JAPAN

Us in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last year - sinus infection, tan, happy and all!

hi guys. we back.

It's time for a trip... to Japan! If you can believe it (if you actually know us then you most definitely can believe) that we booked the flights at the very end of December with no discussion of upcoming travel plans prior. We received an email alert with some affordable flights to Tokyo, and off we went.

Japan has been on the radar since our first trip in Europe '15. We knew we would make our way there but we just weren't sure if we were going to wait until having a family, doing it together young or old - but it was going to happen! We love food, and what is the culture of Japan without a major emphasis put on their food. This destination is up there with Thailand/Vietnam '19 with our excitement to eat the highest quality of cuisine local to an area.

​Our general plan is to avoid the hustle of a city. Yes - Japan's cities are transformational and a must visit. But with only so many days in the country, we are prioritizing experiences more rooted in nature and culture.

You know the drill - tag along! Get inspired! Eat vicariously!

days 1/2 - travel from newark -> tokyo

I am writing from the comforts of our bed in Tokyo. It is 4AM here and after six hours of sleep, my body is ready to be awake (it is 5PM our home time after all). It feels so full circle and special to be here. This is our 10th year keeping up with Because We’re Young as a way to document our travels and it’s our 12th country we’re visiting! So crazy to think how Matt and I were 23 and 24 when we first ventured to Europe together for three weeks and 10 years later we are on the land of a country we have dreamed of visiting. We were walking around saying, “we are IN JAPAN!?”. It’s so fun and so special. K. Onto the events of the two travel days:

We dropped our Phyllo dog at my sister’s the night before and left instructions at home for Matt’s parents caring for our cats and chickens before driving to Newark. This trip (and slowly, every trip) feels heavier when we leave. We love our home, our babes and we have a routine that feels safe and solid. So shaking that up is scary sometimes and feels overwhelming. We no longer ask someone to pop in for our cat in our apartment. We are starting to sound like our parents with the number of things we have to “get in order” before leaving. So we don’t get that usual “excitement” ahead of our trips the way we used to - but that’s no reason not to continue doing it!

In an effort to avoid sitting at the airport with a 14 hour direct flight approaching, we walked the airport for the two or so hours before our departing, grabbing a bar here and a bagel there and avoiding some very desired caffeine per the instructions of an app that acts as a modern solution to a age old problem — jet lag! Jet lag, people.

We are not in Japan very long for what the country has to offer, so I wanted to make the most of our time. I found an app recommended via Reddit (lol) called Timeshifter which helps you quickly adjust to your destinations time with tips and schedule recommendations. Our plane seats were at the end of the premium seating section that gave us extra leg room and no seats in front of us which made the trip feel cozy and somewhat private. We ate the first on-board meal, popped some melatonin and slept for a chunk of 3-4 hours with intermittent naps the rest of the time.

The time honestly flew between movies, eating and lots of sleeping. We landed at 2AM home time, 3:30PM Tokyo time! Long lines and wait times for customs, activating our rail pass and finding our Airbnb brought us to finally dropping our bags in our room and taking off our compression socks (high recommend for long flights) at 7:30PM Tokyo time.

We walked to a nearby 7-Eleven (a greatly respected and widely used convenience store that makes our convenience stores look v sad), used the ATM (cash-heavy society), walked to a ramen spot (!!) ordering and paying from a kiosk and ate amongst mostly locals. We noticed cherry blossoms already blooming (!!) on some trees in our walk home and acted like we had never seen them before - but they’re so pretty!! We learned our toilet is just as cool as we hoped (heated seat, warm water bidet, warm air dry?! Come on people) and went to bed.

Overall first impressions: the city is SO quiet even with hoards of crowds and people. It almost felt dystopian?? And it is so so clean. Japanese cultural norms that make this so is their overall emphasis on respecting and honoring silence, a disdain for eating while walking (no one does it), no littering or trash cans anywhere on the streets (whatever garbage you create, you take home) and everything is well lit and very organized. Tomorrow is our only full day in Tokyo before we head to Kyoto, so we plan to eat and try lots of things (and explore of course!)

Day 3 - Tokyo

I’d like to start today’s blog of day three with an appreciate for Matt. The first day after travel is always challenging for me - I’m usually tired, this time I was on day two of my period (yep, got that on the flight four days early - SICK dude, sick sick sick) and was really missing our dog. You don’t realize how much your daily norms affect your mental well-being until they are not there anymore! She’s my comfort and reminder of feeling at home. As I can always do, I shared this with him this morning and he was so gracious to remind me of how normal this is the first day and to be kinder to myself that things are not going to always feel how you anticipated or wanted right away. We had been sharing so many online videos of things to do in Japan, where to eat, what to see - that waking up and having the whole day ahead - but yet - *only* this one full day in Tokyo felt so overwhelming. And he reminded me that we’re here, we don’t *have* to do anything and our best travel days over the last how many years are the ones where we don’t plan everything out and we let the day come to us. Where we find joy and memories and appreciation for moments that would never make an online best-of list for any country or city. So with that re-wiring and greatly appreciated reminder, the mindset shifted and we approached the day slowly, openly and without anxiety to do-do-do. Okay! With that said - if you have made it this far - onto the events of day three of our trip, our first full day in Japan.

The sound of thunder and hail hitting our window was what got us out of bed (well, Matt - I had been up since 4AM which lent itself to a perfect opportunity to write a recap of days 1/2 of travel). With rain on the radar until about 1PM, we bundled up the way New Englanders do and grabbed umbrellas to venture into the city. Coffee and most food joints open at 10AM here, so we opted for a 7-Eleven breakfast (no complaints) and walked to see a nearby park and garden. We noticed a coffee shop with second floor seating overlooking a busy intersection as locals commuted and walked to work where we were amazed by the heavy snowfall that began as we ordered our coffee and toast with red bean paste. This place was mostly westerners, although the preset menus were in Japanese, so it might have been that we were the only ones looking for coffee at 9AM. We ended up strolling through the Tsukiji Market and trying some foods before our walk to the garden. We were met with some insanely strong winds that made us cackle as we used our umbrellas as shields. The park was beautiful, serene and mostly desolate - leaving it almost entirely to ourselves. We exchanged photo requests with a young German solo traveler and eventually took an Uber to warm up, our hands thawing as if we had been playing in the snow all morning. The real-feel of the day was about 20F at one point and eventually hit 48 as the high.

I had planned on buying a pair of Onitsuka Tiger sneakers that I had been eyeballing for a month ahead of the trip and whoops ended up buying two pair. Guys It’s a Japanese brand and we’re in Japan, okay? Ok. We walked to conveyer belt sushi where the sushi is made in a center area, placed on plates onto an actual conveyor belt which hovers around the seating for patrons to pickup, eat and pay for at the end. Your plate color determines the pricing and the soup and matcha is free. It was SO FUN to be able to try so many kinds by actually seeing it first. Twenty six pieces of sushi later, we contently walked the area as the sun had finally come out!

​We explored the sacred area of the Shinto (a religion from ancient Japan) Meiji Shrine honoring Japan’s past emperor and his wife who was influential forwarding the Japanese culture by being accepting to some western ideals in business and progress. A wall of emas (wooded boards with written prayers from visitors) were on display for patrons to view, some being so sweet and moving. We walked to a nearby spot for matcha (YUM!!!!) and ended the day at a gyoza restaurant that was more of a dive-bar in a tourist area. Quickly skedaddled into a cab before getting home, showering and *almost* falling asleep before a little 8PM run to ramen nearby and a snack stop at 7-Eleven. Mochi with red bean paste and a fresh strawberry in the middle? Suuuuure, why not?! Hanamni dango (sweet filled rice balls on a stick)??? Yes please. Popped some melatonin and put on a downloaded YouTube of the history of Japan before falling asleep within half an hour. Tomorrow we head to Kyoto with *hopefully* a stop in Lake Yamanaka for views of Mt. Fuji and a bike ride.

Day 4 - Tokyo -> Kyoto

Change of plans my friends! We initially wanted to stop at a lake on our way to Kyoto that provided a good view of Mt. Fuji and biking paths, but after a long wait to get our tickets properly secured for our trip to Kyoto, we realized it wasn't the best idea. So we hopped on our Shinkansen to Kyoto! The Shinkansen is the bullet train that can reach speeds up to 199 miles per hour. It took us from Tokyo to Kyoto (280 miles) in 2.5 hours! We tried to see Mt. Fuji from the train, but after initially feeling disappointed that we waited too last minute to book tickets on the side that provided the best viewing, the weather conditions didn't permit a good view anyways. We had bought lunch at a convenience stop inside the train station before boarding including a bento box of foods from the areas the Shinkansen runs through and a pork katsu sandwich. I do want to make a note of the chaos that we encountered before leaving Tokyo - the train station and entire rail system is pretty overwhelming and confusing and has been a challenge for us to get a grasp of. Every step from making the reservations, finding the proper Shinkansen train area in the station and then making sure the one arriving is the actual train was continually overwhelming and humbling. We did not prepare well enough for the complexity of the rail system!

We arrived in Kyoto, a smaller city in the middle-southern area of Japan, mid-afternoon. It's a great little hub for day trips to other areas in Japan so we opted to stay here longer than Tokyo. Our stay is at a modern ryokan (inn) that has a traditional Japanese wooden bath and shower in each room allowing for a private, hot-spring-like bath right in your own room. Upon arriving, we are greeted by bows and salutations, asked to remove our shoes to be kept in lockers by the door, change into the provided slippers for indoor wearing only and were directed to our fifth floor room. We changed out of our travel clothes and made our way around Kyoto by foot to find drinks and food. We accidentally found a very popular and very yummy ramen spot in the very overcrowded tourist area which is not our *jam*. But we had read that it is owned and operated by two sisters with only about 15 available seats where interested patrons write their names on the wait list and wait outside until called. We decided to walk the area and check back in as needed - spending over an hour in the area before being seated. The ramen was absolutely insaaaane. The pork slices (called chasu) had been seared and basically fell apart as you tried to pick it up with chopsticks before of its tender consistency. The broth was flavorful and had a silky but rich consistency and the noodles were perfectly chewy. With full bellies and tired eyes, we opted for a quick  7-Eleven stop to commence our tedious travel day before crashing in bed.

Day 5 - Kyoto: Kobe

Today was an early start. Some choppy sleep and an early phone chat with my sister back home lent itself to an easy decision to get our butts out of bed early. Matt planned on us heading to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, dedicated to the Shinto god Inari, in the early morning before heavy crowds of tourists flood the area anytime after 8AM. We arrived by taxi, walked through the thousand+ torii gates (Japanese gate marking the transition into a sacred space). With so many people taking photo after photo of themselves vs admiring the beauty and sacred energy of the space, we decided to move off the beaten path to a dirt, uphill path that ended up being a highlight of our entire trip. We were completely alone, hiking through a bamboo forest with only two local men passing us separately - one running to workout and the other walking to pray at the nearby shrine. The birds were loud, the wind blew through the bamboo leaves and being so early in the morning, there was still a dampness to the air. We studied the shrines and tombstones where loved ones leave offerings and prayers for their passed loved ones. We noticed some people would leave a coin or two on the path's fence, so we did the same - a coin and a prayer.

The morning was still cold, where rubbing our hands together would not shake the frigid feeling, so we hitched an (uber) ride back to our place. We made a spontaneous decision to go see the town of Kobe - known for their Kobe beef and sake - yes, please! After accidentally getting on the non-bullet train (aka the local train that stops every town), we suddenly found ourselves stuck on an hour and a half train for a designation that is typically only 20 minutes away by bullet train (or Shinkansen as mentioned earlier). We sat across from each other, our knees bumping, smiling tiredly as we realized how Japan's railways are really kicking out butt. We got into to Kobe early afternoon and had an upscale dining experience at a Kobe steak restaurant. The chef cooked in front of us, presenting the pieces of meat and ended up being very friendly and chatting with us about his past chef experience around the world. Matt tried egg (if you don't know, he doesn't *love* egg and I have personally never seen him eat it besides when its accidentally left in some pad thai) - so BIG day for him. Update: he still doesn't love it but that is okay! He tried. We toured a nearby sake brewery where we tasted four different kinds for free before attempting to view some gardens and a waterfall which ended up being a barren waterway and inaccessible gardens. But all in all, a fun day trip with some delicious food and drink.

We took the *proper* train back this time, reserved some future tickets that we will need (see, we plan!), walked to a shoe store for Matt to buy a pair and ordered an uber back to our place. After being denied a seat at four different restaurants (it turns out that no reservations on a Friday night in a culture that very much values preparedness and planning was NOT a good ideas guys) we waited in a ramen line before trying a different kind that has a soy sauce base. We were the only non-Japanese people in the place and we slurped down the noodz (noodles) quickly so we could get home and finally chill. G'night peeps! Tomorrow we check out a tea farm in a nearby town.

Day 6 - Kyoto: Wazuka

With the first morning sunlight of our trip, we headed to the local train station to catch the next ride to a smaller town called Ishiyama which was the meeting point for our tour. We arrived early to account for any possible travel mistakes (which you can read about in prior posts) which allowed us to pickup some quick breakfast items from the station's 7-Eleven. Today we are touring a tea farm in an area called Wazuka. This town and surrounding areas are known for growing a majority of tea consumed in Japan and around the world. Our guide informed us that 40-45% of green tea products are produced in Wazuka specifically. And that in Uji - an area north east of Wazuka - is home to 90% of the wholesalers of green tea. But they often get their leaves from surrounding areas - including Wazuka! K, anyways guys... onto the tour!

We were greeted with fresh, piping hot tea while being given an intro into the tea growing process. The too-long-didn't-read is that the best tea is grown in shade, on a hill and with lots of air ventilation. All tea - (think, green tea, black tea, oolong, matcha, houjicha, sencha) is made from the same exact plant. The varieties that we find in stores and are used to consuming are named based on their drying, steaming, oxidizing, roasting and drying processes - so fascinating! We walked the fields of tea trees, learning about the pruning process, potential issues that arise and the steps they take to prevent or act on the issues, what kind of soil is best, etc. before heading up into a hillside patch to pick our own leaves. If left alone, tea shrubs (as seen below) will grow very tall like a tree - and tea tree oil comes from the seed of the tea tree! To finish the 4 hour tour, we returned to the indoor seating area to learn about the process of making matcha (which is a tea powder made from finely selected and finely ground young green tea leaves) that makes one of my most favorite drinks. We sampled three varieties of green tea and three varieties of matcha (all caffeinated, by the way - so we were giggling at how buzzy we felt) which were accompanied by some cookies and matcha treats. Lunch was served with matcha ingredients throughout the dish before shopping through their store and heading back to the train station via shuttle.

We considered navigating our way to a nearby pottery sculpture park which seemed so fascinating and intriguing (I enjoy making pottery myself, so learning about it would have been especially cool) but it was too much of a risk with the little time we had before it closed. So we snagged the next train back to Kyoto, booked our next few days of needed train rides and changed into evening clothes. We attempted to do laundry at a nearby laundromat, but with only so many coins remaining we didn't have time before heading to our 7PM reservation (we're learning!! Yay!! Last night we were denied into a few places before succumbing to a 20-minute wait in line at a ramen spot).

Tonight's meal was at a *fancy* sushi spot where we opted for the middle-tier omakase menu. This is something we have only done one before for our one year wedding anniversary in the States. Omakase is essentially a pre-fixed menu of items served in sequential order. I was humbled by the experience with how few textures I could tolerate in the sushi round before my stomach said, "no thanks!" Matt and I were giggling (it would have been more of a cackle, but we're in Japan and that would be obnoxious and rude) at how quickly things changed from "wow this is incredible and so flavorful" to "I can't put that anywhere near my mouth or I might actually gag" - sorry, TMI. But I love sushi and I eat raw fish but once my teeth could not get through the tough, rubber texture of a piece of raw squid, your girl tapped out. Matt would continue to eat my untouched pieces until dessert - more for him! Overall, a much sunnier and well rested day than we have had thus far. Our jet lag has worn off, our sleep has regulated, my period has calmed the heck down (woof) and we finally successfully navigated the trains - so a good day!

A few things I wanted to mention about Japan but didn't know where to add that are just fun observations: Japan's vehicles drive on the passenger side so being a passenger in a cab is fun and confusing to anticipate turns. They have automatic opening and closing doors on any cab vehicle - once it pulls up and stops, they can press a button in the way that I surmise we would for a hatch or trunk and the door gently hinges open. Once you're inside, they must press it again to close. And lastly, the whole country is geographically subdivided into prefectures - or districts - which specify which region of the country you are in. For instance, we are currently in Kyoto, which I had only known as a city before planning this trip. But Kyoto is a city in the prefecture of Kyoto which spans an area of over 1,700 sq. miles - so sort of a larger scale city-in-a-county?? Anyways - fun little things to know! Tomorrow we plan on biking the 45-mile route that connects a few islands in a town 3.5 hours south of Kyoto.

Day 7 - Kyoto -> shimanami kaido

Today is the day! Not really... we planned this like, yesterday. But today we make the trek to a little southern Japan shoreline town called Ominichi. In my research for Japan, I had come across a popular cycling route called the Shimanami Kaido which starts on an island 10 minutes by ferry from the mainland and connects six separate islands through nine bridges. The typical plan is either to stay over a night on one of the islands or start very early and attempt it in one day. But we were unsure if that meant going from start to end (not a loop) or making it a loop and doubling the approximate 3-hour, 45 mile trip into something much more arduous and time consuming. But we knew we wanted to do it, so off we went!

We left our ryokan in Kyoto in the early morning to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) to a coastal town called Fukuyama and from there connected to a local train that makes just a few stops before the one we needed in Ominichi. It was all smooth sailing since we're totally pros at this whole train-navigating thing they have here in Japan. We rented bikes near the ferry, hopped on, paid the 110 yen (less than $1) per person and was dropped off at the start of the cycling route. The route is clearly marked and indicated on the road by a blue line, with occasional arrows to indicated which direction and how many km until the next landmark or bridge.

We started off strong - cocky, really. We love biking but we are NOT cyclers. We opted for the battery-assisted bikes which mean we still peddle like normal, but with some oomph from the battery assist. The route took us through normal towns on the island, rid of any tourist traps or areas taken over by westerners and we loved being privy to its relatability. People working on their gardens, town centers with working class folks, and then a fruit stop where locals are grabbing their weekly (or perhaps, daily?) produce. We opted for the $2 bag of what we suspect are clementines, quickly peeled a few and continued on our path.

We stopped at a Lawsons (convenience store) for some snacks before continuing on. We watched as the first bridge approached, becoming larger and larger as we got closer. This suspension bridge is over 1,200 feet across and approximately 164 feet above the water. It has a separate bike, passenger and moped path that was built underneath the regular traffic road and provides views of the island and water below VERY clearly. If asked, I would not say that I am afraid of heights. I love hiking, have gone sky diving,  and generally love a view. But to harken back to the time we decided to climb the open, metal stairs of the Eiffel Tower, I once again almost froze! I had to talk myself through and continue just looking straight ahead, hundreds of feet in front of me at the next closest biker with Matt far behind. I was ripping it, and was breathing rhythmically to keep calm and push through. It was much easier on my way back and I took in the views and succumbed to the fact that this was a necessary part of the route, but WOAH modern infrastructure is w i l d.

Our route was supposed to take us to the very end, but after only hitting the second of six islands we realized the 3-hour estimate was definitely for only one-way. Feeling fatigued, sunburned and overall beat from the 2.5 hours of cycling at this point, we thought why not just catch a ferry from the area we were in to the port where we started, right? That would be cool and totally work well. But no. We found two separate ports with lines on the map showing ferry routes - but neither operated during the time we were there. Our only option was to bike back 2.5 hours to our starting point. And that is precisely what we did folks. We looked at each other like we did on our hike in Peru, and reassured each other that we got this, it'll be good and we'll be back in time for a ferry to bring us back.

Matt was in rough shape with his legs at this point. He later shared he had to talk himself through the last hour or so realizing we had no choice but to keep going or we will literally be stuck on this island. We made it back, so heavy-legged from it all but with a sweet, sweet sense of relief that we did it and can return to the mainland soon. We took the next train to Kyoto, having not eaten much at all throughout the day and waited in line for an hour (!), our legs, knees, hips and feet throbbing as we wolfed down two bowls of ramen (lol, we were laughing so hard at the thought of writing - guess what we had for dinner, guys?? RAMEN! what a surprise!), three orders of pillowy, tasty gyoza and headed home for a hot bath and sleep.

Day 8 - Kyoto -> Osaka

Ooooooowee! Are we FEELING our bike ride from yesterday. Here's how its been: when I would move positions in my sleep, a wave of burning and nauseating pain would take over that would only stop if I just laid still and breathed through it. This, my friends, is a classic case of DOMS of delayed-onset-muscle-soreness (an actual term, I thought it was a joke). It had honestly started in the early evening yesterday on our train ride home from the ride and is definitely *peaking*. But because of such discomfort going into bed, we setup our room for a good nights sleep with the air cool and a continuous loop of white noise from my phone next to the bed. We slept past 7AM for the first time this whole trip and it felt magical.

We both groaned to stand up like old farts, wincing to sit on the toilet with just the contact with the toilet seat causing pain (along with the burn of our quads, hips and knees in getting up). Today is a no-plan day in Kyoto, and we are okay with that. We walked to a spot of Matt's choosing for morning coffees, followed by a stop for pastries and a challenging walk to an art gallery store where local artists' work is on display and for sale. This was also something Matt had found and it was so cool to see the range of work and types of items the artists would sell (prints, magnets, trinkets, chopstick holders, shirts, bags, etc). But the getting there was a pain. It ended up being located inside a mall, where the GPS was useless and no-one knew what we were looking for. But it was worth the frustration.

After one failed attempt at laundry, this afternoon was the time to do it. We brought our two little bags of dirty clothes to a nearby coin laundromat, popped in our items to the combo washer-dryer and watched the timer begin its countdown from 60 minutes. We set a phone alarm for 40 to assure enough time to get back to it as it finished and perused through a nearby gated garden to take in the serene sounds of birds, water and the family of cranes that occupies the corner tree of this park. It was so refreshing to lazily stroll through beautifully manicured spaces with the serene elements of cherry blossoms, butterflies, ducks floating about and admiring the historical tea houses on site.

Laundry was grabbed and we thought, why not make our way to a new area near here that is known for their street food. We have had some late nights in Kyoto due to the time it took to just find a place that is accepting customers without reservations or waiting in long lines - and I could not do that again. To Osaka we went! Osaka is a city south of Kyoto only 12 minutes by the way of the Shinkansen. It was everything we hoped - we went straight to the Dotonbori Street known for their bustling street food and attractions. The street, though expectedly crowded and lively, was wide and interesting enough that the lights, sounds and crowds were tolerable. We tried so many kinds of food that had been on the list and walked the river to a nearby spot for fresh fruit mochi (mochi being this lovely, chewy rice confection used in many ways in Japanese cuisine) where whole pieces of fresh fruit were snuggled in this chewy, soft ball of mochi. So good!! And then we opted for udon (thick, chewy rice noodles that are so pleasing to slurp down) for dinner. Matt had already snagged some conveyor belt sushi that I opted out of so he wasn't hungry enough for the big bowl of udon so he got some more sush'!

We had a *little* hiccup arriving in Osaka. Matt had left our precious blue tote on the train and we only realized it when he bought water for us and went to put it in the bag when boom, that gut wrenching feeling took over that something of ours was left behind. It's pretty uncharacteristic of either of us, but especially him. We had purchased it at the Tsukiji market in Tokyo and it reminded us of Phief. And it had been our daily bag nearly every day of our trip since its purchase. You will see it in some of the past photos! And leaving our pup for this trip, and nearly every day since we have been here, has been tough missing her. Tougher than I thought. So having this cutie little bag with a dog and the Japanese words saying, "did you call my name?" brought us a little joy. And now it's gone. BUT! Matt found a way to place a claim through the Shinkansen website and had read that most times items are found as the Japanese trains are inspected thoroughly and people often turn things in. After our Uber back to the Osaka train station, before departing for Kyoto, we checked in with lost and found and they had it. It felt like reuniting with something we held so dear, how silly. We're not even materialistic! And here we were so freaking happy to get this bag back. We miss our girl. Ugh.

Our walk home from the train station was achy, both of us sharing that our feet were actually throbbing and hot, Matt's knees clicking (I laughed writing this but that is how he describes it - love you, Matt), me getting chills from the the muscle pains in my legs and after a hot shower, we tidied up the room and got ready for our departure from Kyoto back towards Tokyo.

Day 9 - Kyoto -> Nikko

Sayonara, Kyoto! And konnichiwa Nikko! Our original plan was to go straight back to Tokyo after Kyoto for our last couple of days in Japan, but after a little research Matt had found a place called Nikko that is outdoorsy, mountain-town-esq and a quiet ending to our busy, fun trip! We took an early Shinkansen out of Kyoto to destination Tokyo and paid for a locker in the station to keep our big, bulky bags. Matt suggested packing a small bag for our one overnight in Nikko and it was a great idea. We then took another Shinkansen to a nearby town to Nikko and then connected to the local Nikko line and jumped right into the fun - all in all around 4-5 hours of travel. But because the trains are so efficient, comfortable and smooth it was a relaxing way to start the day. We even caught a glimpse of Mt. Fuji through the low lying clouds on our way back to Tokyo!

We landed in the heart of Nikko's little downtown with only an eight minute walk to our hotel. We opted to store our backpacks in the hotel's lockers before grabbing a cab to the UNESCO world heritage site of Nikko-toshogu Shrine that honors the shogun that united Japan in the 1600s. Prior to his unification, Japan was comprised of different families/sects running different areas of the country. Matt and I were in awe of the nature, the trees and history of the site before getting overwhelmed with the crowds, people chatting too loudly and people walking back to back without much space for appreciating what is around us. We took a lesser-used path back into town where we walked the Shinkyo sacred bridge.

This little town center felt very nostalgic and reminiscent of our past travels to mountain towns like Cabanaconde and Aguas Calientes in Peru. Small, boutique shops lined the wide streets, lanterns lighting the sidewalks and the mountain faces stretching vast and tall in the backdrop - snowcapped and all. Most people in touring this area are here for the nature and nearby hikes, so it is just a different feel than any place we have visited in Japan thus far. We love it. It's a little sleepy and simple, but for the end of a trip it is a perfect wind down.

Our fourth floor room has this expansive, breathtaking view of the mountains and town below which made for a perfect spot to stand and people watch. We gazed at the way the various mountains crossed into each other - forming various shades of blue and gray, with the sun setting through the nimbus clouds - it's shine and warm hues dipping in and out as it finally set behind the mountain line. I think we stood there looking around for half an hour, admiring the mountains and quietly chatting about the way travel makes you think about life, how hard it must be for people to move to entirely new places without a community and how we missed our little family at home. We had (you guessed it!) ramen for dinner, which wasn't the best, wasn't the worst. But it was almost the only thing open around 6PM when we ventured out. We waited 20 minutes to be seated and slurped down some chewy noodles and hot brothy soup which hit the spot. Tomorrow we return to Tokyo.

Day 10 - Nikko - Tokyo

A solid night’s sleep started our day in Nikko. We popped melatonin last night per the recommendation of the app we have been using to help avoid jet lag, and awoke from a 6AM alarm. Back to Tokyo we go! It was a lovely break from the energy of a city to admire mountains, walk a sleepy Main Street at night and enjoy the simple pleasures of a hostel-like stay. It almost felt how it feels to stay in a cottage by the beach - small basic shower, extra squeaky beds, a sliding door to the outside and simple furnishings. And we loved it.

Our local train took off from Nikko at 6:46AM, transferring to a Shinkansen in Utsunamiya before arriving into Tokyo around 9AM. We struggled to find our locker that we had stored our items, but having pinned it the day prior we followed the walking directions and found it! Phew! We added some items to the locker before grabbing a cab to tonight’s hotel. We left our small backpacks with them before venturing to today’s plans: a tea ceremony and kimono rental!

Immediately upon arriving to the tea ceremony location, matt and I were separated to be fitted into our kimonos for the ceremony. We were put into three layers of robes, tied around the waist and my hair was put into a traditional Japanese style. We learned about tea ceremonies, sitting on a traditional tatami, making our matcha and ending with a traditional prayer said in Japanese. We viewed the gardens outside before changing back into our regular clothing and walking the area.

Today is our last full day in Japan, so we strolled through the kitchenware street (Kappabashi street), caught a cab to Ueno park, admired the freshly bloomed cherry blossoms (!!) and walked to check into our hotel. They had brought our bags up to our room so we went straight up to the sixth floor. The hotel is setup more like a dorm, where each group of patrons has their own room (albeit very small - like 50 square feet small) and shares two toilets, shower and accompanying sink area on each floor - with only around 2-3 rooms per floor. It’s veryyyyy tight and somewhat claustrophobic - our beds are two mostly enclosed bunks with one’s opening being the staircase up to it and the others the end where the pillow rests. But for one night before we depart the city, it makes due.

We walked to buy an extra suitcase for returning home with goodies, Matt bought a bag to replace the one he used all trip that has now fallen apart (bought it in Thailand and has used it so much!) before making our way to the Senso-ji Buddhist temple for a nighttime walk. The crowds were low, the buildings were lit up and it was a very calm and spiritual ending to our day. We offered two coins before placing our prayer and walking to (YES, AGAIN) ramen. It’s an early night in for an early wake-up tomorrow. Goodnight!​

Day 11 - Departure day

Our last day of our trip! It always feels bittersweet - we have enjoyed this country, its cultural norms, its food, its infrastructure and its diversity in city + country so much. But we are excited to be back home to our bed, our pets and our food. Nothing feels like home besides home. Our flight is around 5PM and will be about 12.5 hours, landing us back home the same day and only half an hour later than our boarding time thanks to the time change and flight time being nearly the same.


Our 5:15AM alarm woke us in our separate cubbies (more like mini shipping containers - see photos). Our jet lag app recommended this wake time so that we can sleep early in the flight later on. True to Tokyo form, we purchased some konbini (convenience store) goodies for our breakfast as nearly nothing else is open for food or coffee until 8-10AM on average. We eventually were welcomed in for the opening of a cafe, sitting on second floor and watching the other tourists form a line below.


Our only plan for the day (having souvenir-shopped throughout) was to get some food, walk the area, buy another luggage and check out a little store called Uniqlo. This clothing and goods store is known to Japan and has a perfect array of basics for clothing - nothing flashy, very modern and simple lines and style of clothing. We ended up each buying a basket worth of clothing as the prices were good and the clothes fit us so well. We are both accustomed to clothes being sized weird or fitting poorly - but we both agreed that it was exciting and therefore overwhelming the way the clothes fit so nicely and comfortable - and made of good fabrics!


We found a large rolling luggage (our first time ever 1- buying a typical luggage and 2. needing to buy luggage to fit everything to bring home!) The window of time between our morning plans and the time we needed to catch a cab began to narrow, and with it our anxiety expanded. We did check out and catch a cab in time - but we still had to access our backpacks that we stored in the train lockers. Upon arriving, we could not find the receipt - the very receipt you need to access your reservation, pay and unlock the locker.


A station worker noticed us struggling, and was outwardly frustrated and shaming that we were not prepared and that we made a mistake. This was our first encounter with behavior like this from anyone in Japan, so it added to the already rising stress and anxiety that we may not get our bags back in time for our train to the airport. We used the translator app to explain that we couldn’t find our ticket and asking what is our next step. And the worker loudly yelled that we “messed up!”. He scoffed something in Japanese, dialed a number on his phone, spoke Japanese likely explaining our situation and upon hanging up requested 900 yen ($6) to open the locker. Matt filled out a form, paid the attendant and the locker latched open. We grabbed our bags and navigated our way to the airport train.


Despite the stress, the time crunch and the mess up, we didn’t make things worse for each other by blaming or pointing fingers. Matt had been keeping all of our information the whole trip and I had been keeping us organized and on time for things. But things happen, and we were both just so relieved to be on the right train to the airport. We took a moment for the gratitude, appreciating each other for staying calm and keeping things lighter than heavier and waited until our stop at the airport.


Check-in was smooth, we grabbed McDonalds (it was better than any we’ve had so that was fun) and chatted with a couple who were taking the same flight about their travels in Tokyo, their work as social workers and humanity as a whole. He thanked us for the convo with him and his partner saying it gave him hope for returning back home. We thought the same (:


We lucked out BIG time with our three-seater row having an empty seat (and two other empties in front and in the middle row diagonally) so we were allotted some extra space to stretch out, place our bags in more accessible spots and settle in for our flight.


We’re so grateful to be able to travel, and to be able to share this with others. Matt looks back on our blogs monthly (maybe more, maybe less) but he loves reliving our trips. It’s special to have these experiences documented - for you and for us! Thanks for following along <3 until next time! - B+M