When I travel to a country that I have never been to before, I prefer exploring the place as if I’m a local. Basically, I pretend like I’ve been living my whole life in that place. I guess it’s because I find more beauty and excitement in immersing myself in the usual, “everyday life” kind of activities, which I believe differs from country to country. Aside from that, I also like doing things and activities that I am a hundred percent sure I cannot do elsewhere. So with that in mind, I have made a personal bucket list of five things that I wish to do in the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan.
1. Attend a FAKY Concert
FAKY is a Japanese alternative pop girl group consisting of four beautiful, talented girls, Anna, Mikako, Lil Fang, and Akina. Their music is very different from the dominant and mainstream genre of music in Japan because their songs are evidently influenced by Western pop, specifically of the R&B and dance music genre, (which is why I love them!). What’s more is that all of the girls do not only have powerful vocals and dancing skills but are also oozing of sexiness and confidence. For me, they’re the ultimate girl power!
My favorite song of theirs is called “Suga Sweet”. I cannot speak Japanese at all but I was able to memorize all of the the lyrics to that song. I pretty much know how to sing their latest releases so if I ever get to watch them live, I can proudly sing along and probably go wild as I do. Watching videos of their live performances, I can also definitely say that they are good at performing live. Their voices sound the same (or even better) and they dance powerfully, on top of that.
I’m going to go on and claim that I am their biggest international fan, so watching them live would be a big dream come true. And If I have more luck, meeting them personally would also be wonderful!
But for now, this video of their "a-nation" performance should suffice. Check them out!
2. Busking/Street Performance
If dancers have flash mobs, then singers have busking. I love music. I love singing. And I love sharing what I love to others. And what better way to share my love of music than to perform at random places around Tokyo! Japan has a culture of street performances so maybe I can busk around Harajuku, Japan’s pop culture hub, or in the crowded area of Shinjuku. I do get really anxious performing in front of people, so I think busking would be a cool and memorable way to face that fear. Oh, and another upside to this? I could boast to my friends that I’ve performed in front of an “international audience”! Well, that is if I ever get an audience...
Confidence is key.
3. Experience riding the train during rush hour
The internet has this amusing way of directing you to the most random things on the web. One day, I found myself suddenly watching videos of the Tokyo train during rush hour on Youtube. It was amazing to see how the commuters all do their best to squeeze themselves into a train that’s already jam-packed. I showed these videos to my mom who has worked for years in Japan before. And she nonchalantly told me that this is indeed how it is in Japan train stations during rush hour. She added that this shows how time is important for the Japanese people.
I’m not really sure why I want to experience this, but I think it would be one of those challenging things that I could do, especially for someone who has not experienced something like that before.
We only have one life and we should try to experience new things everyday!
In case you're curious, this is one of the videos that I watched.
4. Join a wacky Japanese TV game show
One of the things Japan is known for among foreigners is their unique, wacky TV game shows. There’s this game show called “Candy or Not Candy” that I really want to be a part of. What the guests do there is bite on random things like shoes, glass table, or a door knob, and figure out whether it’s the real thing or a replica made out of candy or chocolate. The concept of the show is entertaining and astonishing at the same time. I find myself laughing and then stunned the next moment at how they turn shoes into chocolate!
I am not a Japanese celebrity, though, so I’m quite unsure how I’ll make this one a reality. But one can dream!
Oh, Japan, please don’t ever change.
5. Try the poisonous, but edible Fugu fish, (Puffer Fish)
Doing this is definitely the daredevil speaking in me. Instead of bungee jumping or skydiving, I think this would be more nerve-wracking for me. But then again, I’m up for the challenge! Now, I know this is going to cost me a lot. Only trained and licensed professional chefs can do this dish because one mistake in its preparation may kill the person who eats it. But I’ve saved enough to at least buy the cheapest Fugu dish. According to my research, the cheapest one would cost around $120. Besides, I have already prepared myself not just financially, but also mentally for this.
My mom thinks I’m weird for even wanting to do this because she knows that I am not very fond of seafood. But she supported me anyway and even wanted to join in!
Shimonoseki City, located in the westernmost part of the Honshu Island, is popularly known as the "Puffer Fish Capital" of Japan, so trying Fugu there would most likely be the best choice. For now, let's watch how licensed professionals prepare Fugu!
