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Japan & Korea

March - April 2024
Sinéad and Marcus's hijinks in Japan and Korea Read more
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  • Japan & Korea
    Day 1

    Layover in Frankfurt

    March 16 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Lovely sleep deprived layover on our way to Japan. Had a horrid meal of three lukewarm industrial German sausages and an expired cherry tomato. Alright airport, but did they have to call connecting flights "Anschlussflüg"?

     Currently on the plane waiting for takeoff, wegded between two Japanese people talking to themselves in Japanese. Sinead is also in a middle seat somewhere else on the plane. 13 hour flight ahead of us. Very excited.    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 2

    Shinjuku and surroundings

    March 17 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Landed at 8am local time.

    Got our Japanese SIM set up to be able to use data and maps here. Got our public transport card set up. Loved the random Hello Kitty theme.

    Got on the metro which was surprisingly easy to navigate. 50 minutes later, we're at the hotel.

    First stop:
    Shinjuku Gyoen national Garden.
    Lovely traditional Japanese garden with carps, bridges, pavilions, the works. Surrounded by skyscrapers on all sides.

    Second stop:
    Shin Udon.
    This restaurant is all over the internet! It specialises in udon noodles which are thick and chewy. The come in all sorts of dishes. You can get them cold and dry, cold and in sauce, warm and dry, warm and in broth, warm and buttered. My tip: get the hot buttery ones with beef and a raw egg. Trust me.
    To get in, you show up early and get a ticket saying your wait time to be seated is approximately 3.5 hours. You then go check out the local area for said amount of time before coming back to wait for a table open up.
    Once you get in, the restaurant is tiny. About 14 diners can squeeze in there on tiny chairs around tiny tables. I must've knocked into every single person in there causing spilled udon noodles and general awkwardness. Being 182cm, 93kg in Japan is impractical.
    Were the noodles good? Meh. The cold ones weren't. The brothy ones weren't. The buttery ones on the other hand were. The tempura was amazing, though. For 3.5 hours wait and a €40 total bill, you'd expect a bit more. The locals don't seem to go here, and it feels a bit touristy.

    General impression of Tokyo:
    Massive and busy. Many impressions for a simple boy from Vestby. It is, however, very orderly with security guards on every corner making sure people aren't walking in bike tracks or blocking entrances etc. There are practically no bins around, but still super clean. People often dress a bit quirky with anime themed clothing and hair.

    Went to bed at 4pm local time and slept until 11pm. The jet lag is real.    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 3

    Tsukiji Outer fish market

    March 18 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    We got up at crack of jet lag and went to the Tsukiji fish market. Walked around and took in the sights and quaint little shops. Teeming with tourists from Asia and elsewhere.

    Stop 1
    Kitsuneya
    Little food stall with two items on the menu: Gyu Don which is a beef and onion stew, and Harumon Don which is a cow organ stew. Both served with rice. Optional soft boiled or raw egg available. Complimentary green tea. There was a 30 minute wait for this place with mainly locals. Beef for me, organs for Sinead. Both found it tasty, and quite rich.

    Stop 2
    Mochi
    For dessert we had mochi. Chewy, sweet little pillows of pounded, glutinous rice that typically have a filled centre. A traditional Japanese desert. Strawberry and "choco" flavoured ones are the best sellers. Odd textures for a Westerner, but both enjoyed them.

    Stop 3
    Sweet omelette on a stick
    Had no idea they'd be sweet. I was not prepared for that. Acquired taste, I suppose.

    We then left the fish market without having any fish (yes, I know) and walked to the Ginza shopping district. Stores called Louis Vitton, Valentino, Dior and Balenciaga abounded but we had other things in mind: stationary.

    Stop 4
    Itoya
    120 years old, 12 floors of stationary. Rows and rows of pens, pencils, brushes, paper, cards, origami kit etc. One pen cost €20k! Got a few presents for some stationary fans back in Ireland.

    Stop 5
    Bake cheese tart
    The central Tokyo railway station is home to one branch of this extremely focused bakery chain. The cheese tart tasted a bit like a fluffy cheesecake in a crispy base. Would recommend.

    Stop 4
    Free 3hr walking tour
    Our tour guide Miyu started us off in Akihabara, the nerd capital of Tokyo. This is where the electronics companies started out. In later years, the area has been taken over by the otaki, a special breed of the Japanese male renowned for their expertise in Anime, gaming and all female pop groups. This is evident in the areas many cartoony neon signs.
    The tour went on to a Confusian samurai university and then a shinto shrine. Despite our best efforts to honour the shrine's sanctity with a ritual cleansing, we nonetheless upset the shinto gods with our accidental disregard of etiquette and the photography ban. Thankfully, my fortune as told by a robotic arm was promising anyway. "Missing thing: it will be found in a low place ". The Japanese have such a way with words.
    We continued the tour through the Ameyoko shopping district, a previous ww2 black market alley, now a cheaper option for international shoppers. This lead directly into our final destination for the tour: Ueno Park. We very briefly checked out an early blooming cherry blossom tree and the statue of the last samurai. He lead an armed rebellion against the Meijiro restaurant government for abolishing the samurai class. He's appreciated today for calling off the rebellion last minute and then teaming up with the government to strengthen Japan against would be colonisers. Thoroughly enjoyed the informative nature of the tour.

    Wrapped the day up with a tuna rice bowl in the Ameyoko shopping district. Nice, fresh taste to it.    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    1
    Day 4

    Tokyo National Museum & Ramen

    March 19 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Breakfast consisted of a curry bread and pastry for herself and Eggslut for me. Not exactly a hotspot for locals, but it did the trick. Definitely recommend a good curry bread.

    Stop 1
    Tokyo national museum
    Based in the Ueno Park, North East of the city centre the Tokyo national museum is a massive complex of several different buildings. The Western art building is recognised by UNESCO as Japan's latest world heritage site and flanked by August Rodin sculptures. We made a beeline for the national museum with Japanese art. It has artefacts beginning from 11,000 BC up until the opening of the country in the mid 1800s. In a way reminiscent of Western art's deference to Christianity and Greek mythology, Japanese Court art is all about China for thousands of years. Only in the late 700s did it start to depict Japanese motifs. Frequent scenes included buddhist imagery, nobility, cherry blossoms and kimono wearing women. Shinto doesn't seem to feature. I suspect it was a commoner's religion. The artefacts also reflect the political changes from the rise of the samurai, through their subjugation to the Shogun all the way to westernisation and the introduction of photography. In my humble opinion, a must for any visitor to Tokyo.

    Stop 2
    Ichiran
    Famous ramen chain. Renowned for automated systems for ordering, paying and dining. A hit with locals and solo diners, we had to queue outside for 45 minutes. Once you're let in, you're shown to a little booth perfect for solo diners. The booths are quite snug and I struggled to squeeze into mine to the amusement of the locals. You order through a little paper form and make any additional requests through small wooden FAQ tokens. Your food is served through a little hatchet to minimise human contact. Ideal for people with social anxiety. Ichiran specialises in a kind of ramen called tonkotsu which is a rich, milky broth made of pig's bones, served with a slice of roasted pork. Garnished with a perfectly boiled egg, spring onions and a dollop of spice. It tasted very good for the €6 price tag, but the main reason to go is for the quintessential Japanese experience. While I appreciate their politeness and modesty, the social isolation that is evident in the dining experience and experienced by a lot of Japanese people is quite saddening.

    Stop 3
    Asakusa shrine and Senso Ji temple
    Large buddhist complex dedicated to the Boddhisatva of compassion. It is absolutely packed with tourists and kimono wearing Japanese. I reckon it's wise to go there early in the morning to beat the crowds. The temple complex leads directly into Nakamise dori, a 250m long and super busy street with plenty of stall for buying souvenirs. We went for some spicy rice snacks and a traditional wood print depicting the taifoon waves that saved Japan from the Mongolian invasion twice.

    To be continued    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 4

    Tokyo sky tree

    March 19 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Stop 4
    Tokyo sky tree
    After a dose of much needed spiritual healing at the shrine, we headed over to the Tokyo sky tree for the best views of the city. Similarly to the Tokyo Tower, the sky tree is a former radio mast but it's much taller. We got in before sunset and watched the Tokyo skyline light up as the sun set. Loads of other people obviously had the same idea as the observation floors were quite busy. We spent about an hour there snapping a few good pics of the Tokyo Tower.

    Stop 5
    Shinjuku nightlife!
    We went to an alleyway in Shinjuku called Omoide Yokocho. It originated as a post second world war black market, but is now famous for its nightlife with an emphasis on (allegedly) cheap drinks and yakitori which are charcoal grilled skewers. Some restaurants serve things like barbecued skin, cartilage, ovaries and vagina so make sure you check the menu before entering. We found a vagina free eatery and proceed to order some Japanese classics I have been dying to try: pork belly yakitori (skewers), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes with vegetable and/or squid), takoyaki (small spherical savoury pancakes with vegetables or squid) and karage which are fried pieces of chicken thigh. All very tasty and went well with a pint of Asahi super dry. Sinead seemed pleased with her highball Japanese whisky cocktail. The atmosphere was pretty noisy, but it was fun to see all the businessmen in their uniform black suits let their hair down. Some of them even crossed the road during red light. So out of character. Outrageous. What would their mammies say?    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 5

    Shibuya sky

    March 20 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Stop 1
    Curry bread
    Started the day off with breakfast at Gourmet Curry Bon Goût which is renowned for their curry bread. These are fried, panko coated bread filled with delicious dark brown curry sauce. We got two each of chicken curry and cheese + beef. Very attentive staff, but considering all the hype surrounding the curry bread I had expected a bit more flavour wise. The more casual curry bread at the local bakery was surprisingly tastier despite being less saucey.

    Stop 2
    Harajuku
    Quick stop at Harajuku, the fashion district to check out the quirky costumes people wear. I didn't see too many people like that. They must've taken the day off for vernal equinox. Went shopping in UniQlo, a local favourite. I'm a European L but a Japanese XXL, so finding things that fit was a struggle.

    Stop 3
    Shibuya sky
    Famous 220 meter vantage point of top of the Shibuya scramble square tower. You get a 360° view of Tokyo including a bird's eye view of the famous Shibuya scramble crossing. Today is a public holiday in Japan, so the crossing wasn't that busy but it averages 3000 people every two minutes. Tokyo can't be pleasant to drive in. The outside observation deck was closed due to rain, but we enjoyed the view from inside. Staff kindly offered to change the date of our tickets, but it didn't fit the schedule. Would I go here again? This experience can't really compete with the view from Tokyo sky tree at sunset.

    Stop 4
    Hachi
    Hachi was a Shiba Inu and the most loyal dog in the world. He is remembered with a statue by the shibuya crossing.

    Stop 5
    Souffle pancakes
    Fluffy, wobbly, delicious pancakes at Flipper's. Tasty, but there was a 40 minute wait which detracted from the experience.

    Stop 6
    Fuunji
    Renowned for dipping noodles and ramen. Awkward to order if you don't already know the menu and/or Japanese. There is no waiting staff either, just cooks working away right in front of you. The restaurant is very small and you're having your dinner with people queuing directly behind you. However, the ramen was pretty much perfection. I'm guessing the broth was a mix of pork/fish/soy/miso with bits of broiled pork that hit the proverbial spot. Recommended.

    Stop 7
    Golden gai
    Tokyo's very own Temple bar district. Snug alleyways with 200+ tiny bars. Most of them have suntory Japanese whisky, but there are some more specialised ones too. We ended up going to a natural wine bar which has sake and other wines made with the yeasts present in the air. The sparkling sake was particularly good.

    Off to sleep for an early morning. Night night, followers    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 6

    Hakone

    March 21 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    We went on a day trip to Hakone today. Its about 90 minutes outside Tokyo on the train. Then a 30 minute bus journey into the town. We were glad we left Tokyo early as there was a long queue for the buses.
    Hakone is a mountain and volcano town on Lake Ashi which is popular with tourists.
    We did a loop of the area using our Hakone free passes for transport which were great value, and gave us some discounts too!

    Stop 1
    Hakone jinja shrine
    We walked to the shrine from our bus, with beautiful forest, lake, and mountain views on the walk.
    The shrine dates back to 757. The torii gate entrance to the shrine, also known as the "red gate of peace" sits on the water and is striking amongst the natural scenery. There was a long queue to take photos here so we decided to move on to the next stop, taking in more forestry and red gates on the way.

    Stop 2
    Cruise on Lake Ashi
    We were very lucky with the clear skies and sunny weather today, as we had an amazing view of Mt. Fuji during our Lake cruise! This also brought us to our next stop, which was lunch in Togendai View, a restaurant specialising in omurice, which is a slightly runny omelette served over rice with red wine gravy. Generous portions and delicious!

    Stop 3
    Owakudani
    A ropeway/cable car brought us up to Owakundai where there are volcanic geysers and more great views of the Fuj! The area is basically a chunk of the mountain blasted out by an eruption in 2015 and it's still smoking. We also tried the famous black eggs, which are boiled in the natural hot springs and supposedly add 7 years to your life if you eat them!

    We were very impressed with the mountain and geyser views, pictures don't do the stunning views justice.

    We took another cable car down to Gora, and then a ropeway tram to our next destination.

    Stop 4
    Hakone open air museum
    This museum is the first open air museum in Japan, with contemporary sculptures and a Picasso exhibition featuring his range of styles throughout his life. We were really impressed with the sculptures and the Picasso exhibit, and wish we could've spent a bit more time here.

    Stop 5
    Hakone yuryo
    We took another scenic train journey and visited an Onsen for the famous hot spring baths! We booked a private onsen and enjoyed our thermal bath outside with the forest trees to look out on. The perfect way to end a busy day!    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    1
    Day 7

    Shrines, cherry blossoms and sushi

    March 22 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    What a quintessential Japanese blend of experiences for our last full day in Tokyo.

    Stop 1
    Meiji shrine
    Holy place which enshrines the soul of Emperor Meiji, famous from the mid 1800s restoration of the empire ending the Shogun era. Under his rule Japan ended feudalism, embraced constitutionalism, industrialism and became a regional military power. Emperor Meiji oversaw the Sino-Japanese war, the annexation of Korea and the Russo-Japanese war so it's a bit odd that his shrine is dedicated to peace. In general, most museums and attractions in Japan seem to enforce a strict "don't mention the wars" policy.

    Stop 2
    Takeshita Street
    The main shopping street in trendy fashion hub Harajuku. Teeming with life and quirky anime fans. A bit too busy, for us so we went to the local IKEA. The locals didn't seem too interested in furniture, but hoarded plushies and soft serve ice cream. They seemed to get enthusiastic about every day Swedish items such us knäckebröd or kanelbullor, and tunnbröd was made out to be very exclusive. IKEA here really seems to stress the cafeteria part and forget about selling furniture. Always interesting to see how people are around Nordic cultural exports.

    Stop 3
    Meguro River
    Famed for its lovely cherry tree promenade along its banks. Unfortunately, we beat the blossoms to it but still had a nice, peaceful walk.

    Stop 4
    Sushi!
    It feels like a crime not to have sushi while in Tokyo. Chose a restaurant called Sushi Zanmai in Shinjuku for its specialising in tuna and strong Google reviews. It lived up to the hype. Sinead got a sushi tuna set and I got a tuna rice bowl. Both had a variety of tuna. Red, semi fatty, fatty, collar (really fatty) and minced. All were tender and fresh. We had a complementary miso soup (fermented soy bean paste) with seaweed on the side. Would recommend this place for anyone who wants to try real sushi. It certainly delivered a karate kick KO to my notion of what sushi was- slimy salmon on vinegary rice served with a side of trendy hipster pretending to enjoy it.

    Tomorrow we're going to Kyoto!    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    112
    Day 8

    Kyoto

    March 23 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    Got the Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. The check-in process is quite confusing as you need two different tickets as well as your Pasmo. Even locals visibly struggle with this system. From the outside, the train looks like it's from a different century but on the inside it was jam packed and about as glamorous as Ryanair flight. I should have reserved some seats as we ended up standing for most of the 2 hour journey to Kyoto. Lesson learned for next time.

    Free walking tour
    As soon as we arrived in Kyoto we dropped off our bags and rushed to the free walking tour we had booked. The guide was cheerful Londoner called Ben who had been living in Japan for 25 years. He took us through the winding roads of Kyoto city centre pointing out traditional building styles which have been kept as Kyoto was never bombed during the war. This was a happy coincidence resulting from the US secretary of state during the war had had his honeymoon in Kyoto decades prior.

    Ben also pointed out folklore figurines such as Tanuki the Japanese badger dog that tries to get you drunk and steal your money. My favourite was easily the story of Benkei and Yoshitsune; medieval Japanese batman and Robin. Two accomplished warriors who fought each other in an epic battle on a bridge, made up, became unseparable and fought against the establishment Kamakura shogunate. While they lost, they are remembered for their loyalty and bravery.

    We kept going to the Chion-in temple, home to reformist buddhist monks. It has the stairs made famous by Tom Cruise in the last samurai, ninja proof squeaky floors, a pokemon themed manhole cover and a vending machine that does buddhist chants when you pay. The coolest temple ever!

    On we went up the Ninnen-Sannei Zaka hill past the stunning Yasaka pagoda, wrapping up the tour at Kiyomisu-dera temple with great views down on Kyoto. The street itself was full of lovely souvenir shops, views and quaint little sights.

    We wrapped the evening up with dinner in the famous Pontocho Street. Finally we got to have wagyu! The rumours were not exaggerated as this was the most tender and juicy beef we had ever had. It went well with the more subtle flavours of the rest of the set beef dinner menu; tofu skin, crudité and mochi.

    All in all, a good first day in Kyoto.    Read more

  • Japan & Korea
    Day 9

    Arashiyama

    March 24 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Wee little day trip to Arashiyama, a little village outside of Kyoto.

    Stop 1
    Monkey Park
    On the top of a hill outside Arashiyama, there is a little colony of macaques. They have little red faces, spend a lot of time grooming and often fight each other. Sinéad looked a bit nervous around them, but we both enjoyed visiting our new pals.

    Stop 2
    Tenryu Ji temple
    Next up, we went down the hill and through the village to Tenryu Ji. It's a Zen temple and garden recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The level of detail in the buildings and the perfect state of the trees and moss in the garden was quite impressive. It obviously took a lot of dedication.

    Stop 3
    Bamboo grove
    Just outside of the temple's North exit there's a thick bamboo forest. It looks pretty mysterious and makes for cool pictures. Tourists love it!

    We went back to Kyoto for a katsu dinner on the 11th floor of the Porta shopping center. The sesame seed and special sauce mix did wonders for the katsu pork tenderloin. The restaurant certainly deserves the long lines and high Google reviews.    Read more

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