Japan: Highlighting Experiences
Our trip to Japan was full of incredible adventures, sights and exploration. But we did have a few unique, hands-on, immersive experiences booked that really elevated our time.
Betty Smith Jean Workshop
Japan is well known for their denim, and we decided to take advantage of that with a jeans customization workshop at the Betty Smith studio. We chose the workshop rather than fully customized jeans because we wanted to take our jeans with us rather than wait for completion and shipping. We had a lovely, quiet evening with just the two employees and ourselves in the studio. We were greeted warmly and introduced to our jean options, given some time to browse and try on the styles and sizes. With this workshop option, they provide hemming but no other alterations. Then came the hard part, choosing our hardware and patch. There were so many options for the button and rivets, making it hard to choose! I ultimately wanted something that felt unique and significant to the trip, and chose the button with the “Great Wave off Kanagawa” on it and gold-coloured rivets that popped against the indigo denim. The final choice, the most difficult one, was the patch for the back of the jeans. Again, I wanted something that would really tie into the workshop itself, so I knew I wanted to choose an option that incorporated the Betty Jean name. I landed on a beautiful leather patch that did exactly what I wanted. Finally, we were guided through attaching the button and the rivets ourselves! The foot pedal for attaching the components was harder to press than you’d expect! I was thrilled with the final result and getting to be involved with the creation of my own, individualized pairs of jeans, so satisfying!
TeamLab Planets.
There are several teamLab immersive museums in Japan, and we went to the Planets version on our first night. After a day of travel and our first full day of exploring Tokyo, this was an incredibly soothing and calming experience. As we moved through the different areas, we were immersed in the displays, wading through water, parting seas of flowers, and being surrounded by projections of flowers all around us. The gentle music, floral scents and warm water made for a deliberate, slow-paced interaction with an incredible art display.
Chopstick Making.
Wanting to have something genuinely Japanese, we booked a session to make our own chopsticks. We booked the workshop in Ginza via Get Your Guide. The staff were incredibly friendly and happy to help when I called upon them, after getting a little lost looking for the building. The first step in the process was to choose the wood we wanted for our chopsticks. A variety of wood choices were included in the workshop price, and some premium woods were an extra cost. There was also the additional option to have an engraving included on the chopsticks. I chose Cherry Blossom wood, which felt particularly special as a token of Japan; it was described as representing elegance and traditional Japanese beauty. The first step was planing the wood down to an even size and shape. Curly wood remnants were kept as part of the packing at the end, a pretty touch. From there, we sanded down the chopsticks and applied oil to protect them. This also offered a slight darkening to the colour, bringing the wood to a beautiful shade. It was a simple, enjoyable activity that left me with a souvenir that feels distinctly Japanese and all the more special because I made it myself.
Bar Centifolia.
Wow. This was an incredible evening. Let me start by saying this was a wildly difficult reservation to secure. Reservations opened two weeks in advance and required being online, ready to click and book as soon as they opened at midnight in Japan. Counter reservations seemed impossible, so we focused on a table. All reservations were gone in under a minute, but we managed to get one! When you arrive, it becomes clear why this is the case. The space is small, with about 20 seats in total, and each reservation is for 90 minutes at 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 & 1:00. While this limited availability makes access difficult, it also creates an intimate and relaxed vibe. Although we weren’t able to get a bar seat, the arrangement for the evening still allows us to experience the cocktail show firsthand. When it was our turn for drinks, we were guided to the reserved barstools directly in front of “The White Coat” to watch and record the creations. It was incredible to watch his refined, quick movements as he mixed the cocktails in the most dramatic of ways. It was fun to simply sit and enjoy drinks being made throughout our visit, relax in the cozy atmosphere, and be in awe of the drinks being created.
Tea Ceremony.
Our final scheduled experience was a tea ceremony with host and tea master Kim, booked via Air BnB experiences. This was in Kyoto, and the intention is to teach about the tradition of the tea ceremony in Japan. The host was a wonderfully kind and gracious woman who studied the art of the tea ceremony and has been practicing for 13 years. She guided us through the various tools and etiquette before demonstrating the entire ceremony. We were then able to each prepare our own matcha tea. Kimi shared that the practice of preparing and performing the ceremony in Japan is, in part, meant to be meditative and an opportunity to connect with the present moment and those you are sharing it with. This was something I genuinely felt as I watched her intentional, ritualized movements. I felt entranced and calm, a welcome sensation after 10 days of hectic travel and exploration.
Japan as a whole offered so much to see and explore, but these scheduled experiences added such depth to the trip. Whether exciting and invigorating or meditative and focused, I brought my full presence to each. Making, watching and participating in activities made this trip extra meaningful, providing special memories and souvenirs. These opportunities connected me with Japan, its uniqueness and traditions.