This is a relaxing read to learn about a teenage girl growing up in Hong Kong. The challenges she faced, travel moments she experienced and what life lessons she has learnt growing up in this metropolitan city of 7 million people. This will be a goo...
In 2017 summer, I went to Nagoya, Japan for my graduation trip with my childhood friend Kathy. We have known each other since we were seven, and our friendship has been going strong ever since and is really something to be cherished because how many people can stay close for almost a quarter of your lifetime? It was already the second time we had been on graduation trips together. Her parents even drove us to the airport and we were so pumped as ever to go travelling together that far away from Hong Kong, as the first time we went was only going to Macau.
Nagoya is really sending a very summery vibe when it is June or around summertime. The sunshine falls on each building like radiating warmth, reflecting clear silhouettes of passers-by each time people pass by on the common streets of Nagoya.
Early morning, we went to Starbucks for two cups of strawberry drinks and they were amazing! Cream on top mixed with refreshing strawberry yoghurty fruity drink just made you feel on top of the world. Basically this trip was a foodie trip because apparently? We are both foodies! Starbucks in Japan have so many creative and mixed varieties of drinks and they own their own exotic tastes, for example, creme brûlée and honey flavoured drinks, matcha with red bean Frappuccino, strawberry açai lemonade, etc. Starbucks in Japan also have many different products (franchised or designer mugs, tumblrs and even umbrellas) on display that add style and chicness to the already stylish Starbucks stores in Japan.
Then, we went to the shopping area around the city centre of Nagoya, where there were many umbrellas displayed and hung over that forget-me-not-blue Nagoya sky, forming a beautiful "umbrella sky". We took a couple of photos together and were happily strolling along this pavement full of colourful umbrella displays. Don't forget to pay a visit to the shopping centre near the city centre because the products there are really delicate, beautiful and reasonably priced, too!
The next day, we went to this display called Alice on Wednesday Nagoya. The exteriors are exquisitely beautiful and detailed. Before you get into the store, you need to get pass a few doors just like how Alice did in Wonderland haha, interesting, isn't it? Merchandises are divided into two sections, namely the Red Queen's room and the White Queen's room, which is a stimulation scene to what happened in the book and movie, making you feel as if you were one of the characters in the story.
Nagoya Tower is another must-go place in Nagoya. The view is amazingly stunning when you go there at night and the electric lights penetrating from the translucent floors at the tower are radiating and beautiful. Coupling with the surrounding colourful fluorescent lights from the buildings, it is a very beautiful view to be captured.
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Nagoya Tower at night time
And don't forget to check out their ramens and grilled eel rice with special eel sauce as well! Because they simply taste amazing and I was tempted to try the second time for their grilled eel rice because they are very succulent to the taste and very rich in taste as well, so be sure to pay a visit to a grilled eel rice restaurant when you visit Nagoya! :)
Meiji-mura, "Meiji Village Museum", is an outdoor architectural museum or theme park near Nagoya. It was opened on March 18, 1965. The museum preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji (1867–1912), Taisho (1912–1926), and early Showa (1926–1947) periods. Meiji was a period of rapid change in Japan, as after centuries of isolation, it was incorporating western building techniques and building styles. Go check it out if interested!
On our way to Meiji Museum, Kathy and I were sitting next to each other on the bus to destination whilst Kathy asked, "Do you wanna listen to some music?"
"Yes please!" My eyes sparkled in anticipation.
She put her one side of the earphone into my ear and she started played the music. You just want attention...you don't want my heart...(Charlie Puth singing in the background)
And then when we were listening, we were grooving with the rhythm with our hands, haha. How funny was that! "I like this song so much," Kathy said.
Nagoya, Japan is a very historical and beautiful place so be sure to go visit and it is definitely an underrated place to be explored and awaited to be discovered!
