"You just won the Superbowl what're you going to do next? - I'm going to Steakland!"

We arrived in the land of the rising sun just as dawn was creeping over the horizon.  After a quick stop through the Narita Airport customs (Tokyo's international airport) at 6am, we hopped on a shinkansen train bound for the formed imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto.  

The shinkansen trains were an experience in and of themselves, traveling at speeds around 180 mph and looking like they came out of the year 2080.  The Japan Rail Pass we purchased would become very handy, as it allowed us unlimited train use for the four days that we were in Japan.  

The ride was incredible smooth and the staff was very friendly making the Shinkansen trains a mode of transportation we would highly recommend.

Getting off the train in Kyoto was the first major culture shock of the trip.  With hundreds of people speeding past us, nearly every sign being in Japanese, and having only an English phonetic version of our hostel name and address written on a piece of paper, we were lost.  By some stroke of luck, our taxi driver turned out to be quite possibly the nicest man in all of Kyoto.  Through his broken English, he explained to us that it was easy to get around Kyoto.  We just had to think of it in the shape of a human body (which was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw a map of Kyoto...).  Apparently it didn't work very well for him either, because after 10 minutes it was clear he could not locate the hostel.  But, he did go above and beyond his call of duty as a taxi driver by sprinting out of the car in the pouring rain to chase down pedestrians in order to ask them for directions, as well as making several phone calls to his supervisor.  Eventually, someone had heard of BakPak Gion Hostel and the search was over.  Tired from our long travel day, we took a stroll through the former Imperial Palace and then called it a night.

Early the next morning we headed to the Kinkaju-Ji (The Temple of the Golden Pavillion).  

 We successfully navigated the Kyoto bus system and arrived at the temple.  The pavilion was built in 1397 and the two top stories are covered with pure gold leaf.  Set within a quintessential Japanese garden, the Kinkaju-Ji was quite the site to see.  Perhaps a little sun would have enhanced our viewing, but even in the rain we could feel the power of Buddha emanating from the structure’s bones.  After seeing the Imperial Palace, the Kinkaju-Ji, and few other shrines/castles along with way, we felt that our cultural duties had been fulfilled and began to focus on our real reason for going to Japan.

People flock to Japan for its rich culture and history.  They want to become engulfed in the ancient temples and shrines, the Tsujiki fish market, the cherry blossoms, Hello Kitty, and Pokemon.  But, if we are going to be brutally honest, what excited us most about Japan was Kobe Beef.  After spending no money on our travel day to Japan, and only about $10 each on our first day in Kyoto, our bankroll was finally on the same page as our stomachs and we were ready to indulge in the finest meat this world has to offer.   

Using our nifty JR passes, we hopped on the train and made the 50-minute ride from Kyoto to Kobe.  Our arrival in Kobe was quite similar to our arrival in Kyoto.  We had researched a few names of Kobe Beef restaurants, but had no idea where they were or how to get there.  This time there was no rain, so we took to the streets in search of the sacred beef.

After stumbling upon a few seemingly reputable Kobe Beef establishments, we saw a sign for “Steakland” with an arrow pointing down a long alleyway. 

As we wandered down this seedy stretch of road, prostitutes were just beginning to work their turf and there were several shady characters that surely would have mugged us had they been afforded the cover of darkness.  Lucky for us, we were crossing this territory at 4pm because of how excited we were to try Kobe’s most prized possession.  With no intention of actually eating at Steakland, we were more curious to see what could be behind its doors.  As the rickety elevator doors opened on the 6^th floor, we were utterly shocked.  Staring us in the face was neither a crack den, nor some sort of steak themed amusement park.  But rather, a shelf chocked full of awards, followed by a mahogany palace of beef, fit for the Emperor of Japan himself.

Steakland was everything we didn’t think it would be, and more.  With the giant eyes of the marble Kobe Cow statue at the center of the restaurant overseeing us, we sat down at the hibatchi table and began our journey to gastronomic nirvana.  Our own personal chef came out and cooked up a feast right in front of us.  There were no volcanoes made of onions or gimmicky knife tricks here.  This guy was a complete professional and meant strictly business.  At first, I was slightly hesitant after seeing the steak.   

Kobe beef is known for its intense marbling, and I will be the first to tell you I hate fat on my steak.  But the fat on Kobe Beef is not like that on other steaks.  It is not chewy, or rubbery, but rather it adds an explosion of flavor and then simply melts in your mouth.  The steak was prepared to perfection and was like nothing Alex or I had ever tasted.  Two or three chews is all that is necessary because the beef is so tender and soft.  Our Kobe Beef experience lived up to the hype, and feeling fully satisfied, we were back on a train to Kyoto.

The next morning we were back on the Shinkansin to spend the next day and a half in Tokyo.  All of our research had told us that the main attraction we had to see was the Tuna auctions at the Tsukiji Fish Market.  Only 120 people are allowed to witness these each day, and the tours start at 5:25am.  Naturally, we decided that the best course of action would be to stay up all night because the market operated on such an early schedule.  We had a quick lunch, 

where a lot of guesswork was used in terms of what we were ordering (as seen by the menu on the left), paid a visit to the Electric City, as well as a few other shrines in Tokyo, and then rested until we headed to Roppongi Hills for a late dinner.

                                                  

Roppongi Hills is the hip, up and coming, metropolitan area in Tokyo.  An Izakaya restaurant called Teyandei was our destination of choice.  Izakayas formed from sake shops that allowed their visitors to stay and drink.  They are known as being local places that have very good cheap eats, and a great atmosphere. 

Teyandei hit this to a T, and was the exact type of restaurant we had been searching for.  We had to take off our shoes upon entry, and make our way through the packed and vibrant bar area to our seats, which in very traditional manner consisted of a pillow on the floor.  Skewers of chicken heart, beef neck, beef skirt, chicken meatballs, and cheese filled our appetite and we washed them down with some good Japanese beer.  It was a great experience that truly made us feel like locals.

With public transportation shutting down at around 12:30AM, we had to quickly hustle to the subway in order to make it to Tsukiji.  Upon our arrival, there was nothing open except “Jonathan’s Restaurant.”  It was here that we made camp until the fish market opened.  Two hours of sleep, face down on a wooden table was just what the doctor prescribed, and when we awoke at 3:30am; it was time to get out of Jonathan’s.  Thinking we would wander down to the fish market to see if there was any activity, we were surprised to see that there was already a substantial line forming.  Had we went back to our hostel and then tried to make it to the fish market before opening, we surely would have been shut out of the Tuna auction like the hundreds of people that showed up after 4am. 

Once admitted at around 3:50am, we felt a bit like tuna ourselves, being contained in a small waiting room until 5:25 rolled around.  Making your way to the auction warehouse was a challenge itself, dodging the whizzing trucks and carts with absolutely no set traffic patterns.  Hundreds of gigantic iced tuna line the floors of this warehouse, and after inspections are complete the bells start ringing and the yells of auctioneers fill the warehouse, bouncing off every wall. 

 Following the auction and brief walk through the market we made our way to a side street three blocks away.  The local sushi joints had just received their morning shipments of fish from down the road and we indulged in the freshest sushi breakfast money could buy.

Japan was quite the cultural experience, and we enjoyed the time we spent there.  The weather was a bit cold, so we are excited to get back to the beach and head to Boracay in the Philippines tomorrow.  Peace Japan!