A whirlwind weekend in Tokyo

“Moshi, Moshi.” I actually first heard of these Japanese words from my editor Ricky Lo. It was in January 1999 when the Philippine media contingent was invited to Tokyo to attend the media junket and interview Hollywood Comedian Robin Williams for his film, Patch Adams.

What made that trip even more memorable was when I donned a Geisha costume and the oh-so-heavy wig.

It was in the ’90s too when I went to Japan two more times when I endorsed KDD-001 Phonecard, a Japanese telecom firm, with fellow Filipina endorser Shiela Dizon Carlos. We also hosted an event for the Filipino community then.  

In 2010, to celebrate a personal milestone — my 40th birthday — my family and I went to Osaka. It was the first time for my hubby Julius Babao and our kids.

And last Sept. 27, Julius and I were back in the Land of The Rising Sun. This time, we were part of a contingent of good friends from the art world to attend Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata’s art exhibit titled Living Memory. It was held at the Wada Fine Arts Gallery in Tsukiji Tokyo. It also marked a milestone in Elmer and Plet’s career, as it was the first time they both held their back-to-back art shows in Japan.

It’s always fun to travel and experience new things with friends. The next day, we all had the sushi and sashimi breakfast at the famed Tsukiji Fish Market. Yes, raw fish for breakfast! The seafood was so fresh as if the ocean was just beside you.

We stayed at the Ginza district, which is like New York’s 5th Ave. It was a visual experience seeing the Tokyoites strut the streets of Ginza. I couldn’t resist having my own “fashion moment” and had Julius take my photo in one of the crossings at night.

It was in Tsukiji, Shinjuku and Shibuya that I had the most fun. The gastronomic experience was like no other. We ate tempura, katsutori, yakitori, yakiniku, shabu-shabu and everything Japanese. But I regret not having authentic ramen on this trip as my tummy was always full and we only had two full days in Tokyo.

I also enjoyed Harajuku. It was the first time we went there. The place was bursting with youthful vibe, where the Japanese teens wore outlandish but oh-so-fashionable “express yourself” outfits.

It was a whirlwind weekend in Tokyo but most fun and memorable. Traveling will always be a perfect escape and learning experience like no other.