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Japan tour and Cruise 2024
  • Mark Sawyer
  • Valerie Sawyer

Japan tour and Cruise 2024

Another bucket list planned to experience the wonders of Japan and South Korea on an extraordinary 18-day tour and cruise package, 10 nights aboard the Diamond Princess, Japan and South Korea, with bus trip though Japan. Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 18, 2024
    Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    The night before our Japan flight

    August 18, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Overnight stay at Ridges at the airport due to an early morning flight, Smithy’s bar for dinner, off to a good start.
    Next time will try the restaurant upstairs as we just heard from others that it is a nicer place to eat.👍🍽️Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Arrived Tokyo

    August 19, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Arrived to a very large backlog going through immigration and then our bags weren’t on the belt, took a little while to find them (great having air tags in the bags) as staff took them off and changed the belt number they were on.
    Transfer from international to domestic terminal, long bus ride now waiting for connecting flight to Osaka so we can board, hopefully we will get to hotel around 11:00pm tonight.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Osaka

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Apparently we have been very lucky as other flights the dry before were cancelled due to the lingering typhoon recently.

    Only an overnight here but a must is the Osaka castle and to try the best octopus balls in Japan, so we were told as nothing else to compare to.

    For centuries, Osaka was Japan's cultural and commercial gateway to Asia - the point of entry both for trade goods and, most importantly, cultural influences that shaped Japanese society. From tea to Zen, from art to science and philosophy, Osaka was Japan's contact with the great East Asian cultures that flourished in China and Korea. The city reached its zenith in the late 16th century, when the great feudal lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi made Osaka his capital. Toyotomi was master of Japan, and an immense administrative and commercial center rapidly developed around Osaka Castle. After Toyotomi's death, the nation's seat of power shifted from Osaka to a sleepy little fishing village called Edo - modern Tokyo. While overshadowed by Tokyo, Osaka remains Japan's second largest city and a vital commercial center.
    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    1

    Nara Park

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    This morning we visited Nara Park to spot more than a thousand deer, which are considered the messengers of the gods. These deer have become a city symbol and have been designated natural treasure status. We purchased Deer crackers they have for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed.
    Its really great to see, just watch out for the poo as your walking around.
    The grounds are beautiful and amazing, the trees and running streams with mini waterfalls are a sight to see. A great place to spend some quiet time in many available areas.
    We tried some mitarashi-dango, Japanese dumplings made from mochkio rice topped with sweet soy sauce.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Todaiji Temple

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We visited the Todaiji Temple, one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples in Japan.
    The architecture is amazing and it makes you wonder the technology they had back then to create these structures.
    It has one of the largest Budda’s inside with some exceptional large timber statues, reflecting there period of existence.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Kyoto & bamboo Forest

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We stopped for lunch in Kyoto, we tried the octopus balls here and they were only average, but the grilled chicken dumplings were amazing.
    Valerie decided to try their famous Kyoto cream brûlée donut with a matcha topped, and loved it.
    We also visited the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove,.
    One of Kyoto's top sights and for a good reason, standing amid these soaring stalks of bamboo is like being in another world.
    Walked across the moon bridge, an extremely old wooden bridge that appears in so many movies.
    There are some small boats on the other side of watercourse, what a great way to spend some time if you had a few days in the area.
    Many young people hired the geisha outfits and walked around foe a while,    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Golden Pavilion

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    The tour continued with a visit to Kinkaku-ji, a Zen temple in northern Kyoto that has gold leaf-covered floors on the top two floors.
    The grounds were excellent with so many bonsai trees scattered on the small islands throughout the lagoon.
    There is extremely tall Rikishu Pine near the temple and lovely Zen garden.
    Small waterfall in the trees walking back to the stairs down to ice cream.
    They also had the Kyoto ice cream shop at the end of the walking trail,
    Or coarse we had one with gold leaf🍦    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto

    August 20, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Our tour included a stop at Fushimi Inari Shrine, an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It's famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings.
    It felt so peaceful walking through these gates and stopping to read some of the writings (the one in English).

    Had a 30 minute downpour then cleared up for a great afternoon of sunshine.

    On the way back to the bus we stopped for a snack, prawn skewers, cooked while you wait and not were they very nice, something to tide up over for bus trip back to our hotel.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    Local trout in the special water channelsA local refrigerator keeping the drinks cold with the extremely cold water from the mountains

    Shirakawa-go

    August 21, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Sent some time at Ogi-machi Gasso Style Village in the countryside of Japan on a trip to see how local people live.

    In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the area now covered by the municipality of Shirakawa was controlled by the family of the warlord Uchigashima. The family seized these lands in 1465 and established their stronghold at Kaerigumo Castle, south of the village of Ogimachi.

    When you enter this district, and you step into the closest thing to the Edo period outside a historical drama.

    Most houses have a rice paddy as their garden with small shops selling everything.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    The drinks hole in the wallHide beef buns shop

    Takayama Old Town

    August 21, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Today was a great sunny day, we stopped at the shop that sells Miso soup and had a tasting, quite different to what we were have at home.
    Walked down many of the traditional streets enjoying the local vibe.
    There is a cedar ball above one of the shop entry door and it is to let you know the sake is ready to be tasted/drink, when it changes from green to brown it’s ripe.
    We tried the Hide beef and it was amazing and when put inside a sweet steamed bun even better.
    It’s also on skewers plain which is also exceptional.
    The Hide beef and potatoe croquettes were also excellent and all are a must try.
    I washed mine down with an organic mojito and Valerie had the peach smoothy, also worth a try.
    We spent a couple of hours in Takayama Old Town and walking along Sannomachi Street, which survives in a beautiful state with many old homes, shops, and restaurants. Takayama was once a bustling hub drawing expert artisans, farmers and merchants from throughout the surrounding area, and Sanmachi, as well as Oshinmachi, again preserving the traditional aesthetic of this time.
    This district is again the closest thing to the Edo period outside a historical drama.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    1

    Nagano

    August 21, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Heading to our next stop the scenery of gorges, dams, waterways, rivers and pine trees are breathtaking but due to being on a bus not able to get any good shots.
    The amount of tunnels you travel through is incredible, I suppose that’s to be expected in a country with so many hills and mountains in a small land mass.
    Just an overnight before heading to Mt Fuji in the morning.
    At least this hotel, Hotel Route Inn Shinano-Omachi Ekimae, has a restaurant so no reason to go out looking for dinner elsewhere, a quiet meal and drinks with some of our travel buddies.
    Woke up to an overcast sky and see where the day takes us, more amazing things to see.

    In this hotel a normal Japanese breakfast has no cereal or toast and fruit, as per photos    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Lake Kawaguchiko

    August 22, 2024 in Japan ⋅ 🌩️ 27 °C

    Started the day with a drive to Lake Kawaguchiko enjoying a short cruise across the lake on one of the old restored ferries.
    The waters are overlooked by Mt Fuji, the scenery and the surrounding mountains just keep you interested in your surroundings.

    Too much cloud cover today to get a good view of Mt Fuji in the background, maybe when we come back on the cruise portion of our tour.

    You can also hire the little paddle boats shaped like swans all in different colours.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Mt Fuji

    August 22, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Enjoyed the bus ride to Mt Fuji’s 5th Station. Located 2300m above sea level, Mt Fuji’s 5th Station which normally offers a commanding view of the Fuji, too much cloud cover today although it did break for a few minutes at one point.

    There is a Melody roads that stretches of road that offer music from a system of grooves dug in the road and vibrations produced by vehicles driving over them. The vibrations in the passenger compartment transform vehicle into a veritable sounding board. To enjoy the melody thus created, we advise you to keep the windows closed to listen to the rhythmic vibrations?

    For the record, the Japanese melody roads were born by chance when the engineer Shizuo Shinoda accidentally damaged the asphalt of a highway with the bucket of his bulldozer, digging several furrows. As he drove over these furrows, he found that the sound produced by his vehicle depended on their depth and spacing. The National Institute of Industrial Research in Hokkaido then took advantage of this discovery to design the first melody roads in Japan!

    Five Lakes area are below, making it a popular spot even for those who do not intend on climbing the mountain, and it features shrines, torii gates and souvenir shops.

    We had lunch with a view of Mt Fuji but the clouds were too to get a good view.

    We enjoyed a spirit tasting of sake, 40% scotch and gin, was well worth the taste but too difficult to buy some and get it home so early in the trip.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Tokyo

    August 22, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Well, after arrival in Tokyo city we went for a walk and found a great sushi place, food is delivered by sliding tray back and forth from the kitchen your table, different from the sushi trains back home, amazing, and had to have a dessert all washed down with a nice beer 🍽️
    Sitting with the locals all in an out of the way place, no we didn’t have everything in the menu photos.
    The prices are cheap here, depending on what you buy but overall food is cheap.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    The Hakone Open-Air Museum

    August 23, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We started the day with a 2.5 hour bus trip to the Hakone Open-Air Museum opened in 1969, is Japan's first open-air museum. It is located in Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture. Hosting over 1,000 pieces, it includes artworks by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Taro Okamoto, Yasuo Mizui, Churyo Sato, Susumu Shingu, Constantin Brâncuși, Barbara Hepworth, Rokuzan Ogiwara, and Kōtarō Takamura, among others. About 120 sculptural works are on permanent display across the park. The museum is affiliated with the Fujisankei.

    The grounds are excellent and so much to see moving structures,
    A star shaped maze was created by arranging different geometric shapes at various angles, while we were there a little boy got lost in it and his dad had to get him.
    A foot hot spa you could sit and have lunch while soaking your feet.
    A Picasso museum full of his works and other copies.

    A symphonic tower which had 95 stairs to get to the top and amazing stained glass surrounding the interior and a nice bed of the open areas and many other unusual exhibits.

    A great place for a nice lunch, best to buy elsewhere and sit in the grounds and enjoy your surroundings.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Cable Car & Lake Ashiniko

    August 23, 2024 in Japan ⋅ 🌩️ 27 °C

    Back in the bus and next stop was the at Hakone Ropeway (cable car) at Ōwakudan "Great Boiling Valley which is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents being so pungent and hot springs in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture,

    Japan. It was created around 3,000 years ago, as a result of the explosion of the Hakone volcano.[1]

    Kuro-tamago hard-boiled eggs
    It is a popular tourist site for its scenic views, volcanic activity, and kuro-tamago is "black egg" a local variety of hard-boiled eggs that uses the hot springs in their preparation. As a result of them being boiled in the mineral-rich waters of the valley, which contain high levels of sulfur, the egg shells turn black and give off a slightly sulfuric odour; eating one is said to add seven years to your life. valley which takes you down to Ashinoko Lake, it is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that last erupted in 1170 CE at Ōwakudani. The lake is known for its views of Mount Fuji, its numerous hot springs, historical sites, and ryokan. The lake is located on the Tōkaidō road, the main link between Kyoto and Tokyo. A number of pleasure boats and ferries traverse the lake, providing scenic views for tourists and passengers. Several of the boats are inspired by the design of the warships.
    Great way to enjoy the region.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Bullet Train to Tokyo

    August 23, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Our tour guide decided to take us back from Odawara to Tokyo on the bullet train and the bus went back in his own, so we then had 1.5 hours to enjoy the Tokyo shops while waiting for him to get back and pick us up.
    Well we enjoyed the shopping (found some nice gifts for Koa ) but as the bus got stuck in traffic our guide decided to get us all (20 of us) to catch the Friday peak hour train back to our hotel.
    Had to squeeze to get in before doors closed and then change trains for the hotel stop, what a full and amazing day, we all had a ball.
    I have never seen a rail network so full on and busy but we were at Friday peak hour.

    Best your guide ever.

    Finished off our day with nice meal at traditional Japanese back street restaurant called Shinsan 3 at -33-4 Minamioi, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 140-0013, Japan, if ever staying there good is great and have an menu in English.😜    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Mario/Monkey carts Shibuya

    August 24, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    We decided to catch the train into Shibuya for the day and arrived ok and in time.

    One of Japan's unofficial landmarks, the Hachiko statue in Shibuya is a homage to the faithful Akita dog who waited at Shibuya Station every day for his master, even after his death. Today, it’s one of the most popular meeting places in Tokyo.

    Well I finally got to do my Mario/Monkey cart ride through the streets of Japan, it was one of the most exhilarating amazing experience I have had.

    I didn’t dress up as they advised super hot and people have fainted before during the drive.

    The other 3 people cancelled so it was only me and the guide, after he found out I had driven go-carts before he took me down some different places where we could actually drive the carts to their fullest extent, small twisty streets with a few sharp corners and a couple of cool chicanes, we just went flat out when ever we could.

    Driving through the actual street of Tokyo in a go-cart was a unique feeling.

    I just followed his lead and it was the best day.
    Many photos were taken when we stopped but couldn’t do videos, part of their rules due to not using camera/phone while driving.
    Waiting for the light to change in Shibuya crossing, waving to people and them taking our photos throughout the drive.

    I was booked for 1 hour but he went over by 15 minutes as we were having so much fun.

    If I ever get back here again he has told me he has a more advanced area with better streets, still in this area that he would like to take me.

    The last photo is the route we took.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    And they had a Pokémon exhibition onCorn soup, sea urchin, panipuri " Tomato caprese salad" Wrapoed with rice paperSmoked pacific saury Galette, Scallop mousse with foie gras moussePoorer of todays fish and crab cream croquetteRoasted saddle of lamb, porcini terrine, turnip and potatoe galetteInverted Mont Blanc ver 2.0Glass floor

    Sky Tree Tower & Sky Restaurant 634

    August 24, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It became the tallest tower in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634 meters (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world after Merdeka 118 (678.9 m or 2,227 ft) and the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m or 2,722 ft). It is the tallest freestanding tower in the OECD.

    We did the Tembo observation deck at 350 mtrs and proceeded to the Tembo Galleria deck at 450 mtrs (both enclosed) and the views were stunning until the cloud rolled in and you couldn’t see the sunset 😔

    Sky restaurant 634 at 345 meter aboveground, was a comfortable and romantic atmosphere with low lighting to enjoy the most wonderful time with breath-taking magnificent view.
    Apparently on a fine day, you can see Mt.Fuji in a distant view.
    And in a night, nocturnal landscape decorated by thousands of light treats your eyes.
    The city lights were unbelievable and all the roads and waterways looked amazing.
    You could also see the Rainbow Bridge, a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. bridge but the colours are only used/shown in December.

    The food was next level and with a few glasses of champagne it was an evening to remember.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024
    The Bourgogne wine for consecration

    Last Day in Tokyo before Cruise

    August 25, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Our tour went to the Meiji Shrine and we arrived in the middle of their harvest festival and. We’re privileged to see the dancers performing on such a hot day.

    Surrounded by deep forest and rich nature in the center of Tokyo, Meiji Jingu Shrine celebrated the 100th anniversary of its establishment in 2020. It is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. During the shrine's annual festival with various traditional performances take place in their honor. We had the opportunity to watch a small portion of Japan's most skilled artists perform traditional arts such as bugaku (a type of dance) we also enjoy a stroll in the shrine's forest-like gardens, where you can see the purpose planted garden.

    Last visit before heading to the cruise ship was to the emperor’s palace, not much here as it is close to the public but some lovely garden and great areas with trees looking like larger bonsai trees.
    The statue of the last famous samurai was also in this parkland.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Cruise Boarding 🙈

    August 25, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Got on board early, had lunch ran into some of our bus crew and just found out that due to the typhoon coming through we will miss Kobe and Kochi and head straight to Hiroshima😔

    Sail away party happening on our way, drink time started.Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    2nd Day Crusing south of Japan

    August 27, 2024, Philippine Sea ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    Well so far due to the typhoon Shanshan, we have missed Kobe and Kochi and are just cruising to see what happens as it is heading north west.
    The Captain is doing his best with the weather situation, a bummer really as it’s looking as if we might not have any port access the complete cruise.Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    3rd Day Cruising

    August 28, 2024, Philippine Sea ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    Nothings changed, still following the typhoon and the Captain is still looking for somewhere safe to dock.
    Apparently if the Japanese leave by ship they can’t come back into Japan without landing in a an international country before coming home.
    Thats why the cruise ships out of Japan all do a stop in Busan, South Korea, I didn’t know this.

    Ship life is good, great music venues, catching up with so many of our bus group, meeting many others and different activities to join in with.
    Good drink and relaxing not much else to do, catch up on sleep too, ☕️🍦🍽️🍺🍾🎉🎂🍷🍉🍎🍌🍍🥯🍔🥩🍟🥗🍤🍰

    The map shows the situation and our rough position with a blue dot.    Read more

  • Japan tour and Cruise 2024

    Painagama Beach/Miyako town

    August 29, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We after missing 3 ports due to typhoon the captain found us Miyako island (Miyakojima) to stop in, the forth largest in the Okinawa prefecture has a rich history that dates back to the Jamon period.

    Unfortunately there were only very minimal last minute tours that sold out within minutes, we missed out.
    We caught the local bus into town and there really is nothing here, a small beach, a supermarket and a few hotels on the water which we had a cold fresh juice either a lemon tart, yummo.
    The best way to get around here is hire a car or bike so you can get out to the beautiful areas away from the actual port/town.

    The original language is still spoken on the island, which had developed its own cultural heritage, its own version of soba noodles, and its own Otori customs, including a ceremonial drinking of Samir’s (rice liquor), the islands signature beverage.
    Miyakojima is the most renowned for its spectacular natural scenery, if lays claim to some of Japans best beaches, 100 klms of coastline fringed by vibrant coral reefs.

    Its underwater splendor and subtropical year-round climate makes it an amazing place for diving destination. Sugar cane fields and mangroves stretch as far as the eye can see, with many small towns and bridges that connect the smaller islands together for easier island hopping. The botanical gardens offer trails lined with over 1,600 types of plants including the official Diego flower.    Read more

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