Off to Japan!
March 26 in France ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F
Bus to train to underground to Eurostar to uber to Charles de Gaulle to Tokyo! We should arrive by tomorrow evening!
Tokyo!
March 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
After a long but uneventful flight, we landed in Tokyo at 1600 local time, 9 hours ahead of home. Customs was unfortunately slow since the kids weren’t able to use the automated scanners. At least our bags and driver were already waiting for us when we made it through. We loaded up into our ten passenger van for the even longer drive to our Airbnb. Rush hour in Tokyo was no joke. We should have taken the train. We finally arrived to meet our host and check into our 3 bedroom, 3 story house. Dropped our bags and then out to get some delicious ramen down the street with a stop at the 7-11 for some drinks and snacks. 7-11 is super popular here for its food… but I think we will stick with restaurants. Eating in before a late bedtime before our first full day tomorrow!Read more
Harajuku
March 28 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 57 °F
What better way to beat jet lag than walk 9 miles the next day? Parents up at 6 and kids up at 8 before a jet lag electrolyte mix and hitting the streets. We wanted to pick up transit cards for the kids so had to find a central station - then as we made it to the front of the line, were told we had to have cash. Fortunately, we stumbled into a nearby bank ATM that would take our Wise card. The kids (mostly Gideon) love seeing the new money, especially when it comes out in 10,000 increments. After exchanging some yen for the kids Suica transit cards, we went to get some breakfast at the Family Mart. Picture if 7-11 and Family Dollar had a baby. We did get some delicious spicy fried chicken breast but couldn’t walk as we ate since that is consider offensive in Japan. Fortunately, our first stop was close by we so ate outside before entering Mipig Cafe. Full of baby pigs, Jocelyn had reserved private sitting areas for us to enjoy Hannah and Uma in one area and Sakura and Sopoyo in the other. Since the cat cafe was vetoed by the allergy sufferers (Tige and Gideon), pigs were tops on the list. They were voted best of the day as they squeaked and climbed around your lap for almost an hour. It was relaxing and certainly different but fortunate we had reservations as it was booked out almost a week in advance. After our time was up, it was a short walk to our first park and shrine of the trip - Meiji Jingu. It was a beautiful day and the temple (no pictures allowed) looked like a movie set - but so much bigger. We did get to walk through the gates and got some good pictures on the way. It got warm so we had to carry our jackets (what a great feeling!) before the kids got their ‘goshuin’ books. The books are specifically made to get ‘stamps’ from each temple (for a small donation). Though I expected a rubber book stamp like the national parks I used to get as a child, we were instead shuttled inside a room (no pictures again) where each ‘stamp’ was hand painted in Japanese calligraphy with a date (at least, that’s what they told us it says since we can’t read Japanese). It was very pretty and certainly a unique keepsake… though with 1500+ shrines in Tokyo, we likely won’t get to all the stamps. From the shrine, it was a short walk to Yoyogi Park - and our first sighting of the beautiful cherry blossoms. Being a sunny and bright Saturday afternoon, the crowds were out in force. (We also found the sidewalks and streets to be impressive in the sheer number of people - it was like every road was full of fans leaving a baseball game, except going both directions and, at times, perpendicular. I always thought those clips you saw on tv were of a busy street. Now I know that’s true.. and all of them are busy streets.) The cherry blossoms were as pretty as advertised. They were concentrated in a portion of the park that we wandered around and took a few shots. We didn’t want to leave but were getting a little hungry and had some Japanese shopping to do. After leaving the park, it was our first matcha stop and then off to Onitsuka Tiger - the popular Japanese shoe store nearby. It was a fun stop and the staff were overwhelmed with customers but nicer than any store I have ever been to. Joce, Elliot and I all got a pair (bright red, white and original yellow, respectively) before it was time for a late lunch. Joce had found a place nearby known for their sandwiches - Chermside. A steak sandwich along with a pork (tonkatsu) option - pork was the winner - and house made soda and chips. A greasy and yummy lunch. From there, we walked to the nearby Fuji store. Tige - who always take a few Polaroids but struggles to know how to adjust for sun, shade and everything in between - was arm twisted into buying a new Fuji instant camera with autoadjusting features. Since it seems everything in Japan is on sale compared to the UK, we got a ‘great deal’ on a new version, much to the delight of Gideon who gets to inherit the old Polaroid. We continued on through Shibuya and passed through the Shibuya crossing. This Times Square-esque intersection is said to handle the most foot traffic in the world at over 2.4 million people crossing (all 4 directions as well as diagonally) each day. After making it through unscathed, it was a short walk to the Nintendo flagship store in Tokyo. While fun, it didn’t compare the NYC store. Starbucks stop for the Japan mug before taking the train home. We learned one big lesson today - don’t come home back home without dinner plans. Though it was a Saturday night, we assumed finding a sushi place with room for 5 would be easy… but it was certainly not. We finally headed home with plans for ordering in but after that fell through (100 min wait) we set out again with just the adults and found a place just before closing time (what could go wrong with the last order of fresh fish for dinner from some place we found at the end of an alley?). Kids got off with cooked ramen noodles but our dinner ended up being delicious and filling after a long, long day. Off to another late bedtime… planning for a lighter day tomorrow before a big day for Monday. Couldn’t have had better weather and finally got to see the largest city in the world up close. It did not disappoint.Read more
Asakusa
March 30 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
We had an eventful night, mostly rescued by Elliot. Gid had a bloody nose at 4 am and woke her up to help and then a few hours later Hudson was sick in bed and she saved the day again. We had a slower start than we wanted, but eventually made it out of the house and took the train (now that we have figured it out) uneventfully to Senso-Ji. We walked through the gate, past an incredibly packed row of shops to the gorgeous gates and courtyard of the temple. We visited the pagoda (built in 890’s but rebuilt after damage in WW2) and temple inside. The kids got their goshuin stamps (for their books). We wandered around for street food, missing out on a place with great reviews and a massive line due to a booking, but had a yummy wagyu skewer, sausages and potato/cabbage pancakes. After lunch we headed to the Tokyo Skytree. Great views of the city from observation decks at 350 and 450m up, lots of instagramable spots, and an anime story that went over our heads. The lines gave us flashbacks to the Burj Khalifa, but worth it in the end. It’s so interesting how different neighborhoods feel here. We did some shopping and headed over to Ueno, which was a 30 min train toward home. We decided to eat first after the last could have nights’ struggles. Tige found a place tha we mapped to and walked about 15 minutes to get to, only to find that it was inside the massive station that we had just left. We paid to get in, but it ended up being a vegan ramen place so we found another spot that was the opposite (beef cutlets that you finish cooking on a hot stone). The ratio of restaurants to people is mind blowing in this area. After a very broken phone call to see if we could come and wait, we were met with a massive line. As in Harajuku, they had a secret second location, back where we had passed twice! I walked over and then everyone followed and we walked right in. Delicious meal at a table big enough for us, which ended up being a fav for everyone. The kids are coming along with their chopstick use! After dinner we walked through the Sakuras lit by lanterns in Ueno park. Incredible! We never managed to meet up with E’s bestie, but might have another chance in Kyoto. Spent a bit planning Disney for tomorrow and then headed to bed. Early morning tomorrow:)Read more
DisneySea Tokyo
March 30 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
We stayed up far too late last night… past 10 again and up early at 530 for DisneySea. Billed as the best Disney in the world, we had planned for the long lines to get in… and decided to get there 2 hours before open. It was at least a pleasant morning and we had a smooth 35 minute Uber ride and the crowds had already started (first pic). We brought some playing cards for the wait and passed the time quicker than we thought. After finally getting through the gates 2 hours later, we made our first set of reservations. TokyoSea is very inexpensive to get in (and we later found out very cheap for snacks, drinks and ice cream - $2 for each of them) but if you don’t want to wait in a very long line, the skip the line passes add up quickly (and you can only book one at a time and then not another until it’s used up). Made for a lot of planning that didn’t completely work in reality since you never knew what ride you would be able to get a pass for. At any rate, we started with the beautiful 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride in ‘submarines’ with scary wildlife floating by. From there it was off to Journey to the Center of the Earth - very unique with a great roller coaster type ending. After walking a bit to see the park from land, we were admiring the sea view when Gideon trapped himself in a fence. Fortunately, there was plenty of time for pictures while he struggled to get free (only solved the problem with mom’s help). Then we all decided to brave the Tower of Terror. A first for E, we had all done it before and it did not disappoint. We had burger and Rueben lunches pre-ordered and waiting at the pick up counter before our next scheduled ride. We took a boat around the entire park, positioned right off of the sea - and got to see it all from the water. After that, it was off to Peter Pan - a newer ride than the older ones at DisneyLand and DisneyWorld but just as we got there, it was shut down. Fortunately, they allowed us to use our passes on the unbookable and busy Raging Spirits roller coaster - the first upside down for Hudson. It was short but very fun. Unfortunately, the Indiana Jones ride has been closed since last year and the crowds only continued to grow. It seems that the Japanese don’t mind standing in 3 to 4 (even 5!!) hour lines for these rides but an hour or so is about our limit and we decided to climb around the castle and boat and tour the newer Frozen area. We did one more ride at Aquatopia - a free drive water ride - before finding a short popcorn line and getting ice cream for the kids. There were half a dozen popcorn stands in the park each with a different flavor (curry, soy sauce and butter, caramel, white chocolate, black pepper and garlic prawn) and the lines were often 30-45 minutes long, some as much as an hour wrapping around the stands. Joce got the soy sauce in under 20 minutes before we went shopping for shirts for the kids and Baymax for E. Overall, it was an absolutely beautiful park and we enjoyed looking at all of it… but it didn’t compare to the US parks or even Paris in terms of rides. We couldn’t even get passes after 1300 and minimum 2 hour lines for everything (with 4 closed rides) made it hard to really enjoy. We decided to get home at a reasonable hour and took the trains back. About an hour later, we went to a local place called Pizza and Sake that didn’t have room for us last night. It was an absolutely delicious stop and everyone was hungry so it really hit the spot. Finally back home at a reasonable time for early bed for everyone. Another 15k steps but we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Cherry blossoms to start tomorrow.Read more
Sakura Borderless
March 31 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
We were all super tired from lingering jet lag and late nights and slept in until 830 this am. We had a Japanese version of bacon (weird) and eggs and delicious strawberries (the hype is real). We decided to take a car to the Chidorigafuchi Green Way to beat the trains and crowds, but Sakura traffic had other plans. We made it to the area nonetheless and the trees were a gorgeous tunnel alongside the river. We had planned to boat on the river, but the rain in the forecast closed the docks for the day, which was sad, especially for Tige. We thought to walk through the imperial palace gardens, but heavy rain made it unpleasant. We shifted gears and headed towards our next stop, TeamLab Borderless.
We walked around the Azabudai Hills Complex, full of shops and a delightful high end market. We selected tonkatsu, fish, rice, spring rolls and strawberries and had a great lunch in advance of our reservation. We stopped for coffee at %Arabica- born in Kyoto but worldwide and so yummy that we went back afterward to get a special grind for the pour over situation that we are doing this trip (and probably forever bc it is the perfect travel coffee).
We had reservations for Borderless, an interactive art installation and the best vibe ever. So nice to just hang out together and love what we get to experience. So many highlights, but the top three were the crystal installation that you controlled with an iPad or your app and the tea room- eternal blooms in an infinite cup of your tea selection. The petals fluttering when you took a drink. The final (and best) were a room where you color a picture of a fish/swordfish/shark/turtle/seahorse💕. They scan you image and they swim on the screen. So much cooler in person! They even swam out into hallways! You can buy magnets and shirts with your designs, so we have magnets and photos of our sea fam together. A must do for Tokyo.
We ended up spending over 3.5 hours there and then trained to a super local ramen spot. Order on an iPad and wait for your delivery. G not feeling well (=Mexico) but eventually ok thank goodness.
Tige went out to investigate our future luggage shipment/look for whisky, I got the kids showered and prepped for tomorrow and Hakone. It was a good day!Read more
Tsukiji market + Ginza
April 1 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 54 °F
We were up just after 6 to get ready to visit the famous Tsujiki outer market, which had been blowing up my instagram since we planned to visit. If you wanted to know where all of the Americans converge, this was it lol. We arrived early, before a lot of the lines, which was nice. We tried Wagyu cutlets, grilled king crab, tamago skewers, daifuku mochi, tuna nigiri and butter and soy grilled scallops. I think that the Wagyu and crab were the highlights. The kids got a milk and matcha ice cream which was also pretty yummy. I think we had better food outside of the market to be fair, but it was definitely a crazy experience.
After the market we headed back to Ginza and walked around before our next booking. We stopped in the tourist office for snacks and drinks and while we were in the restroom Tige got an alert that there would be a level 3 earthquake with the epicenter in Chou City (where we were) in zero seconds. Didn’t feel it but not the best warning situation! Next stop was a chopsticks making class at chopsticks studio ginza. It was so fun! We planed them, sanded and oiled them and the kids and I had them laser engraved.
After the class we walked around Ginza, which is a fantastic shopping area. We visited Itoya flagship store, which is a 12 story stationary store and then headed for our SUMOLAND experience. We had initially wanted to visit a sumo tournament, but the only run every 2 months and so we found a place where the feed you a hotpot, mochi and then explain and demo sumo matches. Touristy but the invite the audience up to do sumo training, mochi pounding and wrestle the sumo wrestlers, which was great fun. Gid hit every category and H joined in for the mochi pounding. One of the wrestlers was a former grand champion that weighed like 180kg. Crazy!
Back home to pack and organize- we decided to ship our luggage to Kyoto and just backpack for the day and overnight in Hakone. Had to have the kids strip down to T-shirts and pajama pants and then just the clothes to wear the next day. He and I took 5 carryons and a suitcase down to the shipping place. It was a no English situation and a Japanese address that is hopefully close to where we end up! I don’t know how we would survive without Google Translate!
We headed to bed early (mainly out of exhaustion). We absolutely loved Tokyo- exploring all of the neighborhoods we managed to get to briefly, the beautiful Sakura, the food, the people and the seamless city transportation (see photo of crazy metro station). The people are so kind and helpful, and we always felt safe. I think we have all solidly adapted to bidet culture- even in free public bathrooms you can expect a clean bathroom, warm toilet seat and a clean bum! We will definitely be back someday, but are ready for the next stop, Hakone via Shinkansen 🚄.Read more
Hakone Loop
April 2 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 48 °F
Up at 6 again for breakfast before leaving our wonderful Tokyo Airbnb. As always, time has flown by. We made the short metro trip to Tokyo station for our first Shinkansen - bullet train. A short 30 minutes later, we arrived in Odawara to start the Hakone Loop. Hakone is a popular day trip from Tokyo with beautiful mountain views and a chance to see Mt. Fuji - we bought transport passes at the station and then started with a short train ride to Hakone Yumoto. From there, we switched to a mountain train that climbs the 6-10% grade using a series of 3 switchbacks ending in the village of Gora. At Gora, we boarded a funicular (called a mountain train) to take us up to the cable cars (called rope ways). Unfortunately, today’s weather did not cooperate - cold and rain and, worst of all, heavy fog. Ideally we would have taken our time but with sights blocked out, we continued on to Owakudani. Famous for its boiled eggs in the sulfur-rich volcanic hot springs, eating one is said to prolong your life by 7 years. They tasted yummy though you could definitely smell the sulfur in the air. Given the lack of views, we took the ropeway down the other side of the mountain to the village of Togendai. Though many of the local restaurants were closed for some reason, we found a place by Lake Ashinoko and had a delicious (and cheap) lunch of ramen and udon before walking down to the boat pier. Just as we arrived, the skies cleared and the sun came out! The boats had been limited by the fog but returned to normal schedule so we were able to get right on. For some reason, they were pirate ship themed on the 19km lake and took us to the opposite side in about 35 minutes. We finally got to enjoy the beautiful scenery before disembarking at Motohakone. At this last leg, we made the 15 minute walk to the Hakone Shrine, famous for its lakeside temple gate. The shrine itself was peaceful and small up the hill. We got the goshuin stamps before heading down to the water. As there was a 1 hour line to get pictures directly underneath the gate, we settled for a photo set back in the woods before heading back to our bus. We caught one just in time before the 25 minute ride back to the Hakone Yumoto station. We were able to catch two Ubers to our nearby Airbnb in Hakone and ordered groceries via UberEats. While waiting for burger meat and sides to arrive, we all enjoyed the outdoor sauna (and the boys enjoyed the sauna hats) and the amazing views along with a Sakura across the road. It was a beautiful Airbnb. After Joce made dinner in the grill, we watched the first half of The Last Samurai with the kids before bed. A relaxing finish to a cold and wet start to the day.Read more
Kyoto and Nintendo Museum
April 3 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Up for breakfast before a 25 minute walk to Hakone-Yumoto station. A beautiful morning (to what turned out to be one of our prettiest days), we then took a short train to Odawara before transferring to our Shinkansen to Kyoto. We had a layover on the way and picked up some bento boxes. But on the way out of the station at Mishiki, we finally got a small glimpse of Mt. Fuji just peaking above the clouds. It’s apparently rare to see it from any distance so we were happy with what we got. After a smooth arrival into Kyoto station we walked to the nearby Yamato luggage shipper office… where we were almost shocked to find all 6 of our suitcases. From there it was an Uber to our flat with early check-in. The Kyoto Airbnb is somehow even nicer than the Tokyo one with space for all. After a short break and unpacking for laundry, we hopped on the nearby metro for the 35 minute trek to the Nintendo Museum. Just opened in October of 2024, it’s the first and only certified Nintendo museum in the world. Built on the grounds of one of the early Nintendo shipping factories, entry is only via lottery 2 months in advance. I was able to get tickets after those that couldn’t make their assigned entry time released them on the open market. Tickets were cheap - about $65 for all 5 of us combined - but certainly harder to get than I would have thought. Security was TSA level to get in including full security and passport checks. It was an amazing building and so, so much fun. We couldn’t take pictures in the main museum area but got to see original drawings from the one of the first Mario games (though he was unnamed at the time) in Donkey Kong. I grew up playing that in my grandma’s cafe and it was crazy to see. Every Nintendo game and console was displayed including the Power Pad and even consoles I had never seen. We then made our way down to the gaming floor. Each of us was given 10 digital ‘coins’ on our passes at entry. With these, we were allowed to choose to play some games ranging from a giant Duck Hunt like screen (Gideon got 2nd and I got 3rd) to a baseball game that Nintendo sold to original Nintendo’s games using working giant controllers. It was a struggle to figure out what to pick but we all did each of them and had a blast. In the middle of playing, we took a break for a class that we had signed up for on admission. Nintendo actually started as a company that sold cards for a Japanese game called Hanafuda. The class was to teach us how to play. The game was beautiful and there was a high tech animated table that showed us how to play in English. Before going back to the game floor, we stopped into the gift shop and each got something to take home… including a set of Hanafuda cards. We finished up our games before the museum closed before hustling down the road to dinner reservations at a delicious cafe. Pizzas and burgers in a small hole-in-the-wall packed with loud Japanese - it was fun to not be in a tourist hub for once. Then a train back home before another late bedtime. A super fun day!Read more
Kyoto
April 4 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 64 °F
We slept in a little today- over a week of 12-20k steps a day is catching up with us! Kids all still snoozing when we got up. We planned to head to Nishiki market, but I was a little worried after Tsukiji market was not what I had hoped and very touristy. We went to an underground food hall near Kyoto station for fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes instead. The boys had the special Sakura strawberry pancakes, Tige had a savory set and E and I had the Kyoto pancakes with cream and matcha ice cream. All devoured and delicious, but a super long wait. Surprise call from Mom and Dad, which was awesome, but super loud inside and we have been rapidly converted to no talking on transit or in restaurants, so planned to call again soon. Afterwards we took a train/bus to Enkoji temple, which was about 50 min north of us. We stopped at a Lawsons for chicken for Tige and the kids. I don’t love going to conbinis, but they have saved us so much. The temple was empty and serene and beautiful. It was built in the 1600’s and most of the art moved there in the 1800’s, the most impressive being a painted bamboo screen and seasons painted across panels. A beautiful zen garden and cemetery surrounded it.
We tried to save time by taking the local bus back to Nishiki market, but it ended up being quite the sardine can. Super cheap though- 120 yen per kid, which is about 20 pence.
The Nishiki market was so much better than the a Tokyo market. Loads of people yes, but so many amazing food options and souvenirs. I bought a different style of knife, which was something that I really wanted. We had gyoza and fried chicken and soy milk donuts and walked through the market twice.
We headed toward Onitsuka Tiger again for Tige, but the line was hours long. Stopped at Don Quijote (like a Walmart carnival on 6 floors) and saw a million kids of KitKat (strawberry, Sakura, blueberry, wasabi, peach and matcha to name a few. We picked up a few viral products (and more of the viral sunscreen that is actually amazing).
Our last stop was at Uniqlo- great for basics, cheap and something for everyone. We shopped and tried on and found a few good things. We took the bus back and I headed back with H and E to sort packages and laundry and Tige and Gid went to top up their Suica (transit cards). Good bowls of Ramen and the end of the Last Samurai. Late to bed, but we always end up on this weird schedule.Read more
Nara, deer and shrines
April 5 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
After a long day in wet weather, the forecast was in our favor so we decided to rest up a bit before taking the 35 minute rapid train to nearby Nara. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize it was on it’s own line in it’s own separate area of the station that required purchase of separate tickets (for every train we have been on, we have been tapping our SUICA transport cards which we were able to reload with our phones (we even loaded the Shinkansen tickets onto them). But when following signs for the ‘Nara’ line we (along with help from ChatGPT) finally realized that it was a totally separate line… and on the opposite side of the terminal. After missing our intended train, we finally found the area and purchased the necessary tickets before a pleasant ride. Again surprised by the number of cherry blossom trees along parks, waterways and even in random neighborhoods. After arriving, we made our way to the first temple in Nara Park. The first thing we stumbled upon was a small group of the popular Nark Park deer. They were everywhere! Their claim to fame is that, if you offer to feed them a deer ‘cracker’, they would bow to you before accepting. No matter how many times we did it, it didn’t stop being awesome. They were so funny and would chase you a little if they knew you had one. Unfortunately, this resulted in Hudson and Jocelyn getting bitten and, later on, a minor goring injury for Hudson after a rowdy young buck pushed him against a tree after his cracker didn’t seem to be enough. Anyway, the first impressive shrine we visited was Kofuku-ji Temple (with goshuin stamps). It was very beautiful and peaceful among the crowds in Nara Park; unfortunately the adjacent famous 5 story pagoda is closed from 2022-2034 for renovations so it was wrapped in an enormous construction structure. From Kofuku-ji, we had a quick bite to eat at some food trucks (sausages and Udon) while the deer behind us took a break. It was then on to the most impressive temple we have yet to see.
Todai-ji was spectacular, the building was first built and designated in 749 to celebrate the awakening of Buddha. It burned down several times, and was rebuilt several times, most recently in 1709. The gates and grounds were incredible, the building was huge compared to every other temple that we had seen before (or since). Upon entering The Great Buddha Hall you caught the first glimpse of the bronze Buddha, and it was stunning! So much bigger than the pictures show, it is apparently the largest gilded Buddha in the world (and nearly bankrupted Japan was it was built with over 2.5M workers) it is housed in the tallest wooden building in the world as well. We just sat inside and admired it for a while. Reminded me of David a bit given it’s scale. As we left, we had the unfortunate run-in with the ‘goring’ deer before making the short walk to the nearby Kasuga Taisa - Lantern Shrine. Surrounded by 3000 stone and bronze statutes and set back in the woods, we wandered around the shrine and had the goshuins stamped but elected not to go in as we made our way back to the train. On the way, we found a wonderful knife store and found two more souvenirs to bring home before catching the rapid train back to Kyoto. We stopped at the Itoya in Kyoto Station to make up for the supplies we had to leave behind in Tokyo and did some light shopping before dinner at the food hall in Kyoto Tower - Wagyu burgers and sirloin (and Tige’s had both). It was a relaxing and fun end to the evening before another late bedtime.Read more
Last day in Kyoto
April 6 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We were up early-ish to meet Elliot’s friend Charlotte’s family at Fushimi Inari Taisha- a gorgeous Shinto shrine of 10,000 Vermillion Torii gates. We hiked the 2.5 miles out and back, stopping at the top shrine for a breather and at the bottom for their goshuin. After we parted ways we had some street food (Udon and beef/chicken skewers were yummy, crab was definitely not real or delicious). Then the kids had a sweet treat and we stopped in a local spot for udon. Thankfully inexpensive, but not a good spot. We headed to our kimono tea ceremony next, which was incredible. We were separated into men’s/women’s areas and then the staff took great care of us. They dressed us in undergarments and then we chose our kimonos and sashes. They did our hair and added flowers if we wanted. After a lot of adjusting and thin straps tied in, and we rejoined the guys. Everyone looked amazing! We had time in the garden and then the ceremony. Our lovely hostess explained the crossover between zen philosophy and the ceremony, and taught us about the room, including the traditional tatama (grass) mats, and included why you don’t sit on the cracks between panels (ninjas under the house could stab you). The ceremony is centered on respect, tranquility and harmony, and that together with the host, the event is essentially once in a lifetime, because the circumstances and the actual tea will never be exactly the same. She taught us how to bow in gratitude while sitting, and we did a meditation, purification of the tools and then ate sweets and made matcha. It was so lovely and serene and the kids tried everything and were absolute angels. It was such a cool experience.
We had the outfits until 6, so we spent an hour walking Gion and taking in the old town. So lovely and so many people do it, but it still feels a bit weird. We decided to finish up our cultural misappropriation and the disaster that was our kids in socks and flip flops (lol) and headed back to change.
Back in our western clothes we walked back nearer to Nishiki market for some shopping. First up was the Nintendo store, which was far better than Tokyo, and had a cool rooftop area. Tige wanted to shop for a new vest/gilet at Canada Goose and then a quick stop at the popular ‘I’m Donut?’ before we headed to dinner. G and E tried sushi for the first time and we had some good tempura in addition to a few plates of sushi. Back home by 9 and 20,000+ steps later and the kids settled in and we tried to stuff everything into suitcases for the last leg of the trip tomorrow- Osaka. We loved Kyoto, but I feel like we barely scratched the surface in 4 days!Read more
Osaka and Orix Buffaloes
April 7 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 46 °F
We decided to sleep in today with a late night of packing. After breakfast, we were 5 minutes late to check out at 11 before the short walk to Kyoto Station. Unfortunately, it was then that we realized that we couldn’t find the boys’ SUICA cards for transport. While you can buy individual train tickets, it’s a hassle to do that for every single gate you go through and we can’t tap on for two people with a single phone. So, after digging through every suitcase, we made the painful decision to buy new cards - which meant a 15 minute search and then 30-45 minute wait in line with passports to buy new cards. After that frustrating mess was over, we finally boarded a rapid train to Osaka that arrived just over 35 minute later. From there it was 2 more metro rides and then the most confusing exit from a train station we have ever had to deal with. Took us almost as long to get out as the train ride itself. We finally arrived to our flat an hour before check-in but were allowed to leave our bags before heading back towards the train station on the way to our first stop, the Umeda Sky Building. Joce found a ramen place on the way to the metro station and we popped into ‘Hack’ for a delicious and cheap meal of ramen, gyoza and fried rice (yum!). We had a great and filling lunch before finally heading to the Osaka Station. Unfortunately, going back to that station to try to find the building was like getting trapped in a hedge maze that wasn’t fun or rational. 30 minutes later, we climb over a fence (though H slipped for about the 5th time in three days and paid a price) and finally found our goal. It was a very cold and windy day but the rain held off and we were able to get up to the look out on the 40th floor. It was a good view over the city. Osaka certainly has a different feel from Kyoto - at over 2.7M people, it’s about twice the size of Kyoto but still so much smaller than Tokyo. The Umeda Sky Building is actually two separate towers connected at the top by a circular structure that has glass bridges with escalators (not fun for Tige). Fortunately, we got there before a lot of crowds and spent about an hour walking around and seeing the views over the city. Aside from the rough adventure through the station, it was a nice way to start our time in Osaka. From there, it was time to get an Uber and head to the Kyocera Dome to see our first baseball game of the year. The Orix Buffaloes play in the Nippon (Japan) Baseball League and we were able to get seats in the 7th row. It was a very fun game (though lasted over 3 hours as they have not adopted the new MLB rules). The fans around us were mostly reserved but the left field (away team) and right field bleacher seats were chanting or singing for the entire game for every batter. They even had a ‘Miyagi’ on their team. All the boys instantly bought hats (as well as a shirt for Dad) and we were all thankful for the dome given the upper-40 degree temps outside. We got to try the popular Itemae Dog and had a foul ball bounce 12 feet away from us (much to Gid’s chagrin). We stayed til the end before hitting the souvenir shop one more time. On the short walk home (staying only 10 minutes from the stadium), we came across a huge grocery market (we couldn’t find a single real market - or produce - in all of Kyoto) so we stopped in to pick up some food, including Goose Island IPA. We finally got in to our Airbnb after 10 so another late night and lots of walking. But we have tons of space here with 7th floor views and a promise of nicer weather tomorrow for our first, and only, walking tour.Read more
Osaka
April 8 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 54 °F
Dragging a bit this morning after a late night. Comfy beds let us sleep until 9. Hot showers and a light breakfast later we were off to meet our 3 hour food tour in old downtown Osaka with a guide named Anna.
We started strong with slow cooked beef in a scrumptious broth and roasted garlic (delicious). Drinks were included and the kids were introduced to different Japanese drinks. We enjoyed a tempura platter of cheese, meats and fish. Next stop was a karaage spot (fried chicken). We started with chicken skin and breast with homemade wasabi salt (incredible). Next we had chicken with tartar sauce and light soy sauce and finally a gochujang sauce (yummy!). This was a highlight, as was the peach sour. Next up was a spot where we grilled Wagyu and fatty pork over a gas stove coupled with Kim Chi (but a milder Japanese version). Super fun but a bit hard to eat! Next was takiyaki (octopus balls). The octopus bit was great, but the balls not fully cooked. Drinks were good and fun to hag out with the group.
Final stop was a tofu salad (veggies were needed). A Wagyu beef broth with udon and a delicious dessert (skewer with marshmallows, ice cream and chocolate). The kids loved the tour and we were able to see a new part of the city. We also found Billikens everywhere - made famous at SLU, they somehow became popular in Japan as a source of luck. Small world.
After the tour, we visited the nearby Shitennoji shrine and 5 level pagoda. We were there too late to go to the top but got to walk around the bottom level before touring the gardens and nearby buildings. From the temple, we hopped on the metro to the Osaka Gardens and Castle. Sakuras (and people) were everywhere and we had wonderful weather. We got to see the castle after our guide recommended watching the Disney show Shogun (which features the castle in the first episode). It was an impressive castle surrounded by a large moat. Many things (including the castle) have burn down over the centuries and the castle was no different and it was last rebuilt in 1931 with renovations after WW2. After passing through the castle gardens, we grabbed and Uber to the shopping district Dotombori where mom and dad got shoes (Adidas and Onitsuka Tiger) before heading home on a short metro. Joce and Gideon got some groceries for dinner and then we enjoyed the larger projector TV to watch some of Shogun and Karate Kid II before bed.Read more
Osaka rest and shopping
April 9 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
We needed a break today and with the wet weather we enjoyed sleeping and eating in. Joce powered through vertigo to pack (almost) everything before our last big day tomorrow. After noon, we hit the town for one last day of Japan shopping. We picked up two pairs of shoes for Joce at Adidas, a third for Tige at Onitsuka Tiger and one each for the boys at the Nike store (release day for the new Pegasus). In between, we got some souvenirs and got a late lunch at a delicious Mexican spot recommended by our tour guide. Finished up with a special whiskey purchase. We ended up walking a lot more than planned before meeting up at home for some cooked ramen and the rest of Karate Kid II. Up early tomorrow for a final special day.Read more
Universal Studios Japan
April 10 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
Last day, best day! It’s so hard to believe that this is our final day in Japan. We have pretty much planned to someday visit from the time that they announced opening Super Nintendo World 5 years ago, and we booked fast passes for the main 7 rides that we wanted to ride a few months ago. We had timed entry to the Nintendo world and the park was a quick 2 trains (15 ish minutes) from our apartment. It was scheduled to rain all day, but we have done Disney several times in the rain and it’s not so bad. We were here for the opening and headed to Hollywood Dream first, which was a great but big coaster. Hudson and Tige not prepared for the big drops and speed, but both loved it in the end! Next we headed to the Nintendo world and it did not disappoint- you literally felt like you were in the games. The whole park was incredible this way, but we are definitely a Nintendo family (also evident by the purchases made previously). Unfortunately the new Mine Cart DK ride was closed because of the rain. We played Mario cart, yoshi’s adventure, and had a surprisingly good lunch in the restaurant there. The food was super fun too! I got to meet Yoshi (which the boys still call me after Halloween from 5 years ago). The kids had wristbands and could go around punching coins and blocks, which we barely scratched the surface of. Just as we finished the opened the Mine Cart in the Donkey Kong area, but it closed again after the rain started.
We decided to head to Jurassic Park World and rode the main ride (just like splash mountain at the end), very fun but got soaked! Just as we finished they opened Mine Cart again so we rushed over. The lines were long and we ended up waiting about an hour because the suspended it just as we approached the front. We were glad that we waited, as it finally opened, was incredible (!!) and then was permanently closed for the day about 2 minutes after we made it through.
Our passes were a bit out of sync for Harry Potter, so Gid and I went and rode the Hippogriff and the came back for the biggest ride in the park (The Flying Dinosaur). You are strapped in lying on your stomach and then there are straight drops head first and the flip you around at high speeds. All we could hear all day was screaming and though we were both scared, we clearly had to ride it. It was absolutely insane, but super fun. We rode it twice while the rest of the fam was getting super sick over at the Minions ride.
We all met up at HP and did a very cool ride that was a combo of flying, screens and animatronics. So neat, but H and I so sick afterwards. Elliot was still struggling too. We rode the jaws boat ride- very neat especially since the kids just saw it recently. Jurassic Park one more time and shopping and the park was closed at 7.
We headed home, but stopped at Hack for some delicious gyoza, rice and ramen before final showers, packing and a quick sleep once more in Osaka.
None of us are ready to leave (though we have no more room or money for souvenirs lol). So many great memories made. Japan has been absolute magic and we will 100% be back.Read more
Travelling Home
April 11 in France ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
After an amazing day, we set our alarms for 4am but got a rude awakening at 3:15 with a Gideon nosebleed. After clean-up and a restless nap, we rolled out to meet our scheduled 4:45 Uber. No traffic and we were at the Kobe airport at 5:30 for our 7:05 flight. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that the airport didn’t open until 6:00. First time that’s happened to us. We stood around outside the doors and were able to be first in line with quick check-in and no issues getting on the flight. On the way to Tokyo, we got a final goodbye from the beautiful Mt. Fuji out our windows. A short connection and some last minute purchases at the vending machines to use up the yen on our transit cards and it was 14 hours to Paris. The flight was smooth and not bad at all - although very minimal sleeping which would come back to haunt us later. We landed early and then the day went downhill quickly.
Passport control took such a long time since we can’t use the e-gates with kids under 12. Not sure why the French can’t figure out efficiency but after making it through, we decided to take the metro to Gare du Nord for the Eurostar home. Paris did not disappoint us as it continues to have the worst (and most costly) transit ticketing system of any of the 30 countries we have visited. It’s certainly clear that they don’t have any Japanese employees. After getting to the train station, we had 12 minutes to spare before check-in and got some burritos for the train. Then we joined the ridiculous queue for the Eurostar. Though we made it on time, they waited until 30 minutes before the train departed to let everyone through first ticket check, then French border control (still terrible) then UK border control (also not great) and THEN security. This is when we had our suitcase pulled and all 4 Japanese chef knives confiscated. We begged and pleaded and asked if we could ship them or even come back to pick them next week but the only option they gave us was to miss the train (last one for the day) and leave the terminal. Even though Eurostar allows chef knives using their boxes, no one knew this policy and we couldn’t convince them as the train was leaving in 10 minutes. We ended up running down the platform, dropped our food, boarded an overbooked train with 2 of our seats taken by someone else and had to navigate 5 cars (since we got on in the middle as they blew the whistle) with 8 pieces of luggage and 5 backpacks with three tired kids and 2 very upset adults. After 30 minutes of back and forth with luggage and the conductor, we finally settled and dozed for the 2.5 train to London (though Tige had to sit in a separate car). Once we arrived, we could barely awaken the boys as it had now been 24 hours since awakening in Osaka. Thank goodness for Elliot’s resilience. We got all the luggage and kids to the underground to Marylebone and made our 30 minute train to Beaconsfield. From there it was a short Uber home. Exhausted and quite sad about our lost knives, we were happy to see Stevie and Potato before crashing in our own beds. Unfortunately, a tough way to end a beautiful trip but we made it safely and together.Read more
