Kobe and Arima Onsen

I've been in Japan for just over a week and I'm finally going to write about Kobe and Arima Onsen.

This part of my trip was the most relaxing and indulging experience so far. We stayed in a secretive spot at a luxury hotel. It could not have gotten better.

We spent the beginning of the day with Mao's sister in Kobe checking out the town, getting some food, and shopping. Kobe is 30 to 40 mins from Himeji by train and it is a really cool spot to check out.

Ironically, we went to China town in Kobe to get some food. It's not like real Chinese food, or else I wouldn't have liked it. They have some good cheap food here. 

A lot of Christmas decorations to put up in this one.

A very Chinese element in Chinatown. I was looking for a garbage can to put my ramen bowl in (because Japan ironically doesn't have many garbage bins around compared to Canada, but yet it is way cleaner and you hardly ever see garbage on the ground). I tried to put it in the garbage bin of another vendor and they were not having it. If you didn't buy it there, you couldn't throw it away there. That makes sense right, specially when you don't really give a damn about the country you're doing business in... But then again, Chinese are not very well known for loving the environment are they?

We went to this big department store called Loft. Huge place, with a lot of different practical things. I really liked this massage cushion you use while you sit on your couch. It turns your normal couch into a massage chair. It was only about $80 CND. If I had room I would take three home. Maybe I still will. We stopped by Loft on our way back home from Arima Onsen and I bought some Omiyage(gifts) for some people back home. I also bought Japanese calligraphy ink pens. Not the metal ones but the brush ones. What a genius invention. My writing finally looks authentic and I can practice writing Kanji for fun now. I'm going to have to buy a bunch more of these to take home.

On our way to Arima Onsen.

Arima Onsen is situated in the hills about 30 minutes outside of Kobe. It is accessible by train. 

More remote area. Train was kind of dead.

Arima

Location of original Onsen

Part of the original Onsen of which water is pumped to all hotels in area.

Arima Onsen apparently has a history of over a thousand years. It is one of Japan's oldest hot springs. Our hotel was fucking amazing. I had never felt so welcome at a hotel in my life. We stayed for one night and were thoroughly pleased and satisfied with the whole experience. They greeted us with plum tea (with gold flakes in the tea) and Mochi(soft rice taffy), sat us down comfortably and introduced the whole hotel. We were given a choice of when to have dinner prepared for us, when to reserve a private Onsen session, and when to have breakfast the next day. Superb service the whole time. The name of the hotel was Taketoritei. I don't care if the room smells like smoke so I had nothing to complain about in that regard. I felt like a true guest the whole time. When they shuttle guests down to the station, hotel staff stand outside on the street, wave and bow as we are driven away. Now THAT is service.
It was the most relaxing experience. I didn't believe that Onsen has any medicinal or therapeutic applications until I came back to the room after two sessions of Onsen. I was knocked out. I couldn't move. I just came through the door, fell onto the futon and was out. I actually felt kind of sick from it. Maybe I overdid it, but it showed me that it had a definite effect on my body. I was excited to take video of beer from a vending machine for Roosh but I just couldn't stay awake.

They had a public and private Onsen. We bought a "couples" package so we were able to reserve a 45 minute private session. This hotel offered two types of Onsen, "Gold and Silver". I have no idea what it means but it looks like one has a high iron content and the other who knows.

When you go to an Onsen you have to go naked, even at the public one. It really makes you feel comfortable with your body, I have no idea why. But I came out of there really enjoying myself. You get naked in the change room, go to the washing area and wash up, soap and all. I really felt like a man. I'm sitting there butt-naked, belly sticking out, and lathering my body up like I had just discovered water. I've been gaining weight for the last year now and I really just enjoyed it in that moment. It's just nice to be your naked natural self among other naked natural selves. You are kind of equal to everyone in the room. I didn't find it uncomfortable at all. It was really fun to just bear it all, and hid nothing. I recommend everyone do it.

I'm glad we took to the Onsen after dinner, or else I wouldn't have been able to get through it. Dinner lasted two hours. It was a full course Japanese meal.

Look at that marble!

Me. Feeling Fuckin' Triumphant!

I know Anthony Bourdain wasn't impressed by Kobe beef, but this was the best tasting beef I've ever had. It's way better than having a steak go cold before you've eaten half of it. It's eaten hot off your personal grill, into your mouth and in your belly!

Me. Fuckin' Triumphant II

Miso soup and rice came at the end! You don't have a Japanese meal without Miso soup and Rice.

dessert!

So like I said, I went to bed knocked out by the Onsen, and woke up briefly because Mao was trying to get me to brush my teeth or something. My body felt weird... Like my skin was resonating and vibrating. It felt like my veins were opening in places I didn't know I had veins and blood was there for the first time. I felt kind of sick, I couldn't get up so I slept, and wow that was a good sleep. The next morning my body was aching. So much muscle tension. I have no idea what was going on, but it was clear the Onsen was doing something. That morning we did another Onsen session and I felt a little tired afterward but it soon went away. The following day back in Himeji all the muscle tension was pretty much gone.

I love going to secretive places. It's a great feeling to know you're somewhere remote and no one can find you. Arima Onsen was one of those times I will remember.

Look they dress you up in Samurai stuff too! Nah, it's just Yugata, traditional nightwear.

Oh Japanese toilets are the best. A lot of places have pimped-out toilets. The one at the hotel had a seat temperature setting so you don't sit down on a cold toilet seat. Three settings for washing, front(for women) and rear, jet spray and tinkle. Makes washing your oshiri(bum) very easy for FOBS!! Anyone who uses aaftaabeh knows what I'm talking about. The aim is perfect. This topped my aaftaabeh experience so far, ever! Sorry, no picture.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's the Little Things That Count

I thought I would do a little blog about some things I didn't expect to see in Japan. I hope I can remember them all.

I was using the toilet in our little apartment, and noticed this smell... no, it's not what you think is the obvious. It was a good smell. I started to wonder what is that nice smell, it smelled like candy. At first I thought it was just a nice air freshener that Mao's mom had put in here for us, but no, it was even better...

JAPAN HAS SCENTED TOILET PAPER!!!

Yes, it's Hello Kitty strawberry scented toilet paper. Not only does it help the air smell good, it helps your rear smell good! Not too bad.

Japanese sure know how to take care of themselves. Every house, or apartment has what is called an Ofuro. For all intensive purposes a room with a bath and a shower. The whole thing is a shower. The roof and the walls are all sealed up, so you can spray where ever you like and you'll be safe. 

The toilet is in a small, separate room. The important part: Every evening Japanese people take a shower to get themselves clean, and then have a short dip in a hot bath. I know it sounds simple but there is nothing better than to come home after a long day working or travelling and have all your muscle tension release in a super clean bath. The first time I tried it I felt like Tony Montana in the bubble bath scene from Scarface. It kind of mimics the effect of an Onsen too(that blog is coming soon).  By the time you come out you just want to sleep a good night's rest.

You can get almost anything from a vending machine. I finally found a beer vending machine but still haven't had the opportunity to actually film it's use in action. So when you're out partying in Japan and you need to pre-drink or keep your buzz going just grab a cocktail in a can or a highball in a can. It's all there. By the way, you will look like a real douche if you grab a beer in the middle of the afternoon and walk around drinking it. People don't really do that. But drinking is allowed in public. Beer vending machines are not just found anywhere, they are strategically located in places that are conducive to drinking, like hotels, where there are street food vendors, ect. Oh, and for Whiskey fans... Japan is really a great place to go if you like Whiskey. Japan has a long tradition of brewing Whiskey, and has many brands. Not only that, I only glanced briefly because I'm not too into Whiskey but they seem to be relatively inexpensive. 

Cigarette vending machines. These can be found more often than beer vending machines and unless indicated you can smoke almost anywhere out doors and sometimes indoors. Restaurants and cafes have smoker sections just like in the good old days in Canada, and are usually ventilated. 

There are a lot of drinks to try in Japan. Japanese seems to love making products that are meant for people on the go. They save a lot of time in preparation but they are also top quality. When you buy instant miso soup, it's pretty much as good as the real thing. So many products have been created like this that it is hard to give an example of them all. You can even buy instant rice. It's precooked rice that you microwave and it's ready. 

A note about tea and coffee. Visiting Japan has reintroduced me to the art of making and drinking tea and coffee. They really know what they are doing. Having a tea or coffee in Japan means you have to sit down, because they don't have take-away cups. You need to savor the drink, because it is small compared to the fish tanks people drink back home. In comparison, coffee and tea is rather expensive in Japan, but oh it is good. I expected coffee to be on the weak side here, but I found it to be very strong, but not the sulphuric acid you buy from Starbucks. Coffee in Japan is more akin to my coffee experience in Europe. Japan is all about quality over quantity.

Back in Canada I hardly ever have tea at coffee shops, I prefer to drink tea at home where I make it myself and where I can actually tolerate it. I cam to Japan not even thinking of trying the tea because I thought it could never compare to what I make at home. I could never have been more wrong. I am a huge tea fan, I've been drinking tea all my life, I can tell you what blend of tea I am drinking, and I can tell you I have never enjoyed tea as much as I do here in Japan. It beat the Tazo joke, and it even beat my own tea I make at home. I don't know what I'm going to do back in Canada, I just don't know what I'm going to do... 

There are a few things that might have something to do with the taste of coffee and tea here in Japan. Milk and cream is thicker and tastier here.It should also have something to do with the water, but Vancouver is supposed to have some of the best water in the world, so I'm not sure yet. 

Sorry my Kobe blog got delayed, we had a great time and the beef was amazing. I'm still getting used to writing this. I hope people are still reading and checking up on this. 

Here is a little teaser.

1st Izakaya in Japan

We started out our day early again today, still getting used to the time change and woke up at around 6:30. We took it slow and enjoyed a breakfast of Coffee, Donuts, Corn Soup, and Mikan(tangerines). 

The individual coffee pouches reminds me of the Costa Rican coffee sock contraption my brother and sister brought back one time. This thing just sits on your cup and you fill it up. That's Blue Mountain blend. The donuts are way better than Tim Hortons, more on par with Crispy Cream, but these have a bit more substance. The flavor of the one beside the coffee tasted a little bit like Bamiyeh! 

Otoosan only takes Sundays off from work, so we wanted to spend time with him today. He was taking Kie to the driving range and we decided to go with them. The place was just ten minutes out of town, or in town, I'm not sure. It was into the hills a little bit and the scenery was beautiful.

Little plots of farming land interspersed with village.

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Himeji and it's area is fantastic. The Last Samurai was filmed here. I don't know why people have this idea that Japanese houses are small. They are not that bad. A house can be anywhere between 2000 sq ft. and 2700 sq ft. Big houses have three floors and might be around 3000 sq ft. They use square meters here. City living is indeed small though. Check out my skills at the driving range. There was no admission here, you just pay for balls. 

(left to right) Mao, Kie and Otoosan. Otoosan is watching Kie's form.

I finally hit the ball! It went about 100 yards with this 9-club.

I can see why people get addicted to golf. 

I'm obsessed with drinks of all kinds.

 Mao and Kie love this corn soup they bought from the vending machine. It has real corn in it and it is served hot. These two are always in their own little world.

On our way back we stopped at this quick-stop diner to grab some chones. 

These are soba noodles. We were instructed by Okaasan not to eat too much during the day because we planned to go out for dinner at their favorite Izakaya in town. Let me get right down to it. It was nothing short of the best Japanese food I've ever had. 

Korean Hot Pot. Nice and Spicy

Sea Cucumber, If you like Tako sashimi, the texture is even better.

Asahi Super Dry,(one of my favorite Lagers) it's crisp and clear, very refreshing.

Salad, with soft Tofu, and delicious dressing.

Fried sea food skewers with sauce

I don't know what this was. The shell used to be it's house, now it lives in my belly.

Clams in broth.

Raw Oysters, slurp.

Yakitori, Gizzard(my favorite), thigh, and other chicken parts.

Fried egg with Daikon topping. How good can fried eggs get? This reached a new level.

Next blog will be about Kobe beef and the Onsen. That should be good. 

That was one of the best meals I've had in my life. Inebriation plus amazing food... Some people just don't know how to enjoy life. I'm back in OLD COUNTRY!