Japan 2019

I'm still amazed by the fact I could get a flight ticket, as all were sold out in Spring 2019. I got it from some dubious company with their HQ in Spain.
The ratings on Trustpilot about this website were also.. questionable. A lot of people didn't seem to have any issues, while the people who did, were never able to get in touch with their support team.

Well, after I entered my credit card details, I got a broken confirmation page... and no confirmation e-mail. The hell? I started to become anxious, did I just get scammed for CHF 1100? After a couple hours, I did finally receive an e-mail. But my credit card was still not charged and the e-mail contained only my details. Hey! Where's my ticket?!
At last, 24 hours later, I received my ticket. If you want to experience 24 hours of stress and uncertainty if you're going to vacation, just book with them I guess.

When I wrote this post, I was looking through my e-mails to find the booking confirmation. Inside, there was an easy to guess link(!) to my confirmation. It's still there. All my personal details, on the open web. Yay!

The ticket had a layover in Helsinki. I got a slightly uneasy feeling when I noticed their IATA-Code is HEL(L). But hey, the flight attendants were dressed in Kimonos, so nothing to worry about.

Since this vacation was 2 years ago, my memory is a little fuzzy...

TeamLab Planets

Two words: GO. THERE.

Science Museum in Odaiba

Cool stuff, weird stuff, creepy stuff. I like. They have the creepy robot in this video, he even does live performances - and I experienced one. Imagine Hatsune Miku, but in budget form - with a walk like she needs to poop.

Other cool stuff in Odaiba

TeamLab Planets and the Science Museum are both in Odaiba. While you're there, check out the area. There's so much more to see!

Joypolis

You might randomly stumble into Joypolis, it kind of resembles a movie theater entrance when you're there. The entrance fee is 500 Yen for tourists.
If I remember right, cameras were not allowed, so I don't have any pictures.
It's basically an indoor adventure park with roller coasters and my favorite - immersive live performances.

One of the roller coasters invites you to play an arcade game and earn points.. while you ride it. You compete against 3 other people in the coaster you're sitting in. I thought I did well, but got a D. My companions got an S. Ouch.

The live performances are unique. You actively participate just by watching. For instance, there's a Zombie themed one. A crazy scientist guides you through his laboratory to show you his fascination of Zombies. But things go wrong and you - as a participant - need to flee back to freedom.

A small tip because I awkwardly had to ask an attendant in broken Japanese: When you enter, you get an entry card, there's a QR code printed on it. You need it to enter the place and exit. But also you need it to pay for the rides inside. That's right, every ride costs extra. You need to top up your balance at a machine slightly resembling an ATM. You'll see what I mean.

Gundam statue

On a budget? Combine New York with Tokyo

Tokyo: Arcades, arcades everywhere

And they're awesome. I fell in love with Chunithm, I even dreamt of it months after I went to Japan!

You're playing next to these professionals. Fortunately, there are waaaaay easier levels.

Cherry blossoms

Tokyo at Night

I fell in love with night photography in Tokyo. Especially when it's raining and lights are reflecting from the ground.

Culture, Food, Art

Japan is packed full of things to discover, eat and experience. As you might expect, lots of temples and restaurants.

Bonus: Risk of blood circulation failure

People handing out flyers on the streets is very common, they advertise all kinds of services. Some are particularly aimed at tourists and therefore in English. But I also got lots of adverts entirely in Japanese.

Tissue-pack marketing (ティッシュ配り) is also very common, especially in the vicinity of train stations. I don't think I ever had to buy tissues to blow my nose. These plastic packs contain (as the name suggests) tissues and a small pamphlet of a company or service.
Thanking the people for handing you out a packet is optional, but you'll surely make their day if you do so, as it's a thankless job as you can imagine. (and some view it more as annoyance than convenience)