Hamburger Steak, Bikkuri Donki
There are some foods in Japan that is not really Japanese, but is a twist on something you may be familiar with. Hamburgers are one thing, but to make something called hamburger steak? Well that is food worth trying out. The restaurant chain known as Bikkuri Donki provides access to this type of food. The picture features a hamburger cheese steak. Yes they put cheese inside. It was delicious by the way. I don’t know how this type of food became popular, but you can find it in a few other places. You can also try it with a fried egg on top, which is also a common topping, and see how your tastes buds react to it.
Tokyo Disney Sea Lines
Tokyo DisneySea is Japan’s unique park like how California has Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. As fun it may seem to go to Disney and geek out when you see your favorite character walking around, there is something you should know about the attractions in the park. The lines for the rides are LONG. I thought waiting in line for a ride for an hour and some odd minutes was bad, but here in the park it was double that. Imagine waiting 3 hours for a 3 minute ride. I was not prepared for the lines, but my friend who came with us said to hurry to the fast pass booth to get your ticket. By 10:30ish am our fast pass ticket had a return time of 7:15 pm. So if you are planning to go to any Disney park then know that they are famous for having the longest wait times out of all Disney Parks in the world.
Sweets Paradise
There are places in Japan that are all you can eat. This place in particular is where you can have all you can eat sweets. It is a dangerous place for those with a sweet tooth. They offer different cakes, pie, cream puffs etc. for the sweets lovers out there. Don’t worry they offer more than just desserts, they also have curry, pasta, salad and sandwiches as a break in between the sugar overload. Just know that some of the sweets go quick and you’ll have to wait for the next batch if you miss your chance. This place is not for the faint of heart, but for those who love eating desserts more than anything.
Hatsuhinode, Oarai Beach, Ibaraki
In Japan, New Years is celebrated differently compared to other countries. Since today is New Year’s Eve here is how my celebration went a couple years back. First we went to the temple at night and waited for Hatsumode, which is the first temple visit and prayer of the New Year. Once we heard the bells ringing, we made our donation, rang the bell, clapped our hands and silently said our prayers for the New Year. I thought the night would be done after, but next thing you know we are heading to Oarai Beach for Hatsuhinode, first sunrise prayer. It was super cold, but that sunrise was worth the wait.
The Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda, Osaka
The Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda, Osaka is dedicated to Momofuku Ando the creator and founder of Cup Noodles. It is one of those places you have to check out if you have ever eaten Cup Noodles. What’s cool is that inside there is an area where you can make your own Cup Noodle from scratch. Like you get to choose the seasoning of the soup, the toppings you want and at the end you get to design the outside of the Cup Noodles however you want. It just costs 300 yen, but it is worth it.