One of the best things about the EPIK program is all of the vacation time they give to teachers. They know part of the reason we teach abroad is so we can travel, so a whole month of vacation time is much appreciated.
I used my summer vacation time to visit Japan. My friend Hannah and I flew over together and spent the first two nights in Osaka. We arrived after dinner and got some greasy late night ramen before settling in at our Airbnb.
The second day we visited Universal Studios Osaka. It’s similar to the one in Florida, but a little smaller. After picking up our timed entry tickets for Harry Potter World, we walked around the whole park. The New York City area had a bunch of diner style restaurants with fake classic cars out front. Most of the buildings looked like they were in 1920s style. There was also a San Francisco area and maybe Hollywood if I remember correctly. There was also a Jurassic Park area, Jaws, and a Snoopy/super hero area.
The real highlight was Harry Potter World. The shops looked like they were right out of Hogsmead and we felt like First Years trying on our Hogwarts robes, drinking pumpkin juice and butterbeer, eating chocolate frogs, and visiting Ollivanders to try out wands. I’d like to visit the one in Florida one day when it’s really off season and there aren’t the crazy lines.
On our second full day we took the 30 minute train ride up to Kyoto and got settled at the second Airbnb. We spent the evening eating the best pork ramen I’ve ever tried and making origami bookmarks. Day 3 was the wildest day. We rented bikes and cycled over 40km around the whole city. We visited Kinkakuji, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and the bamboo grove at Arashiyama. The whole loop took us all day to complete and despite being drenched with sweat and thoroughly exhausted it was a really fun way to see the city without being trapped on the bus all day. I have to say my favorite part was the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and I wish we could have spend a whole day there exploring the trails.
Day 4 Hannah and I split up so Hannah could go visit Tokyo and I could head back to Osaka. Back in Osaka I stopped in at the Osaka Pokemon Center to see all the impossibly cute stuffed animals then settled in at my next Airbnb.
Day 5 I slept in a bit and then spent most of the day exploring the sprawling park encompassing Osaka Castle. The grounds were beautiful but still felt organic and wild and not too manicured. I spent a while wandering around the plum grove and daydreaming about having my own orchard some day.
Day 6 was a relaxing day spent hiking around Minoh park and eating maple tempura ice cream by the waterfall.
Day 7 I spent at Dotonbori which is the canal street. I imagine it is like an Asian Venice where you have a beautiful canal lined with restaurants and shops. The lanterns lighting the canal at night combined with the famous Glico man made me feel like I was in a postcard.
One of these days I’d like to visit the northern part of Japan in the fall and winter to experience the momiji (fall foliage) and onsen (hot springs).
