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Japan 2025
  • The Sadovyis

Japan 2025

A 16-day adventure by The Sadovyis Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 20, 2025
    The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Tokyo Bound

    March 20 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    We're off to Tokyo for my second trip and Igors 3rd! With some good luck, we scored an upgrade to Delta One for the 13 hour flight MSP - HND 🎉

    We are expected to arrive around 230 pm Tokyo time Friday, and are off for a few nights stay in Ginza! We're both eagerly awaiting many delicious meals to come.Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Welcome to Ginza

    March 21 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We landed in Tokyo after 12 hours of flight time. I think we both got a good amount of sleep but were definitely ready for some fresh air and to get a shower after so much air travel.

    Our stay for the weekend is in the Tokyo Edition Ginza, a cute hotel smack dab in the middle of a bunch of restaurants and shopping! The room is quite spacious for the area, and after a quick freshen up we were out in search of food.

    Our dinner this evening was conveyor belt sushi! However, with a 1. 5 hour wait we entertained ourselves with a few rooftop drinks and a Kobe beef appetizer - so delicious.

    No photos allowed of the conveyor belt but all the fish was incredible and fresh. We ate our fill and ended the night with a few cocktails at the hotel before getting into bed at 830. A perfect first night and I for one am super excited for a good night sleep tonight.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    11

    Out & About

    March 22 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We spent the morning walking around the Imperial Gardens and enjoying the beautiful weather. Spring is just starting here and everyone was out enjoying the sunshine. We had a great time spotting the first cherry blossoms and walking after so many hours of plane sitting.

    Our meals today were all delicious, from a light breakfast and coffee, a ramen for lunch from an adorable 20 seat cafe, and tons of meat skewers at a yakatori place for dinner.

    We also had plenty of time to bop in and out of shops and just enjoy the sunny weather. We are headed to Kyoto tomorrow but will be back in Tokyo for a few nights at the end of the trip.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Special post: curry breakfast

    March 23 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Mini post to shout out this incredible curry breakfast joint:

    Pick your:
    - curry & spice level
    - toppings
    - rice type - cooked fresh in hot stone bowl individually

    Danielle: wagyu, onions, spinach & pork cutlet
    Igor: spicy wagyu & cheese
    Cha: spicy wagyu & eggplant
    Ams: 😴    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    1

    Kyoto Shrines

    March 23 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We took the shinkansen bullet trail (Nozomi 39) to Kyoto from Tokyo at a speedy 180 mph, a quick 2 hour ride. Complete with train snacks, a Mt Fuji sighting, and a very happy Igor.

    We're staying in a cute Machiya (traditional wooden house) for much of the week!

    Our first full day here started with a nice morning stroll for Igor and I in search of coffee. Apparently very little is open Monday at 8 am. The walk took us along many canals, through some cute neighborhoods, and by the zoo! Today we visited the Heian Jingu Shrine and walked around the gardens - the city's cherry trees are just about to blossom!

    For food, we've had the most incredible sushi (delivered via Uber eats!), eggs sandwich and a hotdog for breakfast (guess who had which), amazing chicken ramen, and some street onigiri (rice balls).    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    1

    Relaxing in Kyoto

    March 24 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Our weather has been perfect here in Kyoto, cool in the morning for great hiking and sunny and warm for afternoon relaxing.

    We checked out the Inari Shrine and took about a 2 hour hike around the surrounding bamboo forest! Very pretty arch ways and peaceful forests, even though the shrine was very busy.

    After walking around most of the morning we regrouped at the house before having a beautiful lunch on the canal/river. Our set meal included an adorable bento box of goodies, tempura, and udon. Extremely full after the two hours of lunch, we spent the evening relaxing at the house, having a nice bath in the outdoor tub, and napping.

    Igs and I tried out the local McDonald's for a small dinner as we were too tired and too full to partake in a full sit down dinner 😅 I got the Teriyaki Mcdouble and Igor got the Samurai Big Mac. Pretty good but I probably wouldn't order again.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    2

    Suntory

    March 26 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    For Igor's birthday, we started the day with a tour of the Suntory whiskey factory after a lovely train ride. Two of Igors favorite things ❤️

    We joined the whiskey tour, which took us through the mashing, fermentation, and distillation rooms—so many delicious smells, and the vessels were bubbling away. They make whiskey all seven days of the week!

    The tour wrapped up with a flight of whiskeys and the ingredients to make your own personal highball cocktail.

    We grabbed a light bite for lunch at a tiny okonomiyaki restaurant with just two tables and some small bar seating—so cute! Our appetizer: fried cheese with mochi—so good. And tonight, we're off to a kaiseki two-star Michelin dinner!    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    21

    Kaiseki Dinner

    March 26 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    For Igor's birthday, we went to a lovely two-star Michelin kaiseki dinner at Gion Matayoshi.

    Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course meal focused on seasonal ingredients, and it’s a specialty of the Kyoto area.

    We had our own private room upstairs, which we reached after removing our shoes at the door. Our dinner started with each of us choosing a sake pairing, which was then described to us in Japanese—not sure what was said, but all of the pours were delicious.

    The meal featured a variety of fish in different forms—shrimp wrapped around an egg yolk, sashimi, and octopus they showed us live before cooking!

    Everyone was so kind and explained the meal with detailed ingredient textbooks full of pictures, and even taught us the proper way to eat certain dishes. The only mishap was when Igor tried to order a bottle of sake and we almost ended up with the magnum version—1,500 mL!

    We ended the meal with some lovely desserts and really enjoyed the 20-minute walk home to help us digest.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
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    212

    Last Day in Kyoto

    March 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    While we had very few plans for our last day in Kyoto, we definitely managed to fill it with lots of walking and some last-minute sightseeing.

    Igor and I started the morning with a visit to the Kyoto City Zoo, just a few minutes from our house. It’s a charming little city zoo, complete with some of our favorites: giraffes, red pandas, and some adorable woodland creatures.

    In the afternoon, we wandered through the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and around the old Imperial Palace grounds—once home to Japan’s emperors before the capital moved to Tokyo. Very pretty zen gardens, would 100% love to live there 🤣

    At night we headed out to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove for a ghost tour/walk. While the stories themselves weren't too spooky, it was really cool to walk through the forest with no one there.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler
    1

    Ryokan & Onsen Weekend

    March 29 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This weekend we spent two nights at Yama no Chaya, a beautiful ryokan and onsen in Hakone. It was a welcome sight after lugging our luggage up a narrow mountain road for 20 minutes 😅 we couldn't find a taxi and the bus line was out of control long. Luckily the walk was pretty and it was relatively cool outside.

    They took our shoes and luggage at the door, and we were promptly settled into our room. The room was spread over three stories, complete with a private bath and foot baths—all filled with natural hot spring water from the area!

    The ryokan also has four shared baths, each with peaceful views overlooking the surrounding bamboo and pine forest. We spent most of our time relaxing, playing cards, soaking in the onsen, and of course—eating.

    Breakfast and dinner were included both days, and they did not hold back on the portions. Each meal was a multi-course set featuring local ingredients. The first night’s dinner was especially intense—so much fish! Squid, pufferfish skin, pickled things, uni... we were all struggling by the end.

    Saturday was mostly rainy, which worked out perfect to lounge around and enjoy the ryokan. All in all, a great and relaxing stay in Hakone.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Only a Few Nights Left

    March 31 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We've come to the final leg of our vacation—a five-night stay in Tokyo. Courtesy of many Marriott points and a “buy four nights, get one free” deal, we’re taking it easy just outside the Ginza area and enjoying the very cool Mesm hotel.

    After a weekend of mostly fish dishes, we were all craving western food and beef. Once we took a quick ride on the bullet train and got checked in, we headed out for burgers. Igor got one made with Matsusaka beef—one of the top wagyu varieties in Japan, super rich and buttery.

    Both burgers were delicious, and we went to bed full and early.

    Breakfast is included for us because of Marriott status, and it’s quite the spread—snow crab omelettes, multiple sausage types, both western and Japanese dishes, homemade tofu, and fresh juice. Dad would have loved it —especially with everything included for free! We made sure to eat our fill, and then I promptly went and took a nap.

    Igor and I then ventured out for a light lunch (small set of tuna sashimi) and some shopping at Muji and Uniglo! We bought more than our suitcases may be able to handle, but that's a problem for Thursday.

    For dinner, we went out for more beef—this time to a yakiniku place where you grill your own meat at the table. We ordered a la carte so we could cook it ourselves (and also because, again, no more fish). The beef sashimi and wagyu chateaubriand steak were the highlights—plus we tried out a sake with gold flakes!    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Rainy Days in Tokyo

    April 1 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    With very few plans these last few days and some rainy weather, we've mostly taken it easy and prioritized good snacks!

    Snacks include:
    - wagyu burgers
    - ramen
    - curry & pork cutlet
    - beefs
    - cool cocktails
    - sushi
    - delivery sushi
    - all the free breakfast we can eat

    Tonight we're headed out for a teppanyaki (beef, grill hibachi style) dinner ❤️ then tomorrow we've got most of the day before an afternoon flight. Sad vacation is coming to a close but looking forward to being home too.    Read more

  • The SadovyisJapan 2025Traveler

    Headed home

    April 4 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today feels like the longest day. We left Tokyo at 4 pm Friday to arrive state side at 1pm Friday, love going back in time :)

    We enjoyed our last 24 hours in Tokyo with so much delicious beef and some nice cocktails at the bar we loved when we visited in 2019 (Bar High Five).

    Now we're glad to be back in Madison and ready to relax and enjoy being home for the weekend!    Read more

    Trip end
    April 4, 2025
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