Tokyo Imperial Palace
Day 1 in Tokyo we decided to go see the Imperial palace. It is a short train ride from Kawasaki and is only open during the fall and spring. After a long 26 hour travel time from Seattle, it was nice to take a casual stroll through the gardens.
Kamakura
Day 2 we decided to go on a bit of an adventure to the town of Kamakura. This would be our first day by ourselves in Japan. Transportation was a bit intimidating at first, but by using the map of the railways, we were able to find our way without too many issues.
Ueno Park and Zoo
Day 3 we went to the zoo to see the famous giant panda bears. Along the way we stopped to get some Japanese street food. Most notably, we tried some grilled baby octopus on a stick. Yum! Zoe was very excited when she found out they had a penguin exhibit.
Okutama
Day 4 we travelled over 2 hours by train to Hatonosu, a small town in the mountains. From there we hiked around Tokyo’s main reservoir to Okutama. Along the way we saw many beautiful sites and a very creepy bug.
Tama River
Day 5 we took a very needed rest day. After relaxing through the morning, we went to Tama river to see some very beautiful cherry blossoms. We then had dinner with some guests and enjoyed lots of food and alcohol.
Tokyo Skytree & Senso-Ji
Day 6 we visited the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest building in Tokyo. We got to see Tokyo from 450 meters in the air! Seeing Tokyo from this perspective makes you understand just how large this city is. After a delicious ramen lunch break we headed over to Senso-Ji temple, the largest temple in Tokyo. Here we got to see the beautiful historic architecture and explore some very interesting shops.
Kyoto, Arashiyama
Day 7 was spent traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto. We rode on the Shinkansen Hikari, on of the fastest means of land transportation in Japan.
Day 8 We traveled to Arashiyama, where we visited the monkey forest and some temples. We saw lots of beautiful gardens and explored the bamboo forest.
Kyoto & Takayama
Day 9-12 mostly consisted of slow or travel days. We had some good meals and explored a little bit but unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side for this part of the trip. We still had a lot of fun but didn’t get to take as many pictures as we would have liked.
Tokyo Disneyland
Day 13 we had a very exciting day at Tokyo Disneyland! We went on the Sunday before school started back up in Tokyo, so the amount of people in the park was insane. The majority of rides had lines that took around 40 minutes to go through. The longest line all day was the line for “Enchanted Tale of the Beauty and the Beast”. It was easily the most popular ride at the park, and for good reason, it was worth the 100 minute wait time.
Shibuya & Yoyogi Park
Day 14 we went to Shibuya city and Yoyogi park. We started the morning at rainbow pancakes for breakfast, before strolling through the park and gardens in Yoyogi. After that we visited a pig cafe that lets you cuddle and feed little piglets while you enjoy a coffee and snack. Finally to finish the night we went to a restaurant where you catch your own fish and choose how you want it prepared!
Nokogiriyama
Day 15 we spent the day in Hama-Kanaya with Wakana! It was a long journey there, so our first stop was for some lunch, with an amazing view! Next, we took a hike up Mt. Nokogiri which was breathtaking! It was quite the hike up, with lots of steep inclines, and slippery stairs, but it was well worth the hassle!
Fujikyu & Tokyo Museums
Day 16 we took a 3 hour trip to Fuji Q highlands, an amusement park near mt. Fuji. Unfortunately most of the park was closed due to high winds, but we were able to ride on their guinness world record holding ride Eejanaika.
Day 17 we stayed in Tokyo and decided to check out some of the museums in the area. We saw a lot of interesting artifacts dating back to the 7th century.
Shinagawa Aquarium & Final days
Day 18 we took a trip to the Shinagawa Aquarium, it was insanely busy. We saw a lot of cool sea creatures, a seal show, a dolphin show and even a wedding! We ended the day by trying all sorts of new and foods.
Day 19 we went to the Ueno street market to get some things before we left. We then went back to Wakana’s house and enjoyed our last meal in Japan, home made tempura.
That marks the end of our time in Japan. We had an amazing time and are so appreciative of Wakana and Norio for all of their help, and for letting us stay with them for most of our time in Japan!
I think Japan was a perfect beginning to this crazy trip we are taking because it was similar to Washington in a lot of ways. It is also an extremely safe travel destination. In most places you are told to avoid dark alley ways, but not in Japan, that is where all the amazing restaurants are! I would highly recommend visiting Japan if you’re ever given the chance!
We will see you next in Bali!