Japan by the numbers

Yesterday we left Japan and arrived in Seoul, South Korea for a two-week stay in this country. We truly enjoyed our time in Japan, an entire month spent visiting some cities we’d never been to and experiencing some things we’d never seen. It was really great, and as ridiculous as it sounds, we can’t wait to go back (after stopping in a few other places first). In honor of our time there, I give you our version of “Japan: By the Numbers.”

Days in Japan: 27
Cities/Towns visited: 7 (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Noboribetsu, Niseko, Sapporo, Otaru)
Various Accommodation: 10 (five hotels, two apartments rentals, one condo rental, one “onsen” resort, and one “capsule ryokan.”)
Forms of Transportation: 9 (plane, train, commuter rail, subway, bus, taxi, bicycle, foot, and…monorail!)

Current exchange rate: Approx. 100 Yen to US $1
Largest coin in Japanese circulation: 500 Yen (about $5 US)
Number of 1 Yen and 5 Yen pieces you actually use: none
Average amount of cash in change you’ll have in your pocket: $25
Number of cold green teas bought from vending machines to get rid of change: innumberable

iPhones lost on airport busses: 1
iPhones recovered from airport bus companies: 1
Times Amy told me “try not to be stupid”: 1

Octopus-on-a-stick eaten: 2

Sea snails eaten: 2

Jellyfish eaten: 1
Cod sperm in a rice bowl eaten: 1 (came with the rice bowl, not specifically ordered, or enjoyed, for that matter.)

Number of visits to McDonalds: 1 (try the delicious “McPepper.” Hamburger, hash brown, and an au poivre sauce. It’s like Smith & Wollensky on a bun.)

Meals featuring “The Genghis Khan,” where you cook your own lamb: 1

Days your sweater smells like lamb after eating the Genghis Khan: 3
Cost of dry cleaning a sweater: about $8

Cost of gourmet organic grapes: $50 (not purchased)
Cost of French’s Yellow Mustard (squirt bottle): $4 (not purchased)
Cost of a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup: $3 (not purchased)
Cost of a bag of six tofu donuts: $3 (purchased and consumed immediately)

Cost of a glass of wine: about $7
Cost of a beer: about $7
Cost of a mixed drink: about $6 (this surprised me. It’s cheaper to get a cocktail than a beer).
Cost of a glass of milk: no idea.

Minutes spent mesmerized as candy was pulled by hand in a Tokyo food hall: 25
Number of times we ran into this demonstration thereafter: 3 to 4
Time spent watching at last viewing: 20 seconds passing by

Number of Sumo matches attended: 1

Number of Japanese Baseball games viewed live on TV: 3

Number of Manchester United matches viewed live on TV: 2
Number of those matches viewed by Amy: zero

Various Random One-offs:
One typhoon suffered (if “suffering” means walking around a pedestrian mall all day)
One karaoke in a kimonos
One street interview by Japanese TV (no idea when or where that aired)
One slightly tipsy 3am walk home in Sapporo (John only)
One visit to hair salon in Tokyo (Amy only)
One witnessing of a hooker getting picked up at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo
One witnessing of Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo (unrelated)

It was a good month.

Sayonara, Japan. The civility of your culture, the friendliness of your people, and the vitality of your everyday life are something we’ve likely taken for granted during our stay. Arigato gozaimasu.