May 1 through May 6, 2023
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." - Pablo Picasso
If this quote refers to souvenirs, I'm rockin' it. I have now accumulated enough "gifts" that we needed to buy an extra suitcase in Thailand to carry it all (my bad) but luckily we haven't (yet) had to pay any extra baggage fees and it's working out well. When we are in the US next month, we'll be able to offload that extra suitcase and travel lighter in our final month :)
Tokyo was our first stop in Japan and it was a good starting point. Art played in a backgammon tournament while I explored the city. Luckily I had been here before (with Ariel 💓) so I knew enough of the area to feel comfortable traveling on my own. However we still found the train system baffling at first (despite all efforts, and even with help from train staff), and we could not figure out how to buy a transit card at the station. None of our credit cards would do it, and the staff kept sending us to different offices, all of which were wrong. Eventually we gave up, took taxis, and figured it out at the hotel that night (thanks to some travel bloggers' helpful videos!). Art and I did wander around Shibuya for a bit on our own, visited the Hachiko dog statue (still a big hit with tourists), and had a local lunch. That's another challenge here: there is a huge language barrier and most restaurants' signs are only in Japanese. It's been challenging figuring things out, but we're resourceful and we haven't gone hungry yet.
I spent the week exploring and wandering around Tokyo, which was happily in the middle of Golden Week when the country has a week-long holiday with special events. Although the cherry blossoms bloomed last month, I saw plenty of other things including: Yoyogi Park which boasts the famous Meiji Shrine, Shibuya Scramble (crazy intersection), Shibuya Sky tower (for great views), Harajuku (different great views), Uemo Park (which has museums, a zoo, and lots of green space), a dog cafe (which was frankly kinda depressing), and the fun/funky areas of Shinjuku and Akihabara. There were plenty of things to see and plenty of tourists, but we were told that most of the crowds left after the cherry blossoms were done (yay!).
I learned late in the week that the cherry blossoms were not quite done blooming in the north of Japan so (with Art's blessing) I hopped a plane and did a quick overnight trip to Sapporo on Hokkaido island (better known for its mountains and skiing). It was well worth it as there were a few beautiful trees worth seeing (I wandered the botanical gardens and a nearby park) plus I got to see a whole other part of Japan (which by the way was 10 degrees cooler!). As a bonus, on my flight back, I was put in First Class (only the second time in my life!) and got to experience all of that!! It was so awesome, the food was great, they addressed me by name (love that), and my seat was so comfy! I didn't even have to make idle chitchat because they was a barrier between me and my seatmate (love that even more).
Art's backgammon tournament went well - he didn't win but he had fun - and I got to hear him give one of his two lectures (which were well received despite the language barrier and translation delay). We did try out many foods in our week in Tokyo - enjoyed some ramen, gyoza, wagyu beef, soup curry, and yakitori. Definitely lots of meat (and fish) in this city!
Final aside: our hotel was lovely and charming (read: small rooms) and had an in-house communal bath. I, of course, had to check it out. It was fascinating - Japanese people sure are comfortable in their own bodies in front of strangers, clearly okay with communal washing, and clearly comfortable with being in steaming-hot tubs of water. It was quite an experience and my body felt raw but invigorated at the same time :)
Off to Osaka next!
Deena and Art
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May 7 through May 12, 2023
Osaka was our next stop and was a whole different kind of vibe. The city is an interesting mix of old and new, crazy and calm. We've been told that Osaka is where people can "let loose" and Kyoto is more low-key and traditional :)
We took a 2-hour Shinkansen bullet train here (love that; would have been a 6-8 hour drive otherwise) and arrived to a very long queue for taxis (due to end of Golden Week crowds?). Despite a full day of travel and waiting for a taxi and needing to check into our hotel, we had plans to go to one of Art's backgammon friend's house for dinner and wound up with no real downtime in between. The dinner was quite lovely, the woman's home was fantastic, the menu was uniquely authentic (we both loved the wagyu beef, though I didn't love that it came with raw egg, and I *really* hated the tongue), the dessert was a fancy super-expensive delicious melon, the other guests were delightful even if not many spoke English (one spoke Spanish so I tried my best), and by the end of the night my social battery was spent. Glad we went but it was all very tiring (for me). Hopefully we showed the appropriate amount of appreciation and respect.
We did two tours, one was to see Osaka Castle (kind of the main can't-miss sight and quite beautiful, even without the cherry blossoms) and local markets and neighborhoods. Our first tour guide was originally from Israel and gave his inside view as an ex-pat (although he and Art connected pretty well, I personally found his manner and comments grating at times). On this tour, we got to see Koreatown and eat some delicious street food (I really need to eat more Korean food when I get back); see some of the gambling institutions (Japan has figured out ways to allow people to do slots and pachinko even though gambling is illegal); take in some views from atop a hotel (free views!); check out the fancy shops that charge crazy high prices for gifts and fruit ($120+ for melon, $100 for a bunch of grapes); visit the Times-Square-like area of Dotonbori where we also got to do a lovely canal boat ride (Osaka is sort of the "Venice of the Far East"); see restaurants where you can fish for your dinner and others where Sumo wrestlers go to eat enormous amounts of food (and you can too!). The second tour (interestingly led by an Irish ex-pat) had some overlap but mostly covered the lesser-seen backstreets of Osaka and topics like the red-light district (where we got to see women "on display"); homelessness (somehow this is an issue here); abandoned houses; alcohol which is readily available in vending machines; Japanese street food like "octopus balls" (we were almost the only ones on the tour who chose not to eat these, sorry); and gambling of all kinds.
We spent one of our final days visiting a book store - partly because I wanted a specific book to read and somehow got locked out of my Amazon account and couldn't get in despite calling them for hours - and partly because I think I prefer books to reading on a device (I'm that rare breed, I know). Not only did I find the book I wanted in English but Art then looked for his books there and found them (!) in Japanese. So fun! Later we met up with a backgammon friend to have dinner (a fancy famous place, owned by the woman whose house we ate at, which had a very specific tempura-type menu that only sort of worked for us), then went to see a magic show which was pretty good (and occasionally so-so) - Art may have his own opinions on this LOL.
On our last day in Osaka, I went off to explore on my own (which I very much enjoyed) and Art went off to play backgammon with his friend. I visited Umeda area which feels very much like NYC with lots to see and do and eat. I got to see the famous ferris wheel (closed that day unfortunately); get a massage; wander the extensive gourmet food hall; shop at a Daiso store in Japan (!); see the cool "water clock"; and enjoy a delicious ramen dinner. Along the way, I got lost many times and got to experience friendly and polite locals who did their best to help me find my way (for the most part) despite the language barrier. At first I found it very surprising how much the language barrier is an issue for all ages here, but then again we only speak English in the US and we expect our tourists to as well :)
Much like Tokyo, the infrastructure here is great (Art's loving the bidets!), tap water is safe to drink, the streets are super clean (no one eats in public, but oddly there are very few trash cans?), and public transport is wonderful. Next up: quick journey to Kyoto (we do love the bullet train)!
Deena and Art
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May 13 through May 15, 2023
Kyoto is considered the more low-key, traditional city, as opposed to Osaka's vibrant vibe, and it didn't disappoint. We got there by bullet train (very quick trip!) and immediately got started seeing the sights. We went to the Fushimi Inari shrine which is aesthetically gorgeous with thousands (?) of orange poles leading up to the shrine. It obviously attracts worshipers, tourists, and Instagrammers alike. We had no idea how far the walk to the top would be (way farther than expected plus it was a warm day) but suffice it to say we made it as far as we wished to go. We got the flavor and the view and enjoyed the hike. That evening we had ramen for dinner (again!), this time with a different kind of soup base. We're becoming quite the experts on ramen. Sorry to say we have no interest in the fish or sushi this country is famous for. We can confirm, however, that their Krispy Kreme donuts are up to US standards :)
The next day we took a private rickshaw tour of Gion and Higashiyama. We got to see several shrines, temples (one of which has a cool tradition where you throw coins into the shrine overhang/basket, which Art successfully did twice!), restaurants, kimono rental shops, geisha houses (yes that's very much still a profession here), and an art museum. The rickshaw driver had the most massive muscular thighs I have ever seen in my life which I guess works well for all the running and pulling he does all day long. It was quite impressive. Later we had lunch at another ramen place, which we liked even more. In the evening we explored the Kyoto train station which was fairly extensive and not that expensive, and wound up at a "pizza" place, which (happily) had only a medium-sized queue. The food turned out to be a strange incarnation of pizza (everyone told us we had to try Japanese pizza but this was not for us); luckily we ordered other stuff too so we didn't starve. Always fun to check out a country's version of another country's food :)
The next day we ventured off to Nara where we'd heard you could see/pet/feed deer. Super fun! We found our way out there (it's about an hour away on a special train) and boy, were there plenty of deer, ready and waiting for the tourists. The deer are considered sacred and are well cared for and they have their own parks and museum lawns. The tourists can only feed them deer biscuits (costs about $1.50 for 5) and the deer know this; they have even learned to imitate a bow to get food. However they have also become a bit aggressive and expect the food immediately. They've been known to bite (this happened to Art once but not seriously), kick, and butt tourists. We managed to survive the experience which was fun and exciting, given the slight risks. We also ventured around Nara to the tourist shopping area as well as a nearby temple (Todai-ji) which is one of the oldest wooden structures and has one of the largest Buddha statues. (Disclaimer: we might be close to seeing our limit of temples, shrines, and Buddha statues.) For lunch we found a nice little Indian place (yay, not ramen!).
In the afternoon I made my way to a local Toastmasters meeting which I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing. The meeting was all in English, which was new and challenging for most of the members. Although I arrived a bit late (I won't point fingers as to why...), I was able to participate in some parts of the meeting and I felt very welcomed. It was even Mother's Day in Japan too and that played a part in the Table Topics. Besides language, the meeting was very much like the ones in the US and very familiar. The main difference was everyone had to wear masks (Japan was one of the last countries to open after Covid so things are just a bit different here) and no one shook hands (most bowed). I had a great time and I'm pretty sure the group photo is now on their Facebook page (!).
On our final day, we had ramen for lunch (again!) and then I went off to explore more of Kyoto (Art went back to the hotel for a nap since he'd been up super early to play in an online backgammon tournament). I visited a famous temple (which it turned out that Ariel and I had been to but I forgot that) and Kyoto Tower, which had a lovely aerial view of the city. For dinner we ventured back to the train station (many places to eat there!). Overall we really enjoyed Kyoto's more relaxed, less crowded vibe; we left some sights/temples/shrines for our next visit :) Art's still in love with the bidets (planning to buy one when we return), I'm in love with being able to brush my teeth with tap water, and we both love the trains and solid infrastructure. Less in love with the smoking, the rule against eating while walking, the weird lack of trash cans, and the minimal options for those who don't eat fish ;)
Next stop is Hiroshima, which we only recently learned is the site of the G7 Summit from May 19-21 (this may impact what we can do and see but probably not *too* much). Maybe we'll run into President Biden ;)
Deena and Art
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May 16 through May 19, 2023
Hiroshima was a short stay and it was a good thing it was, because the G7 Summit was being held there this year at the very same time! We didn't realize this before booking but it worked out alright anyway. The Summit was May 19-21 but really things got underway on May 18 and there was a whole lot of logistics and security, as you can imagine. We got there by bullet train on May 16 in time to do a little wandering around.
Since Hiroshima was the site of the first nuclear bomb being dropped in the world (1945), and of course had disastrous consequences, the city has become a symbol of remembrance and commitment to peace. You can't miss the dozens of memorials and monuments, including the Peace Bell and the Atomic Bomb Dome (the only building that was left standing) and the Eternal Flame. We walked all around Hiroshima Peace Park, stopping for moments of reflection and even happening upon a group of schoolkids singing a prayer of peace. It was definitely worth a visit.
The second day there (and really our only full day before the G7 restrictions took over), we made our way by train and ferry to Miyajima Island. This was challenging logistically, especially since my transit card started acting wonky the day before. After some words with the transit officials (don't even ask), and forking over even more money (though we were sure we were being fleeced), we finally got to the island. It's a lovely place not far from Hiroshima but has more of a spiritual nature feel to it (think "Catalina Island") and not nearly as many people. It also has deer but you're not allowed to feed them (so they're not aggressive LOL). The awesome thing about Miyajima is the Itsukushima Shrine that sits in the harbor. When the tide is high, about 1/3 (or 1/4?) of the shrine is submerged in the water; when the tide is low, you can actually walk right out to the shrine (kind of like walking on the ocean floor). It happens twice a day and is pretty cool to witness. We of course took more than a few photos of these two episodes :)
Since we were waiting between high and low tide, we also ventured further into the island and went to the nature park up near Misen Mountain. There's a moderate hike up to a cable car and then a decent length cable car ride across the forest, which makes it the only cable car that goes over a world heritage site forest (I think). In any case, it was quite beautiful and we sure got our steps in that day!
Finding a place to eat that didn't serve fish was a bit challenging (it is an island after all). We were about to give up when we saw one of the deer standing at the door of a restaurant (maybe he was part of a marketing ploy ;) We took his advice and had a very nice lunch. When we left it was hard to keep him from coming into the restaurant but the owner was "on it" (I'm guessing this happens a lot) and directed him back by the water. It was pretty cute to watch :)
We did venture out on our final day in Hiroshima, to find dinner (actually found a cool American bar/joint with reasonable prices - yay strong dollar!), to check out an amazing bookstore/tech store/toy store, and... to do karaoke (you read that right). There are tons of karaoke places in Japan, so we thought we'd give it a try. As it turns out, most of the places are single booth rooms where you sing in front of a screen with lyrics and music in the background.... so happily no public embarrassment issues :) It was a whole new world for us ;) and if I do say so, we rocked it (!) and we'll be taking our show on the road soon.
The security in Hiroshima for the G7 was quite incredible -- sooo many police everywhere especially in the shopping mall areas, plus all the storage lockers could not be accessed, plus no one could use trash bins (not that there are many anyway). As far as I know, there have not been any incidents (thankfully). I still think it was pretty cool to be in the same country (not the US) as the President and essentially hitting the same tour spots :)
We headed out the morning of May 19 to Tokyo (a 4-hour bullet train this time!). Just a few days left in Japan ...😦
Deena and Art
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May 20 through May 23, 2023
Final days in Japan... we finished up our 3 weeks here with a final 4 days in Tokyo. Took the bullet train from Hiroshima back to Tokyo (4+ pleasant hours), picked up our 3rd suitcase held for us by a local backgammon player :), and stayed in the east part of Tokyo closer to the water/pier. Every city here seems to have its own personality and even the neighborhoods within the cities are quite different. It was nice to have the opportunity to check out so many of them (and leave some for next time?).
I filled our last few days with big ticket items and excursions. I did a tour to view Mt Fuji which is an iconic sacred mountain here, and is often obscured by clouds, so getting to see it is a hit-or-miss proposition. As it happened, the day we were supposed to take the tour, we got a bit lost trying to find the meetup spot and missed the tour altogether (if only we'd left the hotel with more cushion time ... 😞). I was lucky enough to find a tour the next day and it was perfectly clear outside so I got some great photos (but it was one of the few times that I did wish I still had my "big camera" with me). The tour also included some local natural beauty (parks/lakes/gardens) which was an added bonus and a much-appreciated change of scenery from urban Tokyo.
The next day we ventured out to Tokyo Disneyland, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. I just had to see it for myself and check out how it differs from LA's version. There was a lot in common, layout and rides and such, but some key differences were the price (half as expensive as LA), the lighter crowds (but maybe that was affected by the day/season), and the fact that everyone spoke Japanese (shows/songs/characters). If you're familiar with Disney, it doesn't really matter what they're saying, you already know the tunes and lyrics and plots. We went on a trackless Beauty and the Beast ride, saw a creative Donald Duck and the Philharmonic interactive movie experience, went on It's a Small World (but never spotted the US characters ...?), and enjoyed seeing "real live" Disney characters. The locals' reactions to all of this was much like the US, and perhaps more polite. Considering we were on no particular timetable, we stayed until we were "done" and headed out (and happily found a local Mexican place that was similar to Chipotle for dinner and served great burritos).
Lastly we went to tour the Japan National Stadium where the previous Olympics were held in 2021. We got to see/touch the torch, the podiums, the track (and run on it!), and basically "feel" the athletes' experience. Very cool; highly recommended and not crowded at all (possibly because it was raining that day :-). We even got to see supportive messages the athletes had scrawled on the walls of the locker room and the parking garage. What a strange experience that Olympics must have been for them, mid-Covid and with almost no fans in the stands!
We learned so much in our time visiting Japan: that this is a very advanced country with strong infrastructure, that the train system is amazing and punctual (but you do need to allow extra time to figure it out :), that the people are hospitable and thoughtful, that there is a ton to see in this relatively small country, that the food is delicious (even if you don't eat sushi/sashimi/fish) especially the ramen and wagyu beef, and that the overall cost was fairly reasonable (possibly because of the strong dollar).
I think 3 weeks was enough time to visit on this go-around but there was much more to be seen. Not only would I like to come back again someday, I'd say Japan is high on my list of places I would consider living as an alternative to the US :)
We head(ed) to the US next, first with a quick turnaround in Claremont (to hug Laurel), then a week in NYC (to hug Ariel). Also conveniently it was a place to repack, switch out clothes for new ones, shed souvenirs and stuff, and go through (tons of) mail. So happy to see our girls again!
Deena and Art
Bonus (for those readers who actually read this whole post!!) ...
Art came up with a parody song for Japan (if you love it, we worked on it together; if you hate it, it was all his idea 😂)
In my last days in Tok-y-o, my husband gave to me:
12 shrines for photos
11 lakes to visit
10 rickshaw runners
9 cones of ice cream
8 wagyu beef meals
7 bowls of ramen
6 karaokes
5 Olympic rings!
4 bullet trains
3 biting deer
2 tower views
and a great view of Mount Fu-uji!
high quality post -- great work!
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