth with your friends and you can press a button so the waiter comes to get your order. You can order typical japanese dishes and drinks, which are truly great. In a more traditional izakaya you either get a booth with tamatim where you sit on the ground or on small pillows, or you just sit at a bar or table in a bar. These are also really fun, but often don't have a menu except for on the wall and it is always in Japanese writing, which makes it hard to order if you don't speak Japanese or don't have a Japanese person with you. Izakayas are a great option for a night out if you like your late-night snacks or if you want to try some small dishes :). 

Maid Cafes are quite a special thing. As the name already suggests, they are cafes in which girls dressed at maids are at your service. Throughout the time you are there, they serve you your special drinks and food (usually ice-cream). However, they don't do this in a normal way. The cafes are often themed which means that you can order and do all kinds of funny things. In the cafe I went to with a group of guy friends, we had to make the noise of a cat when we wanted to order. When we got our drinks the girl would perform somekind of special love-spell on the drinks so it would be ready for the person. We were also able to take a picture with the girls for a certain price. Well, it's a weird concept, but if you want to find out about the weirder side of Japan, this is a good way to go. I have seen all types of people in these cafes, even business men. However, do pay attention that you go to one where the woman seem to be treated nicely. This is hard to find out but there might be some info available on the internet about it. 

Cat cafes also speak for themselves. Here you pay a price to enter which often includes a drink and then you can sit with the cats for a certain amount of time. You can pet them, play with them and feed them sweets. They are really popular in Japan and therefore easy to find. Make sure that if you find one, you check whether the cats are treated well and have enough space before you decide to put money into the business.. 

7. Do KARAOKE with JAPANESE FRIEND!
Also something Japan is known for; karaoke. This especially is amazing with Japanese friends. Some love it, some don't, but if they do you'll have an amazing night. You'll get a booth with your friends and often this is accompanied with unlimited drinks for around 3500 yen, and then....... it's just another great night of singing! Make sure you try your hardest, since your Japanese friends probably will :). 

8. Last, but DEFINITELY not least, visit a SUMO MATCH!
This is truly one of the best best best ways to experience the local sports culture. Sumo competitions are super interesting and fun to watch. However, it can be hard to get tickets. There are only several big competitions a year and the best tickets can sell out really fast. Don't let this discourage you though, it's really possible to visit these matches, just make sure you check in advance when to be where and where to buy the tickets. 

Well, if you have any more off-the-beaten-track recommendations, let me know! I'm really curious :). And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! 

Sayonaraaaaa,
Hannah