Japan

Our first visit to Japan and a break from life aboard.

Jim

— 7 min read
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Japan
Tokyo from the lobby of the MESM hotel

With the boat safely across the ocean and parked in Auckland, work took us to Tokyo. Our first time to this wonderful country. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nikko over the course of two weeks. It exceeded our expectations. Japan is clean, organized, calm, safe, with great food and deep history. 

I had some trepidation about my lack of Japanese language skills. It was a non-issue. Many people speak a little English, and Google Translate made up for the rest. 

We hired guides in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nikko. I love traveling this way. The guides have their favorite spots. They know the little tricks when visiting popular places. And, they provide a glimpse into the local culture and lifestyle you can't get any other way. I love hearing about their lives. Parenting. Politics. Work. The reputation of various tourists. 

This was the first time I've used A.I. extensively for leisure travel. We created a Grok Bot (named "Traveler"). We handed off tedious tasks to the bot. Like making train ticket or restaurant reservations. The bot just deals with it. It navigates a Japanese language reservation website better and faster than I can. It was like having an always-on travel agent.

The other way to use A.I. when traveling is as an interactive guide. You can ask it for background and insights on places you visit while you are there. You can carry that exploration as deep as you care to go. On the train, you can dig into where you are going or where you've just been. How have Shintoism and Buddhism blended together? How does religion fit into modern Japanese culture? What is the life of a modern Geisha? How are sumo wrestlers recruited? Do they lose all that weight when they retire? I could go on for hours.

Pam and I make a great traveling team. But we would probably drive you nuts if you traveled with us. I've come to realize we make terrible traveling companions. We often don't make plans. We frequently change them when we do. We are not slaves to the sunk costs of tickets and reservations. But flexibility makes the most of an adventure, and if nothing else, we are flexible.

I don't know what took us so long to visit Japan. I know we'll be back. Maybe we'll sail here.

A Few Photos

Tokyo

One must begin with a proper bowl of ramen. Ramen Thank, Daimon, Tokyo.
I could eat sushi every day. Sushizanmai in Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market became my go-to. I did get an authentic edomae omakase sushi experience at Sushi Umi in Ginza (a branch of the Michelin two-star Aoyama Umi). They don't allow photos (or cologne).
Jizō statues. Jizō is the bodhisattva who looks after children, travelers, and the souls of those who die young. The red hats and bibs protect them. Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo.
Sumo wrestlers, George and Gucci. After the match, they took questions from the audience. They join a "sumo stable" at around 15 years old. They commit to the sport through their 20s. It's a monastic existence. Shinjuku Sumo Club, Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The market in Asakusa, Tokyo. Pam in her Kimono with our guide, Hiromi. Kimono rental shops are everywhere. It's common to dress up for the day.
Sukiyaki at Hiromi's favorite place. Braise your meat and vegetables at your table. The staff will show you once but then you are on your own. Hiromi had us covered. Sukiyaki Imahan Honten, Asakusa, Tokyo.
teamLab Planets is an immersive digital art museum in Tokyo. It's very hard to describe the multi-sensory experience.
Shuya Kawamura, the owner-chef of Pizzeria Kiraku. Chef Kawamura cooked in Italy before opening his own place in Tokyo. Our ongoing quest for decent pizza in faraway places. Kaminarimon, Tokyo.
Mt. Fuji. On the Nozomi bullet train to Kyoto and Osaka. 180 MPH. 6.5 hours by car. 2:15 by train. Pick the Mt. Fuji side of the train when you book your seats. Tokaido-Shinkensen line.

Osaka

Dotonbori River, Osaka. A vibrant food and party scene known for Kuidaore or "eat til you drop" culture.
Cosplay is everywhere in Osaka. People dress as their favorite video game or anime character. Many have their pro photographers in tow so they can feed their TikTok and Instagram. Dotonbori, Osaka.
Pachinko-ten. A pachinko Parlour in Osaka. Distinctive (and polarizing) everyday entertainment. They’re legal, ubiquitous, and a multi-trillion-yen industry.

Kyoto

Soy milk donuts. Pam and Jasmine, our guide in Kyoto. Jasmine is a foodie. She knew all the good spots in the Nakauoyacho Market, Kyoto.
Takoyaki. These yummy dumplings are filled with octopus and other goodies. I learned to eat whatever the guide recommends— even if it initially didn't sound appealing. They know! One of Jasmine's picks. Nakauoyacho Market, Kyoto
Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are a big part of visiting Japan. Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto.

Nikko

Kegon Falls with our guide Keiichiro-san. K-san is one of the few guides in Nikko with his own car. Important for making your way around the national park and nearby sites. We visited Nikko as a day trip via train from Tokyo. Next time we will stay a few days.
Lake Chuzenji, Nikko National Park. A hike along the shore.
The Three Wise Monkeys. The ornate decoration of shrines and temples tells many stories. Monkeys protect horses from illness. This is one of eight panels on the "sacred stable" of Toshogu Temple, Nikko. Together the panels show the stages of a monkey’s life as an allegory for a human life
Teppanyaki. Similar to a "hibachi table" in the US (but without the onion volcano). Sayana grills up some Kobe Wagyu beef. One last dinner.

A Few Tips

  • Setup tap-to-pay with a Suica card on your phone. Load it with 3,000 JPY to start. Makes train travel fast and easy
  • Your Uber app summons both taxis and uber cars. Both are great. When you don't feel like yet another train or subway trip.
  • AI is your friend. Setup a travel bot (Grok, Muse, etc). Put it to work--especially with hard to navigate reservation websites.
  • Hire a guide. They are a true travel bargain. Pam used gowithguide.com. Our guides also liked thetripguru.com
  • The bullet trains get booked up. One of the few things we (Pam) planned ahead.
  • One day wasn't enough in Nikko. Definitely going back there. Japan's Lake Tahoe.
  • Three days in Tokyo would have been enough.
  • Binge watch Shogun on Hulu (the 2024 version).
  • Don't purchase your fortune at a shrine. There is a lot of bad news in them. Ask me how I know.

Rough Log

Day 1

  • Auckland to Narita
  • Train to MESM hotel
  • Shopping in Ginza

Day 2

  • Work for Jim
  • Tokyo Touring for Pam
  • Sushizanmai in Chuo - Tsukiji Fish Market

Day 3

  • Work for Jim
  • Tokyo touring for Pam

Day 4

  • Work for Jim
  • Tokyo touring for Pam
  • Omakase Sushi at Sushi Umi in Ginza
  • Drinks at Bar Butler Ginza

Day 5

  • Work for Jim
  • Tokyo touring for Pam
  • Ramen at Ramen Thank, Daimon

Day 6

  • Work for Jim
  • Dinner at MESM

Day 7

  • Sumo at Shinjuku Sumo Club
  • Dinner at Brauertafel

Day 8

  • Day with guide, Hiromi
  • Asakusa Market
  • Kimono photos and rentals
  • Knife shopping at Seisuke Knife
  • Asakusa Senso-ji Temple
  • Sukiyaki at Sukiyaki Imahan Honten
  • Shoe shopping at Onitsuka Tiger, Shibuya Shinjuku
  • Team Labs Planet art museum
  • Dinner: Yakitori at Gon Pochi

Day 9

  • Nozomi 245 train 12D
  • Cross Hotel, Kyoto (proof that self-check-in causes higher labor than traditional)
  • Train to Osaka from Sanjo to Yodoyabashi and then Namba in Osaka
  • Walking, river cruise in Dotonbori area
  • Eating wagyu taco and sushi in Dotonbori
  • Train back to Sanjo — get a reserved seat — almost an hour ride
  • Too much train for one day

Day 10

  • A day with guide, Jasmine
  • Food tour in the Nakauoyacho market - Takoyaki, wagyu gyoza, tempura, soy milk donuts, Teriyaki, mochi
  • Streets of Gion — Geiko (Geisha) sighting in a taxi
  • Shimogamo shrine
  • Hokan-ji Temple
  • Yasaka Pagoda
  • Kiyomizu-dera Temple
  • Geisha performance at the Geisha museum

Day 11

  • Lazy morning
  • Breakfast at Inoda Coffee Main
  • Short train to Fushimi Inari Taisha
  • Walked the Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha — somewhat crowded
  • Back to Kyoto station
  • Lunch at coffee shop
  • 3:01pm bullet train to Tokyo
  • Gate Hotel, Kaminarimon

Day 12

  • 6:30am train from Asakusa to Nikko on the Tobu line (odd ticketing gate arrangement)
  • Keiichiro-san our guide and his car
  • Nikko National Park
  • Buddhist cemetery
  • Kegon Falls
  • Lake Chuzenji
  • Italian Embassy Residence
  • Yudaki Falls
  • Lake Sainoko
  • Lake Yunoko
  • Nikko-zan Rinnoji Temple
  • Toshogu Shrine
  • Five Storied Pagoda
  • Teppanyaki Kobe Beef at Daia
  • 4:30pm train back to Tokyo

Day 13

  • Breakfast in the hotel (good)
  • Wandering the Asakusa Market again
  • Lunch at Sushizanmai
  • Skytrain to the airport
  • Airport lounge triple crown – United Club, ANA Lounge, Turkish Airways Lounge. One evening, one flight. Sad, I know.
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