And we're off!

Long travel day

Since our flight from Newark was delayed by 3hrs, we missed our intended connection in Tokyo and today's travel was stretched even longer than intended. We grabbed our first mystery meal in the TokyoOkumaya devam et
Rainy day in Osaka

We started the day off with some souffle pancakes before heading to Osaka Castle to wander the grounds. We're still a little early for cherry blossoms here, so we just walked around the grounds untilOkumaya devam et
Himeji Castle

Today, we had our first shinkansen experience out to Himeji castle. We picked up our first eki bento (bento box sold at shinkansen stations for consumption on trains, usually with a local flair) andOkumaya devam et
Kumano Sanzan Day 1

This morning, we got an early start and said our goodbyes to Osaka. I wish I could say that we were leaving after JUST having figured out Umeda station, but that would be a lie. It is insanely big,Okumaya devam et
Kumano Sanzan Day 2

We awoke to heavier and more persistent rain than the past few days, with thunderstorms in the forecast as well. I guess we used up all of our good weather luck in New Zealand last year... Since I'mOkumaya devam et
Kii Katsuura and the train to Koyasan

I've got a lot of catching up to do! Our first morning without rain treated us to a nice sunrise from our hotel room. We then stopped by to watch the tuna auction that happens here every morning. TheOkumaya devam et
Koyasan Shukubo

Tonight, we stayed at a Buddhist temple in Koyasan, Shojoshin-in. Upon arrival, we were shown to our room, a standard Japanese style room, and took a tour of the temple. For dinner, we enjoyed shojinOkumaya devam et
Uji

We made a quick stop in Uji on our way between Koyasan and Kyoto. Uji is most famous for its matcha tea, so it was the perfect place for our first tea tasting as well as an opportunity to try all theOkumaya devam et
Kyoto - Southern Higashiyama

We woke up to more rain... our first stop today was Kiyomizudera and the narrow alleyways in that area that are known to get super crazy with tourists if you don't go first thing in the morning.Okumaya devam et
Central and Downtown Kyoto

After resting/napping at our hotel for a bit after our early morning adventures, we set out to explore a different area of Kyoto.
Our first stop was Nishiki Market, where we tried food at variousOkumaya devam et
Kyoto - Arashiyama

We woke up today with plans to take the Hozugawa River boat tour, but the consistent rain the last few days meant that the river was too high for the tour.
Instead, our first stop was OtagiOkumaya devam et
Kyoto - Fushimi Inari & Yariganna Hunt

On our way back from Arashiyama, we made a stop at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a shrine known for its thousands of torii gates lining the trail up Mt Inari, between the shrine's main buildings. This is aOkumaya devam et
Kanazawa - Day 1

Craving more familiar breakfast fare, we started our day at café that was opened by Seattle natives before heading out to explore the city. After enjoying our coffee and breakfast sandwiches, weOkumaya devam et
Kanazawa - Day 2

Today starts with more soufflé pancakes! Keanan found this place in the geisha district, and the breakfast pancakes are so good that we consider coming back later for their dessert options!
OurOkumaya devam et
Takayama

We said goodbye to Kanazawa this morning and took the train into the mountains to Takayama. We arrived just before noon, so our first stop was a shop selling Hida beef "sushi". Hida beef is the wagyuOkumaya devam et
Journey to Mt Fuji

More rain! Today we are traveling to the Fuji Five Lakes area and hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountain! We start with what is supposed to be a very scenic train ride through the mountains. TheOkumaya devam et
Kawaguchiko

I woke up before sunrise and scurried down to the lake and was met with dense fog where Fuji stands. It wasn't actively raining though, so I decided to take an early stroll along the shore of the lakeOkumaya devam et
Tokyo - Ueno Park & Kappabashi

The cold and rainy weather we've been having since we arrived had delayed the cherry blossoms across the country. While this has worked against us for the rest of our trip, today it's to ourOkumaya devam et
Tokyo - Teamlabs Borderless

We enjoyed exploring the different rooms and interacting with the exhibits at this digital art museum! Afterwards, we went up higher in the tower to take in the nightscape. Seeing dense lights as farOkumaya devam et
Tokyo - Last Day in Japan!

After some tax free shopping and packing our bags, we were headed to the river to meet Tiff for some brunch and cherry blossom viewing! It was awesome to catch up with her while we were here and getOkumaya devam et