Moments in Japan with Alisa Nappa 我的日本旅行日记

Blogger Alisa Nappa goes on a memorable trip to Japan and tags along her boyfriend Felipe. They stop by several places including Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Skytree, and even took pictures in kimono to celebrate her coming of age.

  (Photograph by Remi David)

Traveling to Japan is a special opportunity and always a time of excitement for me. Being half Japanese and half Italian and raised in the United States, going back to Japan always makes me feel at home. Every city brings something new and different. There is always something to do. From the people, food, culture, nature and fashion the list could go on and on. On this visit, I wanted to go with more awareness and make sure I could soak in as much of the culture as I could. This trip was extra special for me because I was bringing Felipe along with me to Japan. This was his first time in Japan, I really wanted to make sure I was going to take him to many great places. Also, I had decided to share my experience with you and bring The Asian Magazine along for the exciting journey!

 (Photograph by Remi David)

  During my travels, I was able to book a few of my destinations with a traveling agency called Audley Travel. From destinations to group tours Audley Travel can help tailor a vacation that fits best for you. With the help of a specialist, I was able to organize my trips to Tokyo Disneyland, Sensoji Temple, and Tokyo Sky Tree. Tailored just for me, how special!

(Photograph by Luo Guanyu)

  Going to Disneyland is a dream come true for anyone. Whether we want to admit it or not, anyone that steps foot in Disney goes back to being a kid. The true Disney magic resides in our hearts. It is so exciting! This only reminded me that I will always be a kid at heart. My heart will always flutter and I will always get butterflies when I see Cinderella’s castle. My eyes will always tear up when I hear the Disney classic being played “A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes”. Tokyo Disneyland is also a great place for non-Japanese speakers. Felipe had such a great time as well. The exciting part about going to Disney in Japan is being able to try all the delicious sweets and hear all the Disney characters being so animated in Japanese. Although Disney is an American theme park I had an amazing time being there in Tokyo. My dreams feel as though they were rekindled when I stepped foot into that magic park and that is what makes going there so worthwhile. I left Disneyland with my heart full of Disney magic.

 (Photograph by Remi David) 

You never realize how big Tokyo is until you go on the observation deck in Tokyo Skytree. Tokyo Skytree is known to be the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The deck gives you access to a 360 view of Tokyo 350 meters high. For those of you that are afraid of heights do not worry it is not as scary as it seems. The view is absolutely mesmerizing. Looking over all of Tokyo made me rethink how historic the city of Tokyo is. How this city is so famous worldwide and how I was able to overlook all of it with my own eyes. It made me feel so thankful and so special that I could enjoy such a historical place in one moment. I also was able to thank the city while I was in the Skytree because without this city my parents would never have met. My parents met in Tokyo and I was so happy to be able to view the city and try to imagine my parents meeting for the first time. It made me laugh a little inside, I could only imagine how cute my parents were meeting each other for the first time. As I sat there taking in the view with a smile on my face, my smile widened knowing that this city is what brought my family together.

 (Photograph by Remi David)

  We also visited the ancient Buddhist temple Sensō-ji, located in Asakusa,Tokyo. Legends say that it was found by two brothers in the year 628. Sensō-ji Temple attracts thousands of people from all over the world as well as many Japanese people because it is known to be the oldest temple in Tokyo. We were lucky enough to make it in time for the Sanja Matsuri, which is a festival that is held at the temple for 3- 4 days in late spring. Before arriving at the temple, we were welcomed at the many shops that line the entrance. The shops are called `nakamise` and the row is said to be 200 meters long, selling so many traditional Japanese souvenirs, foods, and beverages. It seemed as if the stores were lined up for miles and miles. There were so many! The shops sold everything from tapestries to kimonos. I wanted to purchase every little cute thing that I set my eyes on. We stuffed our faces and purchased a few goodies as we slowly approached the temple. When we arrived at the temple, the first thing that caught my attention was the architecture. As I got closer, I could see that every small detail was well thought out. As I studied the captivating temple and garden I could hear people laughing and bells chiming. The smell of incense and yummy, delicious food was everywhere. Seeing people from all over the world enjoying such a historic place made me so proud of being half Japanese. I observed both locals and foreigners praying to the god of the temple and was truly amazed by how this temple was bringing people from all over the world into one place. Bringing people together, that is what is important and I saw that at the Sensō-ji Temple.

(Photograph by Remi David)

 (Photograph by Remi David)

  Japan is such a unique place for many reasons, from its thousand-year-old temples and memorable gardens to its food and music. However, I believe that one of the main reasons Japan is so unique is that the Japanese continue to keep their traditions. One of the greatest traditions that Japan still keeps is the kimono. The kimono is an article of clothing that is made with fabric and cut with the `straight- line` method. This method was very useful because it was only required to cut the fabrics in a straight line and sew them together. The length of a kimono can be fixed with the `koshi himo` which is a string that ties around your hips. Most adult size kimonos are usually all the same length and the length is adjusted with the koshi himo. The Kimono is from the Heian Period of Japan which was from 794-1192. The Heian Period is the last classical division of Japanese History. The kimono was used for everyday wear but today it is only used for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. In the Japanese tradition, when a girl turns 20 years old it is a tradition for her to wear a kimono. In Japanese this is called seijin-shiki (say-jin-she-kee) which means coming of age. The coming of age has been celebrated since the year 714. The girl wears a kimono and has a ceremony to celebrate her transition from girl to women.

 (Photograph by Luo Guanyu)

  Although a year late I was able to celebrate my coming of age this time when I was in Japan. I wore a kimono and took a few pictures to keep this moment forever with me. I remember wearing kimonos at a young age and always feeling like a princess. From my hello kitty kimonos to the kimono photos I took as a young girl. I am so happy that I get to share a few of these pictures with you! Luckily Felipe was with me and we were able to take a few photos together. We had a great time taking these kimono pictures together. It was truly a picture perfect moment, a moment that I would imagine in movie scene. As we were taking the kimonos pictures I could hear the birds chirping in the background and the little bugs hissing. The little ponds in the garden were still and the koi fish were gracefully swimming in the pond. The weather was perfect and the sun was shining so bright. It was definitely a memorable day. A moment that I will never forget. As a young girl, I always imagined how my coming of age pictures would look like and how my kimono would look like. I never thought that it would ever turn out to be in this way. I truly felt like a Japanese princess! I wish I could relive that moment again. Going to Kyoto and dressing up in a kimono for my seijin-shiki was definitely the highlight of my trip. I guess feeling like a princess would be the highlight of any girl’s trip.

 (Photograph by Luo Guanyu)

  Japan will forever remain in my heart as a home. Every city carries such a beautiful essence and strong pride in their own traditions. From the delicious sushi to the handmade kimonos, and unique activities, Japan is such a great place to travel with family and friends. I highly recommended that everyone try to visit at least once in their lifetime. Japanese people will welcome you with such loving eyes and warm hospitality. I was so happy to see that Felipe fell in love with the country too, even though he couldn’t speak the language. I take so much pride in being half Japanese and there are many Japanese traditions that I want to keep for the rest of my life. I had such a great time and I cannot wait to go back.

Alisa Nappa——我的日本旅行日记

一提到去日本旅行总令我感到特别兴奋。虽然从小在美国长大，但拥有一半日本血统一半意大利血统的我总觉得去日本有回家的感觉。每一个城市都那么与众不同且充满乐趣，包括那里的人、食物、文化、自然、时尚……有太多值得探索。这一次前往日本，我把它当作一次文化之旅。更特别的是，这次我的男友菲利佩也和我结伴而行。我希望在这次旅行中尽到“地主之谊”，带第一次来日本的他领略这个国家真正的美。同时，我也很高兴能够和亞尚杂志的读者们分享我这次令人兴奋的旅程！

 (照片来源： Remi David)

在此次制定计划的过程中，我征询了定制化旅行社Audley的建议，让他们根据我的实际情况，为我量身挑选了一些旅行目的地。在他们的帮助下，我规划好了前往东京迪士尼、浅草寺和东京晴空塔的详细行程！

 (照片来源： Remi David)

  不得不承认，在踏进迪士尼乐园的那一刻，每个人都仿佛回到了童年，变成了孩子。我想这就是迪士尼的魔力吧，它把我们藏在心中的童真唤醒，让我们情不自禁地兴奋起来！当我看到灰姑娘的城堡时，我的心总是扑通扑通地跳，当我听到那首经典的旋律《梦想是你内心最深的渴望》时，我总是热泪盈眶。来到东京迪士尼最让人激动的便是品尝这里所有的甜点，还有观赏经典的美国迪士尼角色在日本成功地本土化。我心中的梦想在踏进魔法公园时被重新点燃了，而当我离开这儿时，我的心中仍然充满了迪士尼魔力所带给我的满满正能量。

 (照片来源： Remi David)

  你永远不知道东京有多大，直到你去了东京晴空塔。东京晴空塔被称为是世界上除迪拜哈利法塔之外的第二高建筑物。在350米的高空你可以360度全方位俯瞰东京全景。但别担心，这个高度也没有想象中那么可怕。眼前的风景是那么的让人如痴如醉。站在晴空塔上，一座如此闻名世界并充满历史的城市就这样尽收我的眼底。在那一刻我的内心莫名有些感动。而更令我对这座城市感激的是，我的父母在这里第一次相遇。幻想着他们第一次见面的场景让我不禁从心底地偷乐了起来，而看着眼前的一切又让我的笑意渐渐浮现在眉眼，幸福的感觉进而放大，是这里，是东京，把我的家人聚在了一起。

 (照片来源： Remi David)

  这次我们还去了东京最古老的寺庙浅草寺，也正因为其历史悠久，吸引了全世界数以万计的游客前来游览。很幸运的是，我们还正好赶上了一年一度的浅草三社祭庆典。在通往浅草寺的参拜道路上有一条叫做仲见世的商店街，约200米的道路两侧有近百家店铺，贩卖各式各样的土特产、食品、饮料、挂毯、和服等，非常热闹！让我情不自禁想要把每一样可爱的小东西买下来。当我们买买停停，跟着熙熙攘攘的人群渐渐靠近浅草寺时，首先吸引我的是寺庙建筑本身。当我靠近时，更发现每一处细节都是如此的巧夺天工。漫步在浅草寺的花园中，人群的笑声和清脆的铃铛声不时传来我耳中，诱人的食物香味和袅袅青烟也四处飘散，再看着人们从全世界各地赶来聚在一起，让我由衷地为自己拥有一半日本血统而感到自豪。无论是本地人还是外国人都一起虔诚的祭拜神灵，这样强大的凝聚力深深让我感到震撼。把大家聚拢在一起，我想这就是浅草寺最重要的意义所在吧。

(照片来源： Remi David)

 (照片来源： Remi David)

  日本是一个很独特的国家，不论是它的千年古寺、精致的园林还是它的食物和音乐，都无不表达着日本自己的文化。但我认为，日本之所以会如此与众不同的一大原因便是它对传统很好的延续。和服文化——便在这些优良的传统中很好地保存下来。和服属于平面裁剪,几乎没有曲线, 只是直线剪裁并缝合在一起。和服的长度则由腰带来决定。绝大多数的成年人和服面料大小是一模一样的，如果拆开，仍是一个完整的长方形。和服起源于日本古代最后一个时代——平安时代，曾是大家的日常穿着，如今却多用于婚礼、葬礼等一些特殊场合了。在日本的传统里，在女孩子年满20岁的成年礼上，她便应该身穿和服。这项庆祝女孩子迈向成年的仪式从日本和铜七年延续至今。

 (图片来源：Luo Guanyu) 

尽管这次来日本，我已经晚庆祝了一年自己的成年礼，但我仍然穿上和服想要珍存这永恒的时刻。想起小时候，当我穿上和服，总觉得自己像个公主。如今照片里的自己已不再是那个身穿凯蒂猫和服的小女孩而是一个正在成长的少女了！幸运的是，这次菲利佩也和我一起照了很多合影，对我来说，这简直是幻想中电影里才会出现的场景。和煦的阳光下，鸟儿吱吱地叫着，昆虫轻轻地鸣着，静静的花园池塘中，鲤鱼欢快地游着。这是我永远也不会忘记的一天。我曾无数次幻想自己的成年礼照片会是什么样，我会穿着怎样图案的和服，但我从未想过会像现在这一刻这么完美。这一次，我真的觉得自己像一位日本公主，来到京都身着和服绝对是我这趟行程无法忘怀的亮点。我想，没有任何一位女孩会忘记自己幻变成公主的那一刻吧。

 (图片来源：Luo Guanyu)

  日本对我来说永远都是我的家。从美味的寿司到手工和服，每一个城市都拥有自己独特的美和引以为豪的风俗传统。我强烈推荐每一个人这一生都应至少来日本旅行一次。日本的民众会以最热忱的眼神和最贴心的招待来迎接你。我很高兴，即使对这个国家完全陌生的菲利佩也在这趟旅途中爱上了这里。我以自己是半个日本人为豪，也想把日本的很多传统继续保持下去。

我已经迫不及待又想回家了。