Thursday 9/25
Tokyo: Ueno
Getting to Japan was a bit of an adventure. Just a week ago, Amy and I were still in Seattle after finishing a five month hike of the PCT. We flew to Las Vegas for five days, then to Pittsburgh for two, and woke up bright and early to catch a flight to Tokyo, which began with a hopper to Dallas. The plane was there, everyone boarded, and it seemed the trip was off to a seamless start before the pilot announced an American Airlines system went down and they were unable to report the departure. This prevented every American Airlines plane in the airport from leaving, so we deboarded.
Three hours passed with no updates. Despite a three and a half hour layover in DFW, we were at risk of missing our connection. Eventually, the system came back online and we reboarded the plane. However, poor weather forced us to take a longer route and our plane touched down right as our plane to Japan was scheduled to leave. By some miracle, a last minute maintenance delay held it just long enough for Amy and I to jog through the terminal and make it onboard.
The thirteen hour flight was uneventful from there on out. We both slept a few hours. I watched three movies, “Bring Her Back”, “A Minecraft Movie”, and “The Super Mario Brothers Movie”. We landed at around 5:00pm.
Clearing Japan’s entry and customs procedures was quick and easy. We spent more time purchasing and installing SIM cards (30 days/15GB) at the airport than anything else. After this, we followed signs with mixed languages to the monorail leading into Tokyo.
The monorail was cash only, so we had to use an ATM to get some Yen first. The ticket buying processing was probably simple, but we handled it like overwhelmed American tourists. In time, we made it onto the metro, which was absolutely packed during evening rush hour, and rode it several stops to reach Ueno.
Already, we experienced some of Tokyo’s unique charm. Our first impression of the metropolis was a vibrant grid of narrow streets with more activity in this one random district than the busiest parts of most American cities.
Our collective fatigue was only surpassed by our hunger. Before checking into our hotel, we walked through the Ueno shopping district and grabbed a bite to eat at some place with cute outdoor tables. At 8:00pm, we checked into Hotel Wing Select Ueno. The room was tiny, but it was cozy, cheap, and convenient. It made a perfect home base for the next five nights we had planned in Tokyo.
Friday 9/26
Tokyo: Ueno Park; Shibuya; Shibuya Sky; Meiji Jingu
Despite our best efforts to avoid jet lag, Amy and I were both awake by 4:00am. Our first learned lesson was that Tokyo was, by all means, a night city. Breakfast restaurants were virtually nonexistent and coffee shops, though plentiful in number, did not open until at least 9:00am, but typically more like 11:00am. This meant our best option for starting the day was 7-Eleven, a convenient 24-hour chain that is everywhere Japan and much better than you would think.
We walked around Ueno Park, home to the Uneo Zoo and at least five museums, including the Tokyo National Museum. A bit off the beaten path was Shinobazu Pond Bentendo, the first of many temples on our journey. It was a beautiful and quiet place to explore. An older Japanese woman approached us and handed us a bag of squid crackers, Ika Senbei. It was really sweet of her, but the crackers were one of the worst things I have ever tasted.
As the city slowly began to wake up, we stopped at Cafe Maple for a second cup of coffee. Then, we went to the metro station and bought two tickets to Shibuya. It was only our second time using one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, but we already felt we were starting to get the hang of buying tickets and navigating the stations. Train tickets to almost anywhere in Tokyo costed less than ¥220 ($1.50 USD) and the majority of rides we took were only 20 minutes and required no transfers.
We arrived at Shibuya, a popular shopping district home to one of the most unique rituals in Japan: the Shibuya Scramble. At a particular intersection, thousands of people cross at once in all directions. We made the same crossing several times throughout the day as we bounced around to the various stores.
At Uniqulo, we bought a few more outfits to wear on the trip. We also checked out Lululemon, Mont-bell, and Addidas. For lunch, we went to Ichiran Ramen, a popular chain that serves up cheap bowls of delicious ramen in a compact, nearly anti-social, setting.
I will mention how literally everything in Japan is smaller, more compact, and more efficient compared to the US. The bathrooms are tiny (think broom closet) and you sometimes cannot close the door without leaning over the toilet. The one in Ichiran had like sixteen rolls of toilet paper on the wall for some reason.
We went up to the roof of Shibuya Sky. This was a excellent observation tower and gave us the perspective of Tokyo that we needed to understand its tremendous scale. In literally every direction, the city expanded until it disappeared within the haze. It was dense, certainly by American standards, but did not seem to have a singular “downtown” that every large building gravitated towards. Rather, skyscrapers were spread out in clusters.
For dinner, we went to Flipper’s for some fluffy, souffle pancakes. They were so soft they could be eaten without using teeth.
Next, we walked to Meiji Jingu, a beautiful temple lost in the midst of a dense forest. We followed a long path among ginko trees under several gates to reach the shrine. I really liked this particular temple because it was accessible, yet seemed totally removed from the city.
After a long day of sightseeing, we returned to Ueno via the metro, walking through the busy streets to kill more time and stay up until at least 8:00pm. We failed, and ended up falling asleep even earlier than the day before.
Saturday 9/27
Tokyo: Asakusa; Senso-ji; Tokyo National Museum; Ueno
We discovered that Starbucks opened earlier than any of the local cafes, the ripe hour of 7:30am. It was boring and the regional drink options did not excite us, but they are conveniently spread all over Tokyo. Next, we took a train to Asakusa to tour the Senso-Ji Temple.
Senso-Ji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo. The surrounding complex is absolutely packed with shops and points of interest. Every block, every corner we turned, there was a new street packed to the gills with people. It honestly made me feel quite small realizing I was just one person in a city of over 38 million people.
We walked away from the hustle and bustle towards Sumida River and a small park along the waterfront. There was a nice view of the Tokyo Skytree from here. After some time, we were hungry and went to Marugoto Vegan Dining for breakfast. Amy was not impressed with the soy yogurt nor the fact that the Japanese eat salads for breakfast.
We walked back through Asakusa and I stopped for ice cream at Hokkaido Milk Bar. Hokkaido ice cream was extremely creamy, unsweetened, and milk-forward. I enjoyed it for what it was, and imagine milk drinkers would have a field day.
We walked across town all the way back to Ueno Park and sat in the shade for a while to do some people watching. We tried our best to pick out the Americans. White people seem to be a fairly large minority in Japan, with most visiting from Australia, Russia, or other parts of Europe.
After a nice break, we bought admission to the Tokyo National Museum. Of the the five distinct buildings that belong to this museum, we only had the time and energy to explore the main one dedicated to Japanese history and culture.
It was a truly amazing museum that would likely take several days to properly explore. We learned quite a bit about Japan’s history, saw unique artwork, scrolls, swords, and sculptures. The highlights for me were the Japanese katanas and the iconic Dogu statue.
For dinner, we went to Gyukatsu Motomura Ueno for our most delicious meal of the trip thus far: breaded beef cutlets. They were served medium rare but we could cook them further on small hot plates.
In three days, we had not even had a drink. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the nightlife of Ueno. A random street stall served us a few glasses of sake. Amy attempted to make friends with locals who spoke zero English and they talked us into trying a bizarre plate of stringray liver. I thought it was actually pretty tasty; pink, fatty, and basically dissolved on the tounge.
We chatted politics with a Canadian man who was now living in China as we threw back rice wine. Afterwards, we bounced around to a few bars before ending up at a dart bar, which are hugely popular in Tokyo. Amy whooped me several games in a row. Then, we left in search of a karaoke bar and learned that even though Japan invented Karaoke, it was sung in a private room at most places, which is not nearly as fun.
Sunday 9/28
Tokyo: Ginza; Tsukiji; Hamarikyu Gardens; Ginza Art Aquarium; Akihabara
Tired of beginning the day without a proper cup of coffee, Amy suggested we do some research and find a standout brew in Tokyo. We settled on a spot in Ginza and took the metro there around 9:00am. A line had already formed outside of Glitch Coffee before they opened, and we soon understood why. Once inside, we selected from an array of beans and were served what may have been the best cups of coffee we have ever drank. My pour-over was fruity and acidic, but the finish was perfectly balanced with no bitter aftertaste.
Afterwards, we walked to pain-maison, a French bakery with affordable yet unreasonably delicious pastries. Batting 2/2 in the foodie game today, we made our way across town to the Tsukiji district.
The Tsukiji Fish Market was recommended to us by several people, but my understanding is that it has shifted from a wholesale fish market to a diverse collection of shops a few years ago. We walked around, daring to try a skewer of barbeque eel from a random vendor and then a more accessible, matcha latte, from Matcha Stand Maruni. Amy was a big fan of the matcha in particular.
Next, we walked over to the Hamarikyu Gardens, an Edo-period style park on a deep inlet of the Tokyo Bay. We chose this spot on a whim, and both of us absolutely adored it. The park was a manicured oasis within the metropolis. Neatly groomed pines and fields of peonies stood before towering skyscrapers among the network of walking trails.
Then, we went to the Ginza Art Aquarium. The experience was unique, albeit short and not the most memorable. Dozens of different species of goldfish were showcased in a variety of artistic exhibits.
We stopped at Hanamaru Udon and enjoyed hot bowls of thick, wheat flour noodles for lunch. Then, we hopped back on the metro towards Akihabara, “Electric Town”. Akihabara was the mecca for electronics, video games, and anime in Japan. It was like Times Square for weebs.
Billboards flashed anime videos. Girls dressed as maids stood on the side of the street promoting their shops. The stores were packed with gimmicky crane machines, arcades, retro video game consoles, manga, card games, and much, much more. Amy and I went on a hunt for Pokemon cards and Beyblades.
Overstimulated, we took a short break from the chaos to grab coffee and beer at Hitachino Beer Nest. Then, we explored Bic Camera and a few more crazy spots before calling it a night. Ueno was only a 20 minute walk north, but we of course had to make our nightly stop at 7-Eleven for some hotel snacks.
Monday 9/29
Tokyo: Shinjuku, Toho Cinemas, Golden Gai
We slept in for the first time today, now that we had finally overcome our lingering jet lag. A random restaurant selection landed us at Egg Baby, where we formulated the day’s plans over coffee and breakfast sandwiches. We decided to head towards Shinjuku.
Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station in the world, connecting millions of passengers every day. Even at noon on a Tuesday, Shinjuku was crowded. Outside the station was a bustling metropolis with flashing chaos. A corner of one skyscraper had a giant 3D cat that would mew between advertisements.
We popped into a dog cafe for twenty minutes of cuteness with a dozen pups. It was alright, but you can honestly have a similar experience at a regular old PetSmart for free. Still, chasing a Shiba Inu around a cafe seemed like an essential Japanese experience.
After some more wandering of the big city, we landed at Toho Cinemas, a large tower with Godzilla poking his head out of the roof. We would have loved to watch a Japanese movie with English subtitles, but those, of course, were not available, so he had to settle for an American movie with Japanese subtitles. We watched the spy drama, Black Bag. I thoroughly enjoyed how the movie was witty, punchy, and had absolutely no filler. One weird cultural quirk we noticed is that once the movie ended, everyone in the theater stayed seated until after the credits finished rolling.
In the evening, we walked over to Golden Gai. This was a grid of narrow streets with bars packed on two stories of every building. It seemed to be a bit touristy, drawing few Japanese locals, but was an excellent place to meet vacationers and expats who spoke English in an area that felt unapologetically Japanese. Most bars were barely bigger than a storage closet, with space for only a half dozen patrons. We only stopped in at two of them. In the second, we spent a few hours singing pop music with some very drunk folks from Australia, Europe, and Canada.
The best part was that after drinking for hours, we did not have to worry about driving home. Unlike America where drunk driving is part of the culture, the Tokyo Metro had us back in Ueno before midnight. Ramen is arguably the greatest late night meal, and we enjoyed a delicious bowl from Ramen Kamo before crashing in the hotel.
Overall, I absolutely loved Shinjuku. Despite its local reputation of being “dirty”, I found the city most embodied the big, flashy Tokyo I had always imagined.
Tuesday 9/30
Tokyo: DisneySea
Tokyo is home to two Disney parks: Disneyland and DisneySea. The latter is the only of its kind. We decided to spend a day with Mickey and were able to easily buy last minute tickets at no mark-up. Compared to the American parks, a one day pass to DisneySea was quite affordable.
The park is set on the coast of Tokyo Bay in the Chiba prefecture. Like everywhere in Tokyo, it is easy to access with public transport. Around 7:45am, we took the metro from Ueno to Tokyo Station, then paid for a JR bus on the spot that dropped us off at the entrance of the resort, just after the park opened.
We were through the gates in no time and were greeted by stunning, Mediterranean theming that enveloped a harbour. Across the water was a pirate ship, an Arabic castle, and a massive, fuming volcano. A good chunk of our day was spent just wondering around what was easily the best themed park I have ever visited.
Fantasy Springs was the newest addition to the park and our favorite area to explore. The rides here all featured state-of-the-art animatronics or simulators. Of course, all dialogue was in Japanese, but this hardly seemed to detract from the experience.
The crowds seemed moderate on a cloudy Tuesday. However, we were still looking at 2-hour queue lines for the most popular attractions. To optimize our time, we bought “Disney Priority Access” passes for three rides throughout the day. They probably saved us at least three hours of standing in line. Costing about half the price of a park ticket (for three DPAs), I would say it was absolutely a good decision and allowed us to ride pretty much everything we were hoping to hit plus a few others:
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Venetian Gondolas
- Soaring: Fantastic Flight
- Tower of Terror
- Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage
- Elsa and Anna’s Frozen Journey
- Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure
- Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival
Of these attractions, Frozen and Peter Pan were our two favorites. We ate plenty of food, as well. Some of our more memorable bites included festive maple pumpkin churros, tropical Mickey and Minnie popsicles, and fried shrimp burgers from the Snuggly Duck.
As the day wrapped up, we watched an underwhelming fireworks show, then left before 9:00pm. Google Maps showed us a way back to our hotel and we were in bed within the hour.
Wednesday 10/1
Hiroshima: Shinkensen, Hiroshima Castle
Riding on a Japanese bullet train, “Shinkensen”, was one of my bucket list items. Amy and I took the metro from Ueno to Shinagawa, one of the stations on the Tokaido Shinkensen line, then transfered to the high speed rail. Built in 1964, this Shinkensen line was the world’s first and is still one of the fastest. The train travels at speeds upwards of 200mph and covers the 500 miles between Tokyo and Hiroshima in less than 4 hours. From a distance traveled, it was comparable to a flight from Pittsburgh, PA to Raleigh, NC, but the experience of high speed trail blows air travel out of the water. The overall time is shorter, it is significantly more comfortable and spacious, there is no security, and it is much easier to carry on luggage.
Since shinkensens left every twenty minutes from Shinagawa, we did not have to pre-plan anything and could just show up, buy a ticket, and get on the train. We purchased two reserved seats for roughly 19,000 yen ($128 USD) each. The ride itself was mostly uneventful, but I was geeking out over how fast we were moving and loved seeing the Japanese countryside smear past. It was raining, so we were unfortunately not able to see Mt. Fuji. The train made fewer than ten stops on the entire journey and we arrived at Hiroshima station by 2:00pm.
While Hiroshima was a fairly large city, it was nowhere near the overwhelming scale of Tokyo. The streets were wider and cars seemed a bit more commonplace overall, but the transportation was still excellent. After buying baseball tickets at Mazda Stadium and eating at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu.
Amy and I hopped on a bus to get across town. We quickly learned that foreign busses are the final boss of transit. After some time, it dropped us off near RHIGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima, our stay for the night.
This hotel was lovely and our corner room had a fabulous view of Hiroshima Castle. After taking a minute to relax, we walked over to the castle. A moat surrounded the outer walls and we crossed over two bridges to reach the courtyard. Even without touring the inside of the castle, it was a great experience.
For dinner, we waited in line for about an hour to eat at Nagataya. Okonomiyaki, aka “Hiroshima’s soul food”, is a unique egg and noodle dish served like a pancake on a hot iron griddle. Ours were smothered in green onions and we found shrimp hiding among the udon. With bellies full, we called it a night with an armful of sake bottles from 7-Eleven.
Thursday 10/2
Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Museum, Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine, Mt. Misen
Our morning activity was a somber visit to Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum. The city was devasted by the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. The museum was not about WWII history, nor did it seem biased to any of the parties involved in the war, it simply aimed to show the horrific aftermath and call for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.
The exhibits were powerful, deeply moving, and brought me to tears on more than one occasion. I felt angered that thousands of innocent people suffered due to the corruption of a few individuals. At the same time, however, I thought it was beautiful for a city that suffered this tragedy to be the face of a global call for peace.
Touring the museum took a little over an hour. Outside was the Peace Park, a beautiful memorial and an eternally burning flame leading up to the A-bomb dome. The dome marked the hypocenter of where the bomb was dropped, a point in which every single human being within a kilometer was killed instantly and building reduced to rubble. The dome was preserved to stand as a reminder of the devastation.
On a lighter note, we left Peace Park feeling hopeful and ready to explore more of this beautiful area. A ferry service operated along the Motoyasu River, providing access to the island of Miyajima. We boarded at 11:30am and the boat ride took about 45 minutes.
Miyajima is famously home to the Itsukushima Shrine and the Otorii Gate facing north on the beach. During high tide, the base of the gate submerges. It is truly iconic and the bright orange color was a beautiful contrast to the moody hills.
The town itself had many streets with bustling shops near the docks, then gradually relaxed to quiet, Edo-style homes as you head further inland. Sika deer roam freely around the island and have gotten overly-comfortable being fed by tourists.
We made stops at Miyajima Brewery for drinks and tried these delicious Momiji Manju pastries filled with cream at Momijido. For lunch, we ate noodles and omurice at a small place in the park called Yamamura Chaya. Afterwards, we checked into a Ryokan called Kikunoya. Ryokans are like hotels, but are an experience of their own. This one was traditionally Japanese and we even slept in a tatami room on two ground futons.
The forecast called for rain all day tomorrow, so we decided to squeeze in an evening hike up Mt. Misen tonight. We only had two hours before dark to hike four miles round trip, up and down massive rock stairs. Fortunately, we still had our thru-hiking endurance and made the trek without issue. It was a scenic walk featuring waterfalls, shrines, and sweeping views of Hiroshima Bay and islands scattered throughout.
When we finished up, we were hungry and quite sweaty. Most restaurants had already closed, but we stopped at Miyajima Ichiwa for a bite before returning to Kikunoya. Amy and I split up to go into the gender-seperated onsens.
Onsens are Japanese bath houses that traditionally require showering before entering naked and relaxing in the hot springs. As a first timer, it was a bit strange and overwhelming, but I was the only one there anyway. Amy and I met up after an hour or so, then watched the first half of Zootopia in our room before falling asleep.
Friday 10/3
Hiroshima: Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium
For the entire day, there was a consistent and moderate downpour. Japanese umbrellas are cheap and available everywhere, so we picked up two on our walk back to the ferry. At 12:00pm, we left Miyajima and returned to Peace Park in Hiroshima.
We were slowly accumulating souvenirs, so we bought an additional roller suitcase at “Don Don Don… Don Quiote!”. Then, we walked 30 minutes through the shopping district of Hiroshima across the city to the Red Helmet Hostel. We checked in, ate burgers at Nick Stock, then went to Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium.
We had tickets for the Hiroshima Carp game against the Yakult Swallows. Despite the steady rain, the game was not canceled. We suited up in bright red Carp ponchos and went to our uncovered seats in left field.
Japanese baseball games are a lot of fun, and much more interactive than American ones. There was a live band leading chants for each player as they stepped up to the plate. The food was unique and everything we tried was delicious. During the 7th inning stretch, all the fans blew up and released balloons into the air.
One interesting difference I noticed during the game was the Japanese pitching style which included an upright leg lift with a pause then a drop-and-drive delivery. This style generates power from the lower body, rather than relying on pure arm strength like the American style. This technique is supposedly better for the longevity of the pitchers.
The game ended with a 6-1 Carp defeat. It was a short walk back to Red Helmet, and we spent the rest of the evening at the bar. Two friendly Japanese men recognized that we were American and wrote a message for us via Google Translate. They thanked us for visiting Japan, said they loved America, and bought us two Lemon Squash drinks. It was so sweet and we translated a sincere, “thank you” in return.
Saturday 10/4
Kii-Tanabe: Benkei Matsuri
When I said that riding a Shinkensen was a bucket list iem of mine, I lied. My actual bucket list included riding a kawaii Shinkensen . I did some last minute research and found we could ride on a Hello Kitty bullet train on our way back to Osaka. It is such a flex for Japan to pioneer the fastest ground transportation network in the world, and then theme it to Hello Kitty.
This train made more stops than the line we had taken south, but we still made it to Shin-Osaka in good time. The World Expo was taking place in Osaka (an event we had zero interest in attending), and the train station was complete and utter chaos. We also had to do some bag shuffling to prepare for several days of hiking, then paid store our extra luggage with a company at the station. When that was finally done, it was still no easy task to navigate the crowds, buy tickets, and find the correct JR platform. In fact, we did not correctly purchase “reserved” tickets and could not board the train until we figured that out and waited another hour. At length, we were on board heading to Kii-Tanabe.
Tanabe is a coastal town on the Kii peninsula in the Wakayama prefecture. The train ride there is beautiful, even in the rain. The town is popular for being the gateway to the Kumano Kodo, a pilgrimage route in the Kii mountains that we planned four days to hike. When we arrived, we briefly stopped in the Kumano Kodo visitor center attached to the train station, then walked to Tsukasa Guest House.
We took a recommendation from the host to eat dinner at Shinbe. We finally felt comfortable ordering sashimi and were served a plate with a half dozen raw sea critters. The fish was so fresh and tender, like I had never tasted before. The unagi sushi and sweet potato croquette balls also hit.
The buzz around town was a firework show at the beach. We went expecting a small town display of fountain sparklers, but were absolutely blown away by a dazzling, twenty minute show featuring epic fireworks that I had never seen before.
It seemed every resident in Tanabe was at the beach for a local festival. There were countless food vendors and even a dance performance on a stage. Considering this was entirely unplanned for us, it was a great surprise and a unique way to see the culture of Tanabe. Before too late, we returned to the guesthouse to get an early start tomorrow.
Sunday 10/5 – Wednesday 10/8
Kumano Kodo: Takijiri, Chikatsuyu, Hongu Taisha, Yunomine Onsen, Koguchi, Nachi Taisha
We spent four days hiking the ancient pilgrimage route of the Kumano Kodo. This was a highlight of our Japan trip, and I covered the entire journey on a separate post. Click here to read about the adventure.
Thursday 10/9
Kii-Katsuura: Benten Island, Tsukiji, Shin-Osaka
My awesome bartender from the night before recommended the cafe he also worked at for breakfast. Amy and I went and we enjoyed some pretty stellar coffee, as well as what was probably the best french toast I’ve ever eaten.
It was a sunny day with strong winds and rough waters. Most of the Kii Peninsula coastline between Shirahama to Katsuura is stunningly beautiful, but being able to walk up to the unique rock formations near Benten Island was a highlight. Massive waves crashed against the stone pillars. It was so very beautiful.
Back towards the heart Katsuura, we swung by the Tsukiji Fish Market. Every morning, the tuna boats return from their long line expeditions and a tuna auction takes place. Most of the catch is exported to restaurants in big cities like Osaka, but plenty of fish stays in town. We ordered more tuna bowls from a random vendor at the seafood market and saw them literally scraping the meat off of the carcus.
We had a long train ride ahead, so decided to catch the next one bound for Osaka. 4 hours later, we arrived at Shin-Osaka, picked up our bags, then hopped on the metro to our hotel in Higobashi.
Osaka is the food capital of Japan, and we started with two large plates of Japanese curry at Oretachino-curry ya. The brown curry sauce was delectable when paired with breaded pork and shrimp.
We walked down the street to “a bar” for a nightcap. We struck up conversation with an Irish couple celebrating their 40th anniversary and lamented over the current state of US politics with them. Before heading back to the hotel, we picked up premium parfaits from Number Kuma. Amy and I agreed that despite the amazing presentation, the desserts themselves were too expensive and nothing special taste-wise.
Friday 10/10
Osaka: Tempozan, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Dotonburi
Happy 27th Birthday Amy! She requested an oat milk latte, and oat milk has been difficult to come by in Japan other than ol’ reliable Starbucks. Afterwards, we took the metro across the city to Tempozan.
The Tempozan Ferris Wheel was a perfect way to spend twenty minutes. Tickets were reasonably cheap and there was no queue for the standard cabins. The ferris wheel was huge and gave us a great view of Osaka Bay and the expansive city, primarily the Tempozan Bridge, Universal Studios, and the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, our next stop.
This aquarium is one of a kind and has an incredible variety of marine life. The route took us on a coastal tour of the continents, featuring penguins in Antarctica and an arapaima in the rainforest.
Then, we entered the featured, Pacific Ocean room. There were literally two whale sharks swimming around an enormous center tank, truly unbelievable. Other amazing creatures included a devil ray, ocean sunfish, and sand tiger shark.
A separate tank housed a half dozen white-sided dolphins that swam around energetically, even jumping out of the water. Lastly, we strolled through the depths to find nightmarish, Japanese spider crabs.
After the aquarium, we headed back to Namba station for a reservation at the Pokemon Cafe. I was able to make a reservation the day before (likely due to a cancellation). Attached to the shop is a store offering loads of Pokemon merchandise.
The cafe had amazing themeing. The waitresses were dressed as nurses from PokeCenters and various Pokemon sat at tables around the cafe. 100+ Pokemon can be used as foam art for the lattes we ordered. We also split an adorable, Pikachu souffle pancake dessert. Towards the end of our meal, there was a show featuring a dancing Pikachu. We realized that this place was not really meant for adults when, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” started playing…
What was meant for adults was our dinner at Ushinokura Namba. This yakiniku restaurant specialized in premium, wagyu beef. Yakiniku refers to the dining style where guests themselves grill thin slices of raw meat on a griddle. We splurged on a Kuroge Wagyu platter with a variety of cuts and vegetables. The was certainly the best meal we are in Japan and perhaps the best steak I have eaten in my life.
Our final venture was a stroll around Dōtonbori, a bustling dining and shopping district along the Dōtonbori River. The crowds here on Saturday night exceeded even those of the busiest parts of Tokyo. We saw the iconic Glico Man sign, a Don Quiote so large it had its own ferris wheel, and hundreds upon hundreds of restaurants with giant crabs or octopi hanging above the entrances.
Saturday 10/11
Osaka: Namba Park, Toho Cinemas
We started the morning with a trip to the Osaka branch of the world’s greatest coffee shop, Glitch Coffee. Then, we ate pastries next door at the City Bakery.
At this point in the trip, we were starting to feel some burn out. Japan can certainly feel overwhelming if every day involves sightseeing within crowded tourist destinations.
We took the opportunity to chill out at Namba Park and hunt for exclusive Beyblades for Amy’s brother. Then, after strolling through the city, we ended up at Moegi to try some Osaka-style Okonomiyaki. In contrast to Hiroshima-style, a pancake-esque base is used in lieu of noodles. Both styles are delicious, must-try cuisine and I would cannot claim to be partial to either.
We did some people watching in a busy plaza. I drank a few craft beers from some street vendors. Then, it was time for more food, since the absolute best thing to do in Japan is eat. I tried a fast food chain called 551 Horai that specialized in Chinese pork dumplings and gyoza. I cannot believe how good it tasted for the price.
Lastly, we watched the new Tron: Ares in Imax at Toho Cinemas. I thought the movie was mid, but it featured a few scenes with excellent special effects and the soundtrack was killer. This time, we snuck out of the theater before the credits finished rolling.
Sunday 10/12
Nara: Todai-ji, Great Buddah Statue, Higashimuki
We set our sights for Nara, a city with tremendous historical significance in Japan, but is now mostly known for being a deer petting zoo. As soon as we left the train station, we saw deer. Vendors were selling crackers to tourists to hand feed them. To be fair, they were pretty cute, but the scene was a bit off-putting.
We walked to Todai-ji as the skies started to sprinkle down rain. Fortunately, there was a museum we sought shelter inside and learned about the temple before exploring further. Photos were not allowed, but we saw several intricate religious sculptures from over a thousand years ago excavated from the area. We also learned the history of the Great Buddah statue.
We walked under the Todai Chumon gate to the main hall that housed the Buddah. It was as Great as advertised. Around the massive statue in the center were a number of other statues and shrines.
We left and walked under our umbrellas to the Higashimuki shopping district for lunch at Wakakuse Curry. After eating, we hopped over to Kofuku-ji. The pagoda was undergoing a renovation project and was blocked with scaffolding.
There was not a ton more to do in Nara and we did not really feel like walking across town again to see the other shrines, so we left to head back to Osaka. Japan is known for high quality stationary items, so Amy went shopping for a a bullet journal and pens.
We ate dinner at a conveyer belt sushi chain called Kura. One of these actually opened in Pittsburgh a few years ago, we we were interested to see how it compared. In Japan, sushi is much simpler and rolls rarely have more than just seaweed, rice, and one fish. It may sound obvious, but you will not find Philadelphia cream cheese in authentic sushi.
Monday 10/13
Kyoto: GEAR Theater, Yasaka Shrine, Kodaiji Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera
Kyoto is convenient, thirty minute train ride from Osaka. Rather than relocate there for one or more nights, we used Osaka as a home base and just made a day trip. Our first stop was a stroll through the Nishiki Market, which did not stand out compared to the dozens of other street markets in Japan, but was still worth a visit for food and window shopping.
We booked two tickets a few days in advance for the GEAR Theater. The show was non-verbal (perfect for foreigners) and featured a little bit of everything between dancing, magic, illusion, and juggling. All of this was weaved throughout a humorous and surprisingly heartfelt story about robots working in a toy factory who find a magical doll. Overall, it was a fantastically entertaining show.
We ate lunch at a chain called CoCo Curry, which was fine, but a noticeable step down from the other curries we tried. Then, it was time to explore more of Kyoto, the cultural juggernaut of Japan.
Kyoto is a beautiful city enclosed with rolling green hills and split in half by the Kamo River. It is known for its many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. From the market, we headed to Yasaka Shrine. Away from the gate is a quiet park to escape most of the crowds.
We walked south to Kodaiji Shrine. A small entrance fee included access to several of the buildings in the complex, as well as the bamboo forest.
Lastly, we walked through some narrow, Edo-period styled streets that were packed with tourists to reach Kiyomizu-dera. The sunset illuminated the bright orange, three story pagoda and we had a fabulous view of the city.
By this point, it was fair to see we were experiencing “temple fatigue”. Japan has so many historically significant temples that it is all but impossible to see them all. After visiting a few dozen in the past three weeks, the novelty was fading. We left Kyoto after visiting a fraction of the attractions, but we were okay with that. If anything, it gave us a reason to come back one day.
We took a train back to Osaka and stopped at, you guessed it, 7-Eleven. Amy tried another one of the frozen fruit smoothies that you can blend in a machine yourself. I bought a pack of custard buns. My favorite offerings were definitely the egg salad sandwiches, iced coffee, milk and sugar donuts, and most importantly, the Strong Zero 9% abv drinks.
Tuesday 10/14
Hakone: Gora Brewery, Azito Guesthouse
We cleared out of our tiny hotel room and said goodbye to Osaka. We made our way onto a Shinkensen bound for Nagoya, which included a transfer with an hour wait to reach Odawara. Shinkensens have limited stops outside of the major cities, and reaching the small coastal city south of Tokyo required us to wait for a specific train.
From Oduwara, we took one final train to Hakone-Yumoto. It was already 3:00pm at this point, so our options were limited for the remainder of the day. This town is the gateway to Hakone, a mountainous region known for its close proximity to Mt. Fuji. For the first time all trip, it was actually a bit chilly at 55°.
We checked into Azito Guesthouse and went to the westernized, Gora Brewery Public House for dinner. The food and beer were solid, but it was expensive. The value dining strategy in Japan is always street food, which tends to be nearly as good as most restaurants for a fraction of the price.
It was dark and rainy when we left, so we spent the rest of the night at the bar attached to our guesthouse. We met a retired Canadian woman travelling solo throughout Asia.
Our accomodation in the Azito Guesthouse was the top of a full-size capsule bunk. It was quite comfortable and felt like we were sleeping in a pillow fort.
Wednesday 10/15
Hakone: Gora, Owakudani, Lake Ashi, Motohakone
The most popular way to see the Hakone region is by traveling “the loop”. It recruits several modes of transportation to reach towns like Togendai and Motohakone on the shore of the Lake Ashi. Despite this lake supposedly having one of the best views of Mt. Fuji in the country, we learned the hard way that the elusive peak is only visible about 80 days per year.
We began with taking a train, the “Romancecar”, up the mountain to Gora. Compared to standard Japanese trains, the cars were elevated (pun intended). The 8% grade of the track made it one of the steepest rail lines in the world. We made three switchbacks on the way up the mountain.
The train unloaded at Gora, an area with several shops and a few attractions if you explore further. We transferred next to a cable car that went even steeper on its way to Souzan Station. There was an observation deck at the top with a nice view despite the heavy fog.
Next, we boarded a cable car and climbed even higher above an active geothermic site, Owakudani. The air reeked of sulphur. Below the lookout platforms, we could see gas venting out the side of the mountain.
Another cable car transfer took us down to Togendai. We explored the shore of Lake Ashi for bit, but again, it was a rainy, cloudy day and we unfortunately had no clue about the whereabouts of the 3,776 meter mountain. We went to Miyoshi for lunch of soba noodles, served cold with soy sauce.
Naturally, visitors can board a pirate ship to ferry across the lake. The cruise took around 25 minutes and was a very cool way to experience the caldera. As the boat neared the eastern shore, we spied a few shrine gates.
We deboarded at Motohakone. This scenic spot had plenty to keep us occupied, including the Hakone Shrine, the Peace Gate, and some quiet walking trails in the woods. Later, we ate some cheesecake at the Hakone Cheese Terrace and I got a delicious curry bread at Bakery & Table.
The final connection to return to Hakone-Yumoto is perhaps the least exciting and the most nauseating. A bus operating at concerningly high speeds winded down the mountain roads. It dropped us off two minutes from our hostel.
After a nice long break laying down, we left to grab dinner at Box Burger. My burger was made with local Soshu beef, fresh bacon, and onion rings. It was honestly one of the best burgers I have ever eaten.
Thursday 10/16
Tokyo: Shinjuku, Okubo
Today was another day mostly dedicated to travel. As the vacation wore on, we packed fewer and fewer activities into our plans. We took a train into Tokyo first thing in the morning. From Hakone-Yumoto, it was possible to ride in the upgraded Romancecar all the way to Shinjuku, but it was a bit more expensive and taking standard connections had us there faster.
Our final hotel stay was the E-Hotel in Shinjuku. Just down the street was Okubo, Tokyo’s Koreatown. We headed that way for lunch and were immediately struck with K-Pop music blaring from the stores. Apparently, it was Jimin’s (from BTS) birthday a few days ago, and many places had shrine-like displays dedicated to his persona.
We ate at bulgolgi at イチャドル. We noticed just how different Korean food was from what we had been eating. Korean cusine seemed to place a much greater emphasis on vegetables and flavorful sauces, while Japanese food focused on simple and subtle flavors.
We took a nap in the hotel room, then went for a walk around the chaotic streets of Shinjuku. We are not really party people and furthermore, had no desire to follow the scantily clad maids into clubs, so this was mostly just for exercise.
To end the night, we stopped at Don Quiote for some last minute gifts and souvenirs. That place really does have everything.
Friday 10/17
Tokyo: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Our final day in Japan arrived. The flight was not until 6:50pm, so we had some time to mope around in the morning after a tough Steelers loss. We drank coffee at Tully’s, then went on a walk to enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather.
We paid a small fee to enter Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, a gorgeous park on the west side of Tokyo. There were several distinct areas, including a traditional Japanese garden and a woods with bald cypress trees. We spent a nice long while just sitting in the grass, soaking in the ambiance with the other visitors. What a vacation it had been.
Earlier than needed, we began the journey to the Haneda Airport on a few connecting metro lines. The security was lightning fast and we were chilling at the lounge in no time. The lounge had a solid selection of food, as well as a self-service bar with a draft beer machine that poured a perfect head every time.
Our flight was through Japan Airlines and was a great experience overall: comfortable seats, excellent service, and palatable meals. Our connection at JFK went seamlessly, and before we knew it, the sixteen hours of travel back to Pittsburgh were behind us.