Japan bound

I flew out to Japan on the 22nd June with my best friend (one featured in nearly all photos). she's half japanese and her parents live out there so we stayed with them for most of the trip. She grew up in Nagoya, which is quite a big city. we spent most our time there, but also took a weekend trip to Tokyo which was so much fun, and a few day trips around nearby towns.
going to japan was literally the most eye opening experience. I've never been to a place where english is barely spoken, so it was weird to find that i wasn't understood, and a lot of the time i stood out for being white, which was totally weird for me.
we were there for 12 days in total, it was so good to go with someone who had lived there, so could show me around without just doing the typically touristy stuff. i had so much great food and sushi, and some really fun nights out meeting everyone over there! one of my favourite days was spent visiting an old japanese village, i think called magame, it was so pretty and preserved, looking just like how japan used to look.
the scenery in Japan is so different to the Western world, which is what struck me as crazy when i first got there.
I had well over 1000 photos, so this is an extreme shortened down version of my trip to Japan in pictures

haha this is the weirdest thing ever, i think called purikura and its so popular in Japan. You can dress up and the photo will edit your face, so your skins smoother, your eyes are larger etc. it also slims your legs which is really freaky. It's just so Japanese

This is the Nagoya Castle, in the town my friends are from. they took me here the first day, and it was honestly so beautiful and traditionally Japanese

with my best friend before our first night out in Nagoya, missing you girl :)

in Tokyo! stood by the famous statue of Hachuko, the dog that waited for its owner every morning in the same spot, until one day the owner didnt turn up

pretty 

us 4 before going out in TOKYO

getting my fortune

Harajuko!

pretty TOKYO pre thunderstorm

us in the maid cafe. weirdest experience ever

taken from the pretty old town, Magame

thanks to the Juni family for having me and showing me round, had the best time 

KYOTO, Japan's old capital

Golden Temple

not sure how to twist this round, urgh missing proper Japanese food so much

last night out in Nagoya

leaving Japan with sushi socks intact

photos are of bad quality as were only taken on iPhone, but hopefully this gives a bit of insight into my trip in Japan. I had the most amazing time, and was lucky enough to be able to travel to such an interesting country whilst visiting a friend. Becoming friends with people from all over the world has ben such an amazing experience, allowing me to visit their home countries and see the country through the eyes of a local, and it's been such an eye opening experience