Matsumoto
Castle
Matsumoto Castle is very famous. It's in Matsumoto – funny that! It's about a 3 hour drive or train ride from
Tokyo – to the North West. It dates back
to the early 1500's. The exterior is
stone but the interiors are wooden.
Ryokan
Ryokan are inns. They date back a very long way but are now
many found in rural areas. In a ryokan
you will find yourself sleeping on a futon on top of a tatami mat – not sure
how my back would feel about that. You
also share bathing facilities with other guests – normally separated by
gender. I might find that a bit of a
challenge as well. On the upside dinner
and breakfast are usually included as part of the room rate. These meals are normally served in your room.
Vending
machines
Japan is the place for vending machines. There are over 5 million vending machines –
about one for every 20 people. You can
buy a huge variety of things – not just drinks and candy but also things like
bananas, eggs, umbrellas, hamburgers and even, yes, puppies!
Sake
Sake is a Japanese rice wine. Sake is produced by a brewing process that is
similar to that used for beer. It has a
high alcohol content compared to wine or beer – about double. Sake is served chilled, at room temperature
or warmed and it is also used in most Japanese dishes.
Love
Hotels
Love Hotels started out in Osaka in the late 60's. They are designed as spaces for short stays
for the purpose of, shall we say, getting 'close' to your partner. Their popularity in Japanese cities might
have something to do with the relative lack of privacy in small homes with inter-generational
occupants.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments are most welcome. I have currently disabled anonymous comments due to unwanted spam. Cheers