Outdoor Adventure in Nagano Prefecture

Taking a 4 hour bus ride from Shinjuku, Tokyo, 

I've decided to join a friend for some outdoor adventure in Nagano Prefecture.

One way was around 4000yen. Which is around 50 bucks.

After sleeping for the most of the time on the bus (I'm so used to travelling on the bus now)

I've arrived to my destination in the afternoon.

And then one of the other participants of the camp picked me up at the station and drove us to

our final destination "Morikura".

I really didn't know what the place was about. All I knew was that I had to prepare myself for the cold and that we are going to be outside for most of the time.

And once I got to the bottom of one of the mountains, although I brought some boots to wear for the weekend, I was told to change into these. 

The owner then putting some of our stuff on the homemade sleigh, brought up our belongings up the mountains.

The rest of us who were left behind walked up to the camp site.

On the way I saw a huge dam.

I really haven't seen such nature in a while so I was super super excited at this point.

Everyone was carrying huge backpacks.

Eating with friends.

I like to eat out in Hiyoshi.

And as I walked around looking for a vegetarian friendly place to eat we found a okonomiyaki house in hiyoshi as well.

My okonomiyaki.

Another day with zemi people.

Even during the spring break I went to school to 

fool around and complete fun quizzes such as the above

complete some tasks I had to do with the semi.

This is me frantically at work. 

A lot of our friends from the semi is also at the school though. So you don't feel that lonely.

There is a place called "Yamashoku" in Keio.

It's a cafeteria hidden within one of the buildings and I never knew the existence of it until my semi people took me there.

The curry here is really good and for the amount of curry you get, the price of 350yen is very cheap :)

Fukuzawa Yukichi. The founder or our school.

I took some pictures of the campus from the caf.

Weird Japanese Foods

After coming back from Fukuoka I went out almost everyday eating food I've never eaten before. 

Above is called an "Otoushi".

Otoushi is a food that you automatically get if u get seated in any Japanese style bars.

You have to pay for it and its usually not that good.

I say it's like bread you get at Italian restaurants. 

Sashimi of some fish.

It starts to get weird around here.

This is pork liver on a stick.

I am not a huge fan of liver. 

This is liver sashimi. You eat it with salt and sesame oil.

This is pork with green onions on a stick. Tasty!

Tomato. This was probably like $4. 

Some korean appetizers. 

And this is probably the most disgusting food I've ever had in my life.

Pork Brain sashimi.

It's nasty that it's brain but its even more nastier that its raw.

Day 4 in Fukuoka: Enjoying the ocean to the max!

4th day in Fukuoka. BAMM! This is my breakfast of the day.

There was a huge fishing port near the apartment we stayed at and we decided that it will be great if we can eat our breakfast there! 

(We maybe only need to walk for like 5 min)

Because these sashimi pieces are right from the ocean it was very fresh and it absolutely delicious!

On our way back.

Even the construction poles are saying sorry to you.

(Construction people are constantly apologizing to the pedestrians in Japan)

The famous Japanaese artist designed these.

And because we had several hours before our long 15 hour bus ride back to Tokyo, we decided to go towards the Fukuoka tower.

Around this tower they had a robot center.

Annoying as hell.

AIBO!

This was kind of cute.

Creepy as hell.

Day 3 in Fukuoka: Dazaifu. Plums and Shrine.

3rd day in Fukuoka, my roommate and I decided to take a trip to Dazaifu!

Dazaifu is a huge tourist place in Fukukoka where there is a very big temple called Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

This shrine becomes especially busy during march because of its amount of plum tree in the area.

Which is why ever store near this shrine sells this "Umegae Mochi" which is a dessert with sticky rice with red bean paste inside with plum design on the surface.

Its 105yen for one (doesn't matter where u buy it, its the same price).

aprox $1.5

Cool designed starbucks.

The first thing we did when we got there was eat lunch because I got too hungry and couldn't walk anymore lol. This is the inner garden of the restaurant.

I got katsudon for lunch.

Katsudon is fried breaded pork with egg on the top which then put on top of rice.

One of my favvvvourite Japanese food.