Eni's Trip To Japan

Recently, one of our senior members Eni went on a highly anticipated trip to Japan. He's shared with us some photos, plus a little bit about his fantastic experience exploring all the country has to offer and training at the Kodokan - the birthplace of judo.

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It was a dream come true to go to Japan as I have always liked the culture, the food, the language and anime. Experiencing it though it was a different story - and far better than I imagined!

The food was phenomenal and I had excellent meal wherever I went. The culture was exactly as I had imagined it. Amazing temples, shrines and very friendly people to interact with, despite the language barrier.

I think Japan can tend to any preferences and has so much to offer that there's really something for everyone. Whether you like going out partying, or if you like a quiet place to enjoy nature, if you are a foodie, or interested in history and culture, you can pretty much find anything you need within a small area - although nothing is small there! I would describe it as "organised chaos".

The Kodokan visit was of course excellent as well. The people and coaches in the Kodokan were extremely friendly and made me feel like I was back in our club, with the only difference being Jigoro Kano's (the founder of judo) chair staring at us during our practice, which felt really good to be honest.

There were a lot of other visitors from across the globe with different levels of experience that were practicing there too, and it made me really happy to see so many people learning judo together the traditional way in the place where judo was born.

I will definitely go again, and stay even longer to train more if I get the chance!