Konnichiwa, Tokyo!

Arrived at Narita Airport to throngs of travelers. The train options and connections are dizzying, but with the aid of helpful station staff, we had no hitches getting to our hotel in the AsakusaRead more
Kanda-Tokyo Sta-Ueno-Asakusa

Our first full day forecast predicted 100% rain and heavy downpours. It was 100% right. We came prepared for wet weather, so our spirits weren't dampened. We canceled a bike tour and decided toRead more
Cycling around the Imperial Palace

On Tuesday, we took a 3-hour cycling tour with two other couples, one from Long Beach, CA and the other from Mexico City. Unlike yesterday, today was perfect weather for a bike ride. Partly cloudy andRead more
Cycling Ginza-Tsukishima-Tsukuda

After leaving the Imperial Palace, we headed to a very busy and expensive area called Ginza for a brief stop. We keep taking videos trying to capture the masses of people at train stations and triedRead more
Shinjuku Red Light District

On the evening of the bike tour, we had a walking tour of the Shinjuku redlight district w Suemi, a sweet local young woman, who told us about its history and laws and showed us its hideaways. TheRead more
Arriving in Nakatsugawa

On Wednesday, we took the Shinkansen (bullet) train to Nagoya, then caught a local train to the small town of Nakatsugawa, a jumping off spot for the Nakasando Way--a trail historically traveled byRead more
Magome-Nakasendo Way

Caught the first bus at 7:45am to Magome to the start of the Nakasendo Way. Only 6-7 others at that time. We read two forecasts for the day. One said a lot of rain, the other said no rain. BeingRead more
Nakasendo Way-Tsumago

Forest bathing along the Nakasendo Way. At only 7.7km in length, it's a very mini version of the Camino, and a wonderful experience. We took a leisurely 4 hours to finish. In Tsumago, we enjoyed aRead more
Buildings, music, shoes in Tokyo

Some observations about Tokyo:
1) Had to snap photos of some very interesting buildings (only a few pictured).
2) Godzilla is represented in a number of places around Tokyo. He started out as aRead more
Some Kyoto Highlights

It seems that any train travel in Japan will give lots of views of rice patties. Our trip to Kyoto was no different. A beautiful sign welcomed us at the train station, and a surprise toilet greeted meRead more
Kamogawa River-Bike Tour-Torii Gates

On 5/18 we took a 4-hour bike tour of North Kyoto with our guide, Satsuki. Along with two other couples (from Cork/Dublin and Montreal), he took us along the Kawogama River, which goes for miles. WeRead more
Arashiyama

The morning of 5/19, we were up and out early, hoping to beat the crowds to the bamboo forest, but a lot of other tourists apparently had the same idea and were as undaunted by the day's rainy weatherRead more
Bike Rental-Philosopher's Path

If it's not already obvious, our happy place is on two-wheelers. We rented bikes on our own to enjoy more of the Kamogawa River and surrounding neighborhoods. Made a last minute decision to find theRead more
Kurama dera-Kibune-Home

There is a trail from the small mountain town of Kurama-dera to Kibune that takes about 90 minutes to walk. We decided to check it out on the afternoon of 5/20 immediately following the bike return.Read more
TravelerI’m told there’s no 7-11 like those in Japan.
TravelerKonnichiwa!! I was thinking when you were starting your trip. Wishing you lots lots of fun in your Japan adventure 🌈💕
TravelerKonnichiwa! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to following along ❤️