Japan Bucket List Update August 2012


I have officially lived in Japan now for 1 year!
Back in December I put together my Japan bucket list, and then in February I updated it with things I had already crossed off.   Now it is into August and I have done a good job crossing a few more things off the list.  I wanted to see where I was at after living in Japan for 1 year.  

If there is a post that I have to accompany the activity, I'll share the link here, just in case you are interested and missed seeing the post in the past.

1. Take Survival Japanese (November 2011)
2. Visit Tokyo (November 2011- Part 1Part 2Part 3)
3. Visit Kyoto
4. Visit Osaka
5. Sapporo Snow Festival (February 2012- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
6. Ride the Shinkansen (November 2011) 
7. Go horse back riding
8. Learn to ski
9. Learn to snow board
10. Visit Hirosaki Castle for the Chrysanthemum Festival (November 2011- Click here)
11. Visit Hirosaki Castle for the Cherry Blossom Festival (May 2012- Click here)
12. Aomori Nebuta Festival
13. Make okonomiyaki (December 2011- Click here)
14. Try takoyaki (February 2012- Click here)
15. Make my own sushi (December 2011- Click here)
16. Take Beyond Survival Japanese (January 2012)
17. Buy a kimono (December 2011)
18. Visit Oirase Gorge
19. Visit Big Buddha in Aomori (October 2011- Click here)
20. Visit Aomori Art Museum (April 2012- Click here)
21. Visit Towada Art Museum (October 2011- Click here)
22. Take a cruise on Lake Towada
23. See a snow monkey
24. Go snow shoeing
25. Take a trip to Thailand
26. Take a trip to Australia
27. Climb Mt. Fuji (July 2012- Click here)
28. Go to an onsen
29. Go to Tokyo Disney (July 2012- Click here)
30. See Tsukiji Market (November 2011- Click here)
31. Travel to South Korea
32. Go to Universal Studios (in Osaka)
33. Buy something with Hello Kitty on it (November 2011-Hello Kitty Hard Rock Shirt)
34. Write a blog post during an earthquake (any idea what just happened! LOL) (December 2011)
35. Visit Okinawa
36. Go to a Sumo tournament
37. Drive to Tokyo
38. Go to the beef and garlic festival
39. See the Ryusendo Caves
40. Volunteer for Tsunami/Earthquake relief (from 2011 Earthquake)
41. Go to a Japanese baseball game
42. Go ice skating
43. See Kabuki theater performance
44. Travel to Hawaii
45. Take the ferry to Hokkaido (February 2012- Click here)
46. Try green tea ice cream
47. Visit Sendai
48. Attend Shabbat services in Tokyo
49. Go apple picking
50. Go cherry picking
51. Visit a Buddhist Temple (August 2011- Click here)
52. Visit a Shinto Shrine (August 2011- Click here)
53. See the wild horses
54. Go to the Rokkasho Salmon Festival
55. Drink sake (July 2012- Click here)
56. Visit Tokyo National Museum (November 2011)
57. Visit Hiroshima
58. Visit Kenji World
59. Visit Morioka
60. Eat shabu shabu
61. Visit Tokyo Tower
62. Have a traditional vegetarian Buddhist meal
63. Buy fresh fish from a market
64. Buy an antique (January 2012)
65. Attend a tea ceremony
66. Dine Japanese style (sitting on the floor)
67. Go to a concert in Tokyo
68. Learn to use chopsticks (August 2011-This was a tough one for me, but I have it mastered now!)
69. Use a Japanese toilet (August 2011-Squatty Potty!)
70. Buy a heated toilet seat
71. Go hiking
72. Go camping
73. Visit Nagoya Castle
74. Visit Nagano
75. Visit the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (July 2012-Click here)
76. Dine along Dotombori
77. Visit Ueno Zoo (July 2012- Click here)
78. Buy a Hard Rock shirt from all locations in Japan
79. Visit a Japanese beer brewery
80. Play a round of golf (all 18 holes!) (June 2012)
81. Drink apple wine (February 2012- Click here)
82. See a fire works display
83. Swim in the ocean (July 2012)
84. Visit Shipwreck Beach
85. Build a snow man
86. Eat tofu on a stick (February 2012, Click here)
87. Visit the Tokyo Sky Tree observation desk
88. Visit Disney Sea
89. See a professional Taiko drum performance
90. See the deer in Nara
91. Visit Sensoji Temple (November 2011, click here)
92. See a Noh theater performance
93. Go dolphin and whale watching
94. Check out Harajuku
95. Sing karaoke
96. Eat a sea urchin
97. Make a kanji painting
98. Learn how to spell my name in Japanese
99. Ride the subway in Tokyo (November 2011)
100. Be a good ambassador



Wow, 35 down, 65 to go! A few more crossed off and a few more in the works.  Loving Japan so far.  It is definitely different from American and European culture.  There is so much to see and do here, and the people are so friendly.

QUESTION:  What's currently on your bucket list?  What do you hope to do before the end of the year that you have been wanting to do all year?

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