Hi guys! Just arrived back in Singapore yesterday at approximately 5+++. But I had to help my mum with the unpacking and stuff and I was really tired so I didn't use the computer. Also, I fell sick halfway in my trip. I had a fever and cough and a running nose on Wednesday I think. But anyway, JAPAN ROCKS. And Singapore sucks, really.

Day 01: Flew ANA (All Nippon Airways) to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, then had a connecting flight to Osaka's Itami Airport. Now, the airport staff were all EXTREMELY POLITE AND NICE. Lots of smiling and courtesy. Very, very cool. Their airport is also very clean, and has been renovated so can I just say it is better than Singapore's rubbish airport? I mean, in terms of the environment Singapore's airport definitely loses out to Narita. Now in terms of staff courtesy and stuff like that, Singapore loses hands down!

So after landing in Osaka, it was already dark. So we went to have dinner at a Japanese restaurant where you sit on the floor and stuff like that. Next, we went to Hyatt Hotel. And HYATT HOTEL OSAKA ROCKS! You know they provide yukata (bathrobe) and disposable slippers for your use?! Well, all the hotels in Japan provided slippers but some of the slippers sucked. I shall explain later. And Japan is beautiful! It's cold there, yes, too! But duh, cause it's winter, right?

Day 02: The hotel has a restaurant, and you need tickets to enter or something. It's really nice and clean and packed, so if you come too late you have to queue outside. I mean, everybody already queues before opening time (7 AM JAPAN TIME) but you know. And then after that we took the coach to see Osaka Castle. But we only got to look at it from the outside. After that, we went to Universal Studios Japan (USJ). It rocked! Very fun! You know they ave cobbled streets and it's very... packed and crowded and busy and they have themed restaurants. Oh yeah, you know that by five it's dark in Japan. Their two-three o'clock sky is our six+ sky. So anyway, after that we went to Shinsaibashi. It is like, the hotspot of Osaka. As in, it has the most people. And it is like, this shopping place. So anyway, we had some famous Ramen (which rocked too) and then just walked around. Another observation: EVERYBODY, and when I say everybody I mean, EVERYBODY wears boots in Japan. For the female population. You know, those high heeled boots? Yeah, and they all dress up outrageously too. Especially the people in Shinsaibashi so far as I've seen.

And in USJ, most people didn't wear jeans. They wore like, maybe some top(s), a winter jacket with a hooded lined with fur, shorts, tights and boots. Boots vary, but most people in Osaka wore high-heeled boots. If not boots then high-heeled shoes, like pumps or whatever. They dressed up really nice, everybody. The guys too. And NO SKINNY JEANS whatsoever on the guys. Which rocks.

Then after that in Shinsaibashi we took neoprints in some arcade place. And guess what? You know neoprints cost about, 10 bucks in Singapore right? Well, there's this one neoprint booth that is like, pink and has a black flag and it's theme is flowers or something? I think there's one in Cineplex. Well, I think in Singapore it costs 10-11 bucks but in Japan it only cost only 400 yen. Which is like, SGD 5++. Or something.

Day 03: After breakfast at Hyatt again, whereby I embarrased myself repeatedly and even droppped a piece of bacon on the floor, we took the coach to Nara Deer Park. There's a lot of CUTE DEER who walk around and stuff and you can buy deer food to feed them but then they'd just keep following you around. Then we visited Todaiji Temple. And then after that we set off to Kyoto!!!!!

KYOTO-Now, I just have to say this: KYOTO ROCKS. IT ROCKS!!! IT IS MY FAVOURITE JAPANESE CITY OR WHATEVER IT IS CALLED. You know we walked up a hill to the Kyomizu Temple in Kyoto, and on the way we were walking up this little street that was lined on both sides with small little quaint Japanese shops. And the street was crowded, the tree leaves were yellow or orange, and we spotted many geiko (geisha)s. It was BEAUTIFUL. JUST BEAUTIFUL. After we visited the temple and TOOK PICTURES WITH A GROUP OF PRETTY GEIKOS!!!!! I also saw this gay guy wearing a pink wig on his head and holding dolls. Weird. And there the tree leaves were red and some orange and some yellow and they were fluttering to the floor and carpeting the ground. It was BEAUTIFUL. Then we walked back down the same street that we took up to the temple and shopped. And we also bought ice cream! YUM! I bought some really lovely Japanese stuff from the little shops where SERVICE IS AMAZING AND EVERYBODY IS DAMN POLITE AND ACTUALLY SMILES AT YOU. It was just amazing. Even the old ladies in Japan are cute! LOL.

Then we stayed at Westin Hotel in Nagoya. It rocked too!

Day 04: We went up to Mt. Fuji! Okay, on the way, when we were in the bus, I was wearing this red woolen sweater and it was damn hot and stuffy and I was actually sweating. Okay. SWEATING. We stopped at a roadside stop where people can rest and stuff and took some pictures and stuff. Then we had a traditional Japanese lunch with steamed stuff and then we went up to Mt. Fuji! It didn't snow, but we could see snow. And it was DAMN COLD UP THERE! It was -6 degrees celsius and my ears were hurting from the cold. Even though I was wearing gloves it was still freezing. I touched snow! The snow is wet and cold and is like thousands of shaved ice. Then we went down to Lake Kawaguchi and had a traditional Japanese steamboat dinner. You can also have an Onsen bath but I didn't. Will update more later.