Last Poster #8

[Gyakuto147 156]

Hmmm…. How would you look in a platinum blonde

In the 80s, I have a tall flat top hair cut. I once dyed it blonde and looked like a pint of Guinness

Have you got big breasticles?

They’ve disappeared in the last six months!

 

[Xue Sheng138 9]

@Buka
Stay safe, i hear a hurricane, Lala, is heading towards Hawaii.

Currently a tropical storm but they suspect it may reach category 1

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Joking aside, your rendition of ‘Jolene’ is truly incredible especially when you’re in full drag.

Funnier if I sing it at you while you are also in drag.

 

[Xue Sheng138 9]

Hurricane Lala is now a category 1, sustained winds of 75. Edge is on the big island

Category 1 = sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf146 11]

Starting to plan a trip to Japan for next year. Not planning okinawa - planning tokyo/kyoto/osaka and some 1-day trips from that route. Anyone have any recommendations? We've currently got it timed where we should be able to make a grand sumo tournament day in osaka, but everything else is up in the air.

 

[Stuarto101 2]

Starting to plan a trip to Japan for next year. Not planning okinawa - planning tokyo/kyoto/osaka and some 1-day trips from that route. Anyone have any recommendations? We've currently got it timed where we should be able to make a grand sumo tournament day in osaka, but everything else is up in the air.

Those are the locations me and me wife visited when we went a few years back. I might also recommend Nara to visit the great temple there. Also Iga is very nice with some rich ninja history and a beautiful castle.

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Starting to plan a trip to Japan for next year. Not planning okinawa - planning tokyo/kyoto/osaka and some 1-day trips from that route. Anyone have any recommendations? We've currently got it timed where we should be able to make a grand sumo tournament day in osaka, but everything else is up in the air.

Time of year?

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Starting to plan a trip to Japan for next year. Not planning okinawa - planning tokyo/kyoto/osaka and some 1-day trips from that route. Anyone have any recommendations? We've currently got it timed where we should be able to make a grand sumo tournament day in osaka, but everything else is up in the air.

Have been doing a ton of research on this lately.

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Ryokan? Onsen?

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Starting to plan a trip to Japan for next year. Not planning okinawa - planning tokyo/kyoto/osaka and some 1-day trips from that route. Anyone have any recommendations? We've currently got it timed where we should be able to make a grand sumo tournament day in osaka, but everything else is up in the air.

I’d highly recommend a ‘shukubo’ stay which is accommodation in a Buddhist temple. Prices range from 10,000 to 40,000 yen per person per night. Stays include vegan meals (shojin ryori) which are really delicious and beautifully served, traditional tatami rooms, traditional bathing and access to morning prayers/meditation meditation if you want to see some incredible ceremony; you feel like you’re in old Japan.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf146 11]

Those are the locations me and me wife visited when we went a few years back. I might also recommend Nara to visit the great temple there. Also Iga is very nice with some rich ninja history and a beautiful castle.

Somehow I completely forgot about Iga! And hadn't realized how close it was to kyoto. Going to have to add that in. How was Nara compare dto other temples/shrines?

Ryokan? Onsen?

It'll be end of march - beginning of april, hoping that our timing works out/forecasts are correct and we'll be there for the cherry blossoms. We're definitely planning to do an onsen, probably the day we make a trip to mt. fuji.

I’d highly recommend a ‘shukubo’ stay which is accommodation in a Buddhist temple. Prices range from 10,000 to 40,000 yen per person per night. Stays include vegan meals (shojin ryori) which are really delicious and beautifully served, traditional tatami rooms, traditional bathing and access to morning prayers/meditation meditation if you want to see some incredible ceremony; you feel like you’re in old Japan.

I had no idea this was even an option that you could do for a night! That sounds amazing

 

[Xue Sheng138 9]

I’ve been to Japan, but only Tokyo. Was impressed by the Meiji Jingu, a Shinto Shrine. Also the Asakusa Shrine, we were at that shrine, totally by accident, during a huge celebration. We were there in May, only other thing I suggest is bring an umbrella. It rained there incredibly hard most of the day on one of the days we were out, i got soaked

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

I had no idea this was even an option that you could do for a night! That sounds amazing

This is how they served our delicious dinner. The room in which we ate was 1000 years old!

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

I’ve been to Japan, but only Tokyo. Was impressed by the Meiji Jingu, a Shinto Shrine. Also the Asakusa Shrine, we were at that shrine, totally by accident, during a huge celebration. We were there in May, only other thing I suggest is bring an umbrella. It rained there incredibly hard most of the day on one of the days we were out, i got soaked

Asakusa has a big Shinto festival in May. There is a Yokai parade and many of the heavily tattooed local folks come out in only fundoshi and hapi, showing off tattoos that are never seen in public otherwise. Although this year I heard that the police were threatening jail for anyone showing tattoo there. This last detail is very unusual, to me it says that the local cop shop did not receive their usual inducement to ignore tattooed individuals. If you are tattooed, please be aware that many establishments, including beaches, ryokan, and onsen do not allow tattoos. If you only have a small one they may allow you to enter if it is fully covered by a waterproof adhesive bandage. It pays to check first if you do have any tattoos.

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

This is how they served our delicious dinner. The room in which we ate was 1000 years old!

View attachment 34471
View attachment 34472

Blech! Pithy vegan fare! My wife was vegan for many years. Now she eats fish. I will be having a 22 ounce Wagyu Ribeye steak tonite to make up for seeing this…

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Somehow I completely forgot about Iga! And hadn't realized how close it was to kyoto. Going to have to add that in. How was Nara compare dto other temples/shrines?

It'll be end of march - beginning of april, hoping that our timing works out/forecasts are correct and we'll be there for the cherry blossoms. We're definitely planning to do an onsen, probably the day we make a trip to mt. fuji.

I had no idea this was even an option that you could do for a night! That sounds amazing

See post #2834

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Somehow I completely forgot about Iga! And hadn't realized how close it was to kyoto. Going to have to add that in. How was Nara compare dto other temples/shrines?

It'll be end of march - beginning of april, hoping that our timing works out/forecasts are correct and we'll be there for the cherry blossoms. We're definitely planning to do an onsen, probably the day we make a trip to mt. fuji.

I had no idea this was even an option that you could do for a night! That sounds amazing

I would research the mt Fuji hike as well…. Fraught with potential issues, including a disturbing number of bear attacks recently. My wife and I opted out for other reasons after researching it,

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf146 11]

See post #2834

Neither of us have tattoos. Personally, until this year/my current job, I didn't have enough money that I could afford to get tattoos. A perk of being a substance abuse counselor for years, then changing to entry level in another career.

I'll keep that in mind and wait until after the trip though.

 

[Wing Woo Gar81 5]

Neither of us have tattoos. Personally, until this year/my current job, I didn't have enough money that I could afford to get tattoos. A perk of being a substance abuse counselor for years, then changing to entry level in another career.

I'll keep that in mind and wait until after the trip though.

It’s an admirable vocation despite the pay. Mo money, mo problems. As far as tattoo goes, I’m two layers deep, the ones I got as a child and teen, and the Japanese traditional suit ive been working on for 15 years which completely covers all my old ones. I don’t recommend getting them unless it’s really your thing. It hurts, a lot. It’s expensive, very expensive. It’s addictive for some. I am neck to wrist to ankle in tattoo and still have a drumstick and some fill on belly/ribs to do. Pretty much never gets seen at all except if I’m skinny dipping at the river.

 

[Stuarto101 2]

Somehow I completely forgot about Iga! And hadn't realized how close it was to kyoto. Going to have to add that in. How was Nara compare dto other temples/shrines?

Iga was one of favorite places during our trip, and we will definitely be visiting again next time. The castle was beautiful and there were hardly any other people there when we stopped in. There is also a ninja museum and presentation near the castle. Nara was great and the temple was really impressive. There is a giant Buddha inside of it. The temple grounds have deer all over the place that will approach you for some wafer crackers. We also went to Kyoto and toured the old imperial palace. That was a cool experience.