I Went to Japan for the First Time | Tokyo Travel Vlog (Pt.1)

(soft music) – I'm here.

I am currently in Japanright now, which is crazy.

I think I have a lot to explain.

Okay, hi, it's Amanda.

Welcome back as usual.

I haven't actually talked to you guys and started this vlog yet, so hello.

The clips that you guys sawearlier were from yesterday.

I actually flew in from Toronto all the way to Japan yesterday.

So it was a 13 hourflight, quite a long fight, but I landed in the evening and then I just kind of passed out.

I didn't really have theenergy to do that much.

I just kind of got food and I was done because of the jet lag.

But today's a new morning so I thought I would finally sit downand talk to you guys.

And when I found out that I had the possibility of going to Japan, I actually cried in my apartment and screamed and it was a lot.

Just because Japan has been my ultimate dream place tovisit ever since I was a kid.

Whenever people ask mewhere I want to travel to, Japan has always beennumber one on that list.

I feel like it stillreally hasn't sunken yet just cause I haven't had a full day yet.

Today is my first full day in Japan.

Even just saying that is crazy.

So I'm going to be in Tokyo forthe first four or five days.

After that me and my friendare gonna stay in Osaka and we'll probably do acouple day trips to Kyoto and some other pretty factors or areas, but I'm gonna try to vlog everything and take you guys along.

I don't know how this vlog is gonna work, whether it's gonna be splitup into multiple parts, cause I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of things that I'm doing.

But I will try to vlog as much as I can.

If I'm being honest this vlog is mostly for me and my personal memories, cause I wanna be able to look back on it.

But I know that there mightbe a couple of you guys who are interested in tagging along, so hopefully you enjoy all of the Japan content coming your way.

Ah, there's so much to doand see, I am overwhelmed, but let's do this, let'sget this day started.

I think today we're touring a bunch of different around Tokyo.

So we're going to Akihabara? Oh my God, this also where you find out that I will be butcheringthe Japanese language throughout this whole trip.

But, okay yeah, so weare going to Akihabara, and we're going to Asakusa, Shibuya, a lot of different places.

So let's do this.

(bouncy music) Look who I found.

– What? – My travel buddy for the week.

– Yo! – This is Megan for thoseof you who don't know.

– Next week we are gonna bebunk buddies, everything.

– Yeah, bunk beds are happening.

– Yeah.

(laughing) We really are, we gotbunk beds, I'm so stoked.

– Yes, we're here in Akihabara, which is like the areawith all the anime stuff.

(drifty music) I need them all.

Just my whole bag, my whole luggage is gonna be filled with plushies when I go back.

(drifty music) All right, we're inthis 3D figurine store.

Oh.

(laughing) – That's not part of– – [Amanda] Hello.

– My childhood, guys, my childhood.

– [Amanda] Which one? Oh yes, classic.

– [Brandon] I always wantedto be a hokage growing up.

– [Amanda] This is my childhood.

Sailor Moon.

– [Brandon] That's your childhood? – [Amanda] Yes.

– Boo.

– [Amanda] Don't hate onSailor Moon, don't ever.

– Boo.

(drifty music) – I just got taiyaki which is like the red bean pastry withthe shape as a fish.

Wow, very tasty.

(drifty music) All right so we're in this market area.

I don't know what it's called.

She told me and I immediately forgot.

– Ameyoko? – Ameyoko? – Ame means America.

– Oh, okay.

(drifty music) I'm like stopping at every single street, because everything is so photogenic.

(drifty music) Sensoji.

– Sensoji.

(giggling) – Okay, we're gonna headI the Sensoji Temple.

Right now you can see it.

– [Friend] So we're comingup along the side of it.

– [Amanda] Okay, cool.

(drifty music) – Little bit in your handand you put it in your mouth.

– Okay.

– Just don't swallow it, but.

I mean you can.

– But what's the significance behind it? – It's a purificationlike ritual essentially.

– Okay.

– And it's always the incense over here.

– Okay.

– I think water is much more associated with the Shinto religion, and then the incense is more Buddhist.

– Okay.

We put some on your left hand.

– [Helper] We wash left hand.

And then right hand.

– [Amanda] Okay.

– [Helper] And then just abit of water into your palm.

And it's not really to drink, but just to rinse your mouth.

You can slow it to the beach.

Get the bar clean again, tilting this bar straight down, you can clean the bar for the next person.

– [Amanda] That's a good idea.

(drifty music) Everywhere smells so good, cause there's all thesedifferent food vendors and stuff.

And I just wanna eat everything.

Me and Megan were saying that you almost have to havelike five meals a day here, just cause there's so many things to try.

And I think it works out, cause their portion sizes are all so much smaller than in North America.

So, kind of it works.

(drifty music) 'Kay and I had a nice fiveminute power nap on the bus.

– [Megan] You were snoring.

– Was I? – [Megan] No.

– Oh my gosh.

(laughing) No because I actually do, so.

– [Megan] I know, I was like my bad.

– I actually might snore andyou might deal with that.

– That's okay.

– In Osaka.

– [Megan] I'll beat you up.

– But anyways I'm good togo now, I feel refreshed.

We're going to Shibuya Crossing, which is like that really famous street.

– It has all the different crossings.

It's the largest intersectioncrossing in the world.

– Fun fact, we actually have one of those scramble crossings in Toronto.

– No way! – Dundas Street, yeah.

– It's not like Shibuya though.

– I mean Dundas Street's pretty cool, so I'm just sayin'.

– You'll see.

– Uh Megan has pointed out that I have been in Japanfor over 24 hours now.

I haven't had boba tea yet and I feel like it needs to happen.

– She has pointed out everytime someone has boba tea, she's like, look.

– I know, I just spotit, it's like a thing.

You know in high tech movieswhen they have the eye, and it like zooms in.

(drifty music) – [Friend] It's gonnado it, any minute now.

– [Amanda] Cross.

(laughing) – [Friend] Here we go.

– [Amanda] Oh, they're movin'.

– [Megan] That's a triple shot.

– We just finished upour day around Tokyo.

It was so much fun being able to explore all the different areas.

We really hit a lot, asyou can tell by this vlog.

I already know thisvlog's gonna be so long, but now I'm back at the hotel.

We have a little bitof time before dinner.

We're actually going on a cruise.

I'm so exhausted right now.

It's been kind of a long day, and then that on top of the jet lag, it's really hittin' me hard.

Okay so I'm at dinnerwith Pyong and Brandon.

Say hello.

– Hey.

– Hello.

– [Amanda] Hello.

We just met today.

And it's his birthday, but we made it to dinner.

– Birthday today.

– [Amanda] Yeah, we'recelebrating with strangers.

– We're not strangers, we're friends, okay.

We're family now.

– [Amanda] Yeah, now we're family.

(giggling) – Yeah.

How dare you call us strangers.

– [Amanda] But I got soba, I gotta try Japanese soba while I'm here.

He recommended this, but it kinda tastes like nothing, so.

(laughing) He drenched it in soy sauce.

– [Pyong] It's like some kind of.

– [Amanda] He also got all you can drink.

So I think he's not gonna be okay.

(laughing) So we didn't even realize that this restaurant was based off of the scene from KillBill, which is really cool.

(drifty music) Good morning, everyone, itis day two in Tokyo, Japan.

Honestly I don't really remember the last thing I filmed last night.

I was just so exhausted from the jet lag and having the full day exploring.

So I got back to the hoteland literally passed out.

I don't know, I feellike I'm in this weird in between Toronto and Japan time.

My body is just so confused right now, but I slept, I'm good, I'm recharged.

I actually woke up really, really early today.

Cause today it is alittle bit cloudy outside.

I don't know if you can see that.

It's definitely a bit gray, but hopefully the rain holds out.

I think it's supposed to rain bit later.

We have another exciting day planned.

We're going to the Happo-en Gardens, I think that's what it's called.

And we're gonna get todo some classes like sushi making, Japanese calligraphy, which hello, that's my brand.

(laughing) So, yeah, I'm very excited for that.

Right now though I have some free time before we have to meetup with the whole group, so I wanted to stop by a stationary store.

You guys suggested so manyamazing stationary stores to me when I asked for your recommendations, and there's one super close by to my hotel called Itoya, I think.

So I'm gonna go there.

We'll see what we can find.

I also want to do aJapanese stationary video.

So if I do film that, Iwill link that video here.

I think we're ready to head out now.

I think I need a coffee, maybe we can stop by a cute Japanese cafe, and I can attempt to order in Japanese.

I've been trying to learn a little bit as I'm exploring Japan.

I feel like I just know thewords that you have to know like arigatou gozaimasuwhich is just thank you.

You say that a lot in japan, cause everyone is just so polite and nice.

And I feel like everyoneis just so quiet as well.

But yeah, I know that, obviously konichiwa, konbanwa, the typical greetings.

Every single toilet thatI've sat on in Japan has been a bidet, and it's kind of amazingand life changing.

I feel like Canada needs to get on that.

It's just so great.

You can have all of thelittle controls there.

I never thought that the toilet experience would be something that wouldjump out at me in Japan.

But they're really on it, they know what they're doing.

Canada, I think we need more bidets.

(drifty music) Okay, I'm kind of sweaty because it's very humid and muggy outside, but I just got back fromItoya at the stationary store.

I changed into a new outfit, because we're supposed to bea little bit more dressed up for the next couple of activities, and we're gonna head out.

Sorry guys, I'm like very out of breath.

(laughing) I'm running late as usual.

So I should probably get going now.

(drifty music) Alright we are here atthe Happo-en Gardens.

– So pretty! – Oh! – Oh my gosh.

– I almost fell.

But it's kind of rainy, but I kind of feel like it addsto the ambulance, the vibe.

– Yeah.

(drifty music) – [Amanda] That's so cute.

It's just so calming.

Like you hear the birds chirping.

Everything is so zen and it feels like a studiomaking a movie right now.

Wait there's koi fish in the pond.

Do you see that? I feel like that's the most Japanese thing I've seen this whole trip.

Just a casual koi fish pond with some nice Japanese zen gardens around it.

(drifty music) 'Kay, Amanda, don't fall in.

(drifty music) Just so you guys know, I'm allergic to fish.

So my options are alittle limited in Japan, but you know, we got acouple of things goin' here.

(laughing) Wow, must be nice beingable to eat things.

– Everything, it's so great.

– [Amanda] Amanda Rachel, this one.

– [Worker] Oh, thank you.

– [Amanda] Arigatou gonzimas.

Got my name card.

(chattering) Okay.

I think just the rein, yeah.

Okay, wow.

Okay, thank you for that.

We're learning how to write Pikachu, and I'm under a lot of pressure, because I literally docalligraphy on my channel.

So if I'm not good at this, I think I need, someoneelse needs to take over.

(drifty music) Right now I'm writing my name.

Think this is (speaksin foreign language).

Okay, guys, I'm getting the good paper.

The pressure is on.

(drifty music) – [Sensei] So far, so good.

– [Amanda] Okay.

I got approval from the Sensei.

He said mine was very good.

Now we're doin' origami.

Oh my God.

(drifty music) I'm done, look how cute it is.

(chattering) Oh my God.

It's time to make some sushi.

We're good.

(drifty music) – [Friend] We're Asians, man.

We know how to Asian betterthan you, don't forget that.

Amanda, what's up? Yeah, yeah, that's right, that's great.

– Which one of us is better? – [Friend] I'll give it to you.

– [Worker] Perfect.

(giggling) (drifty music) – Look at it, guys.

– [Worker] Before eating, we say itadakimasu! – Itadakimasu! – [Worker] Itadakimasumeans shall we start eating? – I'm officially a sushi master.

Look at this baby.

She's rolled up nice and tight and snug.

She's ready to go.

I actually can't eat it, because it was touchingthe imitation crab, but I mean I'm just imagining it.

(drifty music) All right guys, so weare heading to Harajuku, which is a very famous area in Japan.

I have my outfit on, cause apparently people getpretty wacky with their fits.

So I had to dress the part.

Sorry, it's very loud.

Oh my God.

Wait, this is amazing.

Go-karting in the streets, what? (drifty music) That needs to be a thing on someone.

– [Friend] Oh my God, should I get it? – [Amanda] Wow, I mean I feellike it's calling your name.

– [Friend] Is it? (laughing) Do they have a large? (laughing) (drifty music) – [Amanda] This is so cute.

Oh my God.

What? (drifty music) We're eating dinner at this place, and it feels like a weird dream.

– [Megan] Where is it? – Over there, turn around.

Everything's so colorful.

I'm definitely wearing the right outfit.

Guys, look at this pasta.

(laughing) – Hey, yo! – [Amanda] I just gotroasted for saying pasta, so now I'm being very diligentabout saying it correctly.

But this looks like candy, rainbow worms.

(drifty music) Megan is done.

– It's too loud up here.

(laughing) – We're like these youngrascals and their loud music.

(drifty music) I'm actually checking out of this hotel.

Me and Megan are actually stayingin Japan for another week, so we're gonna be switching hotels.

We're actually going to bestaying near Tokyo Disney for the next couple of days.

So tomorrow, we'll get to go to the park.

But today I think I wannaexplore Tokyo a little bit more.

I got my ice coffee.

The coffee here is great, I must say.

And now I'm just gonnahead out, so let's go.

(drifty music) (upbeat music).