We left Hiroshima to drive to Kyoto where Graham and his girlfriend, Liana, were to meet us for our last leg of the trip. They also joined us for part of our week in Tokyo.
Kyoto
We had been here earlier in the trip but thought it would be good for Graham to see the sites in Kyoto so we returned and spent five nights. We arrived mid-afternoon and dropped of the rental car that we had had for the past month. Graham and Liana's flight arrived in Osaka after 6pm and they got to the hotel after midnight. They had dinner in Osaka so they could see Namba and then came to the hotel.
Accommodations:
Mimaru Suites Kyoto Shijo - We got a two bedroom suite with a separate living room with a table and chairs, sofa, a mini kitchen and combo washer/drier. The place was great - clean, roomy and comfortable. They provided free beer and sake during happy hour in the lobby.
Activities:
Day in Arashiyama - We took the Sagano Romantic Train Ride up the gorge with really nice views of the river. We had intended on doing the boat ride back down but they were sold old so we had to take the regular train back. We walked through the Bamboo Forest and and then the Okochi Sanso Gardens - both of which we had done on our prior time in Kyoto. This time the leaves were changing colors so the gardens were beautiful. We then walked through the Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street which was really pretty with traditional homes. We tried to go to a temple that was near there but it was closed.
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| Bamboo Forest |
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| Okochi Sanso Gardens |
Morning in Nara - We took the train out to Nara and walked through the park to see the deer. We also went to Todai-ji Temple to show Graham and Liana the impressive temple with the giant buddha. New to us was the Isuien Garden which was just beautiful, especially with the fall leaves. Definitely our favorite garden of the trip.
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| Todai-ji Temple |
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| Isuien Garden |
Tea Ceremony - We participated in a tea ceremony where they dressed us up in kimonos and we learned about the Japanese tea ceremony tradition and how to make matcha tea. The instructor was great - informative, nice and funny! While Shawna is not a fan of tea, the experience was really great.
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| Tea Ceremony |
One day, Graham and Liana went up to Kurama to go to an onsen, hike to the Kuramadera Temple and then see the lantern festival at the Kifune Shrine. Shawna's knee was not in good shape so we stayed behind and relaxed instead.
Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa - We visited this old villa that was owned by the Mitsui family who were merchants. The villa was built in 1925. After this, we walked across the river on stone steps and then walked along the Kyoto Gardens to get to Nishiki Market.
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| Old Mitsui Villa |
Nishiki Market - We walked through the market so they could see all of the food stalls and vendors.
Kyomizu-dera - We took them to one of our favorite temples which has amazing views and an incredible wooden platform that is over 400 years old. Unfortunately by the time we got there, it was dark so they could not see as much and there were a crazy amount of people.
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| View from Kyomizu-dera at night |
Japanese Art Show - We attended a 50 minute show at Gion Corner where there were several 'mini' performances showcasing Japanese art form - a women making tea, a woman doing a flower arrangement, a few musicians and dancers with masks, a comedy routine and lastly two Geishas dancing. While it was interesting, we were also glad it was only 50 minutes!
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| Gion Corner Theater |
Restaurants:
Saga Tofu-Ine North Branch - We had lunch at this place located in Arashiyama that specializes in tofu dishes. So what did we do? We both a beef rice bowl - so yummy!
Kakimaru Ayanokoji - We had dinner at this place near our hotel that specializes in oysters. We ordered several dishes for the table, including oysters which were very good. We also liked the sashimi, shrimp and fried avocado.
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| Dinner at Kakimaru Ayanokoji |
Ryosho - We had dinner at this Michelin two star restaurant located in the Gion (Geisha) district. There were only nine seats at a counter and we had a 12 course tasting menu and a five glass wine pairing. Everything was very good except we were not as impressed with the sashimi.
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| Dinner at Ryosho |
Taku Sando - We had lunch at this counter service tonkatsu sandwich place. We each got the pork tonkatsu which was delicious and ginormous!
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| Taku Sando |
Hanamoto Steak House - We had our last dinner at this steak house. We had a set meal with salad, rice, miso, grilled vegetables, steak and dessert. The steak was pretty good but not as good as others we had.
Tokyo
We took the bullet train to Tokyo which was so cool - the train goes 200 MPH which got us to Tokyo in a third of the time (if not shorter) than if we had driven it. Unfortunately, it was rainy so we didn't see as much, in particular, we could not see Fuji. We stayed in Tokyo for six nights while Graham and Liana were there for three nights. What an amazing city - we've never seen this many buildings before in one city!
Accommodations:
Prince Park Tower Tokyo - We got two separate rooms at this hotel near Tokyo Tower. The rooms were spacious and comfortable but the furniture was a bit dated. The hotel has a bar on the 33rd floor with nice views of the city and the tower - we went up there once to have a cocktail before dinner and you have to pay a per person fee to have seats near the window!
Activities:
Kappabashi Shopping Street - We walked around this street known as the 'cooking' street where they sell dishes, knives and cookware. Yoshi, who was still in Tokyo visiting her mom, joined us for the day. Graham bought some nice wooden bowls to use at NOSA. He was going to buy a knife but decided he could get the knife from the maker he liked for cheaper in the US.
Senso-ji Temple - We visited this temple which is the oldest temple in Japan. The building itself is new as it was rebuilt after the war (it has been bombed during WWII). There is a long street of vendors leading up to the temple and it was quite crowded. Liana tried her luck at getting her fortune but it turned out to be a bad one so in keeping with local tradition, she tied her fortune to post where the bad fortunes are left behind. Yoshi was with us as well.
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| Senso-ji Temple |
Sky Tree - We got tickets to go to both levels of Sky Tree before sunset and we stayed to watch the sunset as well as the lights of the city to illuminate. The views were amazing and we got to see Fuji in clear view since it was a clear day. Definitely a highlight for our time in Tokyo. Yoshi was with us as well.
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| Sky Tree |
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| View from Sky Tree |
Tsukiji Outer Market - We walked around this market which has a ton of food stalls as well as some stalls selling fish and produce. We tasted a few things: pork bun, wagyu on a stick (so flavorful) and king crab (really delicious).
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| King crab at Tsukiji Outer Market |
Shibuya Scramble Crossing - We checked out the crossing which is said to have over 30K people walking this intersection every day. When we were there, it was not as busy. There was a British shop nearby so we went to it and had a Mars bar and scone with cream and jam!
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| Shibuya Scramble Crossing |
3D Cat - We checked out the famous 3D cat at Shinjuku - it was not as big as expected but cool to see the graphics.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - Yoshi joined us and we walked around this large park which has a nice traditional Japanese garden along with a greenhouse. The fall leaves were not as colorful as what we had seen in Kyoto. But there was a very cool exhibit of chrysanthemums where they showcased different varietals as well as a kind that produced several hundred flowers from one stem.
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| Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden |
Meiji Jingu Shrine - We walked around this temple which is the largest in Japan and is dedicated to Emperor Meiji who led Japan into more modern times! The surrounding forest and gardens are very serene and pretty.
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| Meiji Jingu Shrine |
Ramen Tour - We did the Shibuya version of this ramen tour, stopping at three places and trying 6 mini bowls of ramen (although between us we tried 12 as we each ordered different ones). We especially like the curry ramen at the last place we visited.
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| Ramen Tour |
Harry Potter Experience - Yoshi joined us for this tour of the Harry Potter Experience which has very well done decorated rooms to mimic rooms and scenes in the movies. The experience mostly focuses on the filming process including artwork, costumes, set design, sound editing, etc.
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| Harry Potter Experience |
Restaurants:
Sezanne - We had dinner at this three Michelin star restaurant located in the Four Seasons adjacent to Tokyo Station. This restaurant is also listed as the seventh best restaurant in the world. The dining room was very nice and sat about 30 people. The service was excellent as was the food which is French style cuisine using Japanese ingredients. We had a 14 course meal with wine pairing.
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| Sezanne |
Okonomiyaki Shiraiwa Asakusa - We had lunch at this restaurant in the covered market in Asakusa. We got some fried avocado and chicken to start and then got three different okonomiyakis to share - one with beef, one with potato and one with mixed seafood. Food was good but the one we had in Osaka was better.
Torigin Honten - We had dinner at this yakitori restaurant in Ginza. Yoshi knew the place so she took us there. We shared a few skewers and rice dishes with crab. Very tasty.
Sushi Oya - We had dinner at this one Michelin start restaurant that serves sushi omakase (multiple courses) at a counter with the chef making the sushi in front of you. The place only sat six people and we were the only ones at that seating. The chef/owner was very personable and the sushi was amazing. Graham even said it was life changing. We had a glass of wine and some sake along with dinner.
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| Sushi Oya |
The Giant Step - We had lunch with Yoshi at this place near the Harry Potter Experience - each getting a yummy hamburger. The place was very cute with 50s decor.
Zurriola - Our final dinner was at a Michelin one star restaurant focused on Spanish cuisine using Japanese ingredients. The restaurant was nice as was the service - the food was good but not 'life changing'.
Observations:
Overall this was truly an amazing trip - the scenery was stunning, the people kind and generous and the culture and history fascinating. Our only disappointments, if we can call it that, were that we had hoped for better hiking and better food. We did some really nice hikes but we wanted longer, harder hikes with rugged scenery. For food, we did have some really good meals but overall Japanese food is not the most flavorful so also had some not so impressive meals. Other observations:
- The People - This is what surprised us the most. We had heard that the people are kind but experiencing it was truly refreshing. Everyone wants to help and share their country with you. We also found them to be quite humorous and always smiling. Lastly, we noticed how proud they are in their work - even the person directing traffic took great pride! On several occasions, they stopped to ask if we needed help - apparently, we looked lost or confused or both!
- Language - We were not worried about communicating in the big cities but we were surprised just how easy it was to communicate in the small towns as well. While they may not speak that much English in the rural areas, they knew enough and when needed, Google Translate bridged the gap.
- Noise - They are a very quiet population, speaking at low volumes. Even the trains were quiet and we only heard someone honk their horn once! It took us a bit to adjust to lower speaking volumes.
- Clean - They are also super clean. Every hotel we stayed in was pristine and the streets and rivers have no trash at all! It's hard to find a trash can so you to carry around your own trash and get rid of it when returning to the hotel. There is also no graffiti anywhere. In restaurants, they offer baskets to put your bags in so that they are not on the floor. And every bathroom has bathroom slippers!
- Organized and Timely - Everything is on time. We laughed because we read an article that the Japanese government had to issue an apology letter when one of the trains left a minute early! And people stand in line and wait their turn - no pushing! Even getting on/off the public transportation is orderly.
- Driving and Parking - They drive on the left side of the road. Thankfully Keith had practice doing this so it was super easy for us to get around. And Google Maps helped navigation as some of the signs are only in kanji. We got the ETC (auto toll reader) which helped a ton with time as there are a lot of tolls! To rent a car, you need an international drivers license which we got in advance before we arrived. Most parking lots require you to pay once you leave - some do not have tickets but they have cameras that take pictures of your license plate so they can recognize when you leave.
- Safety - They are super focused on this. The young kids wear bright colored hats when they are walking to/from school. And while we were there, we only saw two car accidents on the side of the road. The speed limits are very low.
- Scenery - We were expecting mountains but we did not expect to see them everywhere! They are very lush covered with trees. The coastlines are beautiful and rugged. And we could not get enough of the beautiful and serene temples and shrines. The small towns were also very charming.
- Bathrooms - Bathrooms are easy to find - they are at all tourist sites as well as subway/train stations and they are very clean. They love their bidets! We especially liked the 'modesty' music/noises that some toilets would play so that others would not hear you doing your business!
- Weather - It was still quite hot and humid in September. Come mid-October, it got mild and quite pleasant with cool mornings and evenings. We had some rain but thankfully nothing that got in the way. Umbrellas are needed because sometimes the rain is too strong for just a rain jacket and they do not like you walking through their stores/restaurants with dripping clothes.
- Food - As mentioned above, we were a bit disappointed by the food. That said, we had very high expectations. Some of the food was too delicate (aka lack in spice) for us and other food was unhealthy (like fried chicken). We had some great sushi - they do not do rolls like we get in the US - their sushi is either sashimi or sushi over rice. Their beef is amazing - so juicy and tender - melts in your mouth! We did miss vegetables - they tend to serve a lot of root vegetables that have been pickled. Restaurants can be a challenge sometimes - they close at odd times (and Google info is not always accurate) and some of them are quite small so not good for large groups. Vending machines for drinks are everywhere - in some, you can even get beer! We got groceries quite a bit which was interesting to see what they sold. We quickly learned the etiquette in the grocery stores which is to first check out, then pay (sometimes at a separate terminal) and then take your basket to the side to pack up.
- Animals - Given how much beef and chicken are on the menu, we were surprised that we did not see a lot of cows and chickens around.
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