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Land of the RisingvSun - Japan
  • Doreen Jensen
  • Doreen Jensen

Land of the RisingvSun - Japan

An open-ended adventure by Doreen Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 22, 2026
    Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler

    The longest Day

    May 22 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We met at the mall bright and early Thursday morning and were greeted with smiles, coffee and donuts. We boarded the bus for an uneventful drive to Toronto and made it there in good time. Check in and security went smoothly and we were off to the races.
    We started vacation off right at breakfast with a Caesar.
    The flight was very smooth and we were fed very well over the 13 1/2 hr flight. Time passed quickly between watching movies, eating, having a drink and an attempt at a snooze.
    We worked our way through a maze at the airport, had to backtrack once but made it through. We headed for the hotel after finding our two lost souls.
    After checking into our rooms, which are quite lovely, we headed out for dinner.....and a drink. When we got into our room we discovered the toilet has its own room and more buttons than you can imagine to rinse anything you might want rinsed.
    We're off to a great start. Tomorrow we explore more of Tokyo.    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
    111

    The Longest Day

    May 22 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We arrived at the mall bright and early and were greeted with smiles, coffee and donuts. We boarded the bus for an uneventful drive to Toronto and made it in good time. We made it through check in and security with no issues. We kicked off vacation in style with Caesars for breakfast.
    Our flight was very smooth and we were well fed over the 13 1/2 hrs. The time went by fairly quickly and very pleasantly between movies, eating, good conversation , having a couple of drinks and attempting to snooze. We found our way through the maze that is Tokyo airport and after one redo, we were on our way.
    We were met by the Indus rep and, after finding two wayward souls, we were ready to head to the hotel.
    Our hotel is lovely and comes with a toilet (in its own room). that has more controls than most cockpits. it's very fancy and will rinse anything you need rinsed.
    After a quick refresh we met for dinner downstairs. Tummy is full, a few giggles have been had and now, after being awake for 28 1/2 hours, it's off to bed!
    Looking forward to tomorrow and some sightseeing.    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
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    Tokyo Tourists

    May 23 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We were well nourished by the delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel. It even had a soft serve ice cream machine!
    We met in the lobby for 9 to start our busy day of sightseeing.
    We started out at Meiji Jingu, a shrine built in 1920 to commemorate Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Its tranquil setting in the midst of 100,000 trees makes you forget you are in one of biggest cities in the world. You walk through massive gates leading to the main shrine where you could say a prayer (bow twice, clap twice, said your prayer and then bow at the end. Before that you did a cleansing at the fountain by washing your hands and mouth (left hand first, then right, gather water in your hands to wash your mouth and then wash hands again). We also wrote wishes on a sheet of paper and placed at the shrine. There is also a museum there with a wonderful display. We even saw a wedding processional.
    Then on to the Tsukiji Outer Fish market! 400 shops and restaurants with all kinds of fresh seafood and big crowds! Some of the group were adventurous and tried an octopus, shrimp, cabbage and ginger skewer.
    The Imperial palace was next on the list where we saw the double-arched Nijubashi Bridge.
    And we weren't done yet! The Senso-ji Temple was next, a Buddhist Temple dating back to the 7th century. Again big crowds, lots of shops and culture.
    We came back to the hotel happy and exhausted , still feeling some effects of our long travel day. Faye and I stayed at the hotel for dinner and even indulged in dessert tonight. Another great day!
    (if you ever have the chance to try Matcha kit Kats, don't)    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
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    Rising to New Heights

    May 24 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Again we started with a great breakfast to kick off our very busy day.
    Our first stop was the Shibuya Crossing, the world's busiest crosswalk. There are eight intersections in this one spot, it's wild and rarely an accident. Drivers are courteous and not aggressive. It was amazing to watch.
    The Tokyo Skytree, similar to our CN Tower, gave us amazing views of the City. We went up to the 450th floor in the quietest and fastest elevator. The views were breathtaking.
    After a lunch at Carl's Jr we headed to the amazing Team Lab. It is hard to describe. It's an interactive art exhibition and was just incredible. It was full of colour, movement and textures. A beautiful garden of orchids suspended from the ceiling, that moved as you got near, a forest with many moving parts, hanging lights that formed a maze and a water area with a light show making flowers and fish appear as if in and on the water. All beautiful. We then saw the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to Japan as a symbol of friendship in Odaiba. It is a replica of the Liberty statue in New York.
    The day was topped off with a pre-dinner drink and snacks in the Ambrose hitality suite and a lovely dinner afterwards.
    Now off to sleep with dreams of seeing Mount Fuji tomorrow!    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
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    Mount Fuji

    May 25 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    you handsome devil!
    We left the hustle and bustle of the very beautiful, dynamic concrete city of Tokyo and drove through a beautiful, lush mountainous landscape to Mount Fuji.
    It's a bit of a gamble as to whether or not you'll see the majestic sight or if it will be covered in clouds. PJ came through for us ( there's a story there) and we were not only able to catch glimpses of Mount Fuji along the way, but he sat proudly before us when we arrived. He was well photographed and admired.
    We left there and headed to Arakurayama Sengen Park for lunch. There are a set of 8 ponds fed by the snow melt from the slopes of Mount Fuji.
    A short cruise in a pirate ship on Lake Kawaguchi rounded out the day.
    We were supposed to take a gondola ride from Owakudani but ran out of time. Owakudani is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hit springs in Hakone. it was created 3,000 years ago as a result of the explosion of the volcano. It is a popular tourist site and is known for the black egg. Eating one is said to add 7 years to your life. It is an egg boiled in the mineral rich waters of the valley containing high levels of sulphur which turn the egg black.
    Then it was time to hit the hotel and a group dinner was organized by our guide. We had the room to ourselves and were treated to a large buffet meal. It was a lovely evening.
    Our room is once again equipped with a fancy toilet and a shower that requires a PhD to operate!
    Another great day.    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
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    The Bullet!

    May 26 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today was a transition day. We boarded the bullet train (Shinkansen) at 10. The train can reach speeds of 320 km per hour. It was a smooth, fast ride with beautiful scenery.
    We transferred from the bullet train to the Express train in Nagoya and continued on to Takayama.
    Once we settled into our 'compact' rooms we headed out to explore the town, stop for a drink and then headed to dinner.
    Dinner was a dining experience where the meat was cooked right on the table. They only provided chopsticks so that was fun!
    We headed back to the hotel and had a rousing game of Five Crowns where, as you would expect, I did not win!    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler

    Takayama

    May 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We started today with a more traditional Japanese breakfast, tried some new things. our day started with going to the Morning Market which was all along the river, it was a great spot for a little shopping. We walked over to the Kusakabe Folk museum, an endo-period merchants house owned by the Kusakabe family. Kami-Hanamachi is located in the southern part of Takayama's old town. It had great shops and sake breweries.
    After a light lunch, a cold drink and some relaxing along the river in the sunshine, we finished up our shopping and headed to the hotel to put our feet up.
    We had dinner at a great little place and had delicious bowls of ramen and a couple of the girls had sake. Opinions on its taste varied.
    After a rousing sing along in the lobby featuring our resident ukulele player, Maureen, and accompanied by Phil and a table of back up singers we rounded out the night with a frustrating, I mean great, game of Five Crowns .
    Tomorrow we head out to Shirakawago.    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler

    A little of the old, a little of the new

    May 28 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    We started our day at Shirakawa-go where we saw traditional gassho-zukur farmhouses nestled in a hidden valley. We took off our shoes to enter and toured the home. We headed up to the observation deck to see the picturesque scenery below. After a soft serve ice cream, we headed to our next destination.
    Another fish market was on the tour which also hosted beautiful restaurants. This one was not nearly as busy.
    A traditional Japanese restaurant where shoes were removed when entering and the table was sunken into the floor was where we had some delicious tempura. A really great lunch.
    Because it was raining our itinerary was altered and we went to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. A very interesting and unique place. Art is in the eye of the beholder and very subjective. It was a great experience.
    Our hotel tonight is in total contrast to the last two nights. it is gorgeous and luxurious and we have a huge room.
    We were all tired and decided to stay in for dinner. It was delicious! We topped the night off with a glass of wine in Kim and Phil's room and now to get some sleep.
    Another great day and a busy one tomorrow as we head to Kyoto.    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler
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    Kodak moments

    May 29 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today was a fun day. We headed off to the Kenrokuen Gardens and they were truly beautiful. We took a relaxing walk over bridges, water features and gorgeous flowers. It was such a beautiful place and you couldn't stop taking pictures. The Kanazawa Castle is being reconstructed so we could only see part of the ruins.
    We enjoyed an ice cream cone that had gold leaf on it that is a specialty in this are.
    The rest of the afternoon was spent traveling to Kyoto. We drove through absolutely beautiful landscapes and made a couple stops to stretch, eat and shop. Lunch was an amazing egg salad sandwich which the Japanese are known for, it did not disappoint.
    We arrived in Kyoto and ate right near the train station. A lovely walk, a little shopping revved up our appetite. We stopped at a great little restaurant where the staff was so cheerful and accommodating. We filled our tummies with excellent food and great company...the drinks weren't bad either.
    We rounded out the evening over a glass of wine in the pajamas provided by the hotel with lively conversation and a few laughs.
    Tomorrow sounds like fun so stay tuned!    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler

    Trains, boats and beautiful bamboo

    May 30 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Wow, what a gorgeous day today full of nature's beauty! We started our day at the Sangano Bamboo grove, it is one of the most photographed places in Japan and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Simply beautiful!
    We climbed some rock stairs to the Jojakko-Ji Temple, and walked through a small serene garden. Very pretty.
    Once back down we boarded the Romantic train on the Sangano scenic rail for a very picturesque ride through the countryside along the Hozugawa river. We watched small boats from above traversing the river and some small rapids. At the end of the train ride we discovered we would be on one of those Yakatabune pleasure boats. The boat ride covered 10 miles in an hour and a half. The scenery was simply magical. We saw turtles, Cormorants drying their wings, white herons, ducks, lotus azaleas, rapids, rocks and the bluest sky possible. It was amazing. A market boat pulled up next to us towards the end, they had drinks, snacks, calamari being freshly cooked. Sort of the Uber eats of the river!
    We got off the boat in awe of the crew of the boat and the incredible ride!
    From there we headed to another very scenic temple, Kinkaku-ji temple. When it was founded, it was the center of politics and culture and was used to welcome the Emperors of Japan and trading partners from China. It is a special historic site and registered as a World Culture heritage Site in 1994.
    We headed back to our hotel tired and smiling
    Another lovely dinner and after dinner wine in the Ambrose suite. Hopefully another good night's sleep before heading to Osaka.
    Today was the 8th anniversary of losing Oscar.
    After the boat ride we had some time to wander the shops. We were walking through a hallway where the ceiling was lined with wind chimes, chiming softly in the wind. I checked the time and it was just before 3, I thought to myself that it was about the time we were saying our final goodbyes 8 years ago. The wind chimes started chiming very loudly at the same time and stopped as we left the walkway. ❤️    Read more

  • Doreen JensenLand of the RisingvSun - JapanTraveler

    Osaka!

    May 31 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    A very hot beautiful day!
    We started at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is famous for its thousands of vermillion torri gates. which straddle a network of trails leading into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari. It is one of the shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers so there are many fox statutes throughout . A very impressive sight.
    We headed back to the bus and stopped at a small stand offering Sake tasting. Several people stopped and some of us had our first Sake.
    It was off to the Shinsaibashi shopping district. It is huge and packed with people. Most of us did a little shopping, some a lot of shopping and we all stopped to have some lunch. Our group had sushi in a lovely restaurant, it was delicious.
    Hot and tired we continued on to the Osaka castle. There was an elevator part way up and then we walked the stairs to the top floor to take in the views of the city.
    A short bus ride later we were at our hotel. After a little rest we found a delightful Japanese restaurant where we had to take our shoes off and enjoyed a delicious supper. A great find!
    Now tucked into bed after a glass of wine we settle in for our last night.
    Tomorrow we go home! I'm ready💕    Read more

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