“The Land of the Rising Sun”
Our exploration of Japan coincided with the Sakura Trees spring blossom, when the islands are transformed by the exquisite pink flowers (cherry blossoms). The blossoms followed us along out travels in Japan getting more vibrant as we went south and west.
Japan has an amazing network of trains and buses and offers plenty of transportation options. For most of our trip we had a car thanks to our awesome cousin Monica, but we could also get a 7-day JR Rail Pass for $247 USD (does not include Shinkansen or some local city metros) or ride a Shinkansen bullet train (usually $110-130 USD one way).
Osaka
We got picked up from the Osaka International Airport by my cousin Monica, who now lives and works in Japan, and her brother Ricky, who was also visiting Japan. There was a bit of a confusion though. We called each other on WhatsApp to confirm the pick up location but quickly came to realize that my cousins and us were at two different airports! Lesson learned: Always confirm the exact address of your airport to ensure there is no other like airport in the area.
On our way to our first Airbnb in Nara, we took a short stop at the Osaka Castle (the park is free and the castle is $5). Although it was rebuilt a few times in the past due to raging fires that severely damaged the building, the castle amazed us by its beautiful architecture and opulence. When we returned to our car, we learned that parking lots in Japan have separate entrances for buses and cars. Another lesson learned: Make sure you go to the correct car parking lot entrance!
Nara
Walking towards Nara Park, we started seeing deer. First, a few, then more and more, until they were everywhere we looked. No wonder Nara gets its nickname “The City of Deer.” Unlike deer in the US though, Narish deer are very friendly and gentle animals. When taking a picture of a deer and his wife Elaine, Jason said, “Look in the camera, deer!”
Nara Park is the place to spend your time as it is free to roam, has many of the amazing temples (ranging from $2-$5 to enter), windy trails, shrines, and is home to the friendly herds of deer.
Must see shrines include:
- Kasuga Taisha – popular temple up the hill in the forest,
- Todaiji Temple – large temple with an amazing outer wall,
- Nandaimon Gate – the entrance towards Todaiji Temple,
- Kofukuji (and the 5-storie Pagoda) – great location with multiple shrines,
- Central Golden Hall – amazingly colored great hall near the pagoda, and
- Nigatsu-do – which offers cool panoramic views of the park and city.
After walking over a half marathon exploring the beautiful city, we ended our nights with a Japanese dinner must-have – conveyor belt sushi!
Kyoto
On our drive through the outskirts of Kyoto, we stopped at Fushimi Inari Taisha -- a world-famous shrine with its thousands of red pillars called Torii (free to enter). The paths are very busy during the day. But, as we kept climbing up, they got less crowded.
We explored a variety of shrines, temples, and castles that the city had to offer including:
- Nijo Castle ($5 and a little underwhelming),
- Kyoto Imperial Palace (free to walk around the park), and
- Kinkaku-Ji temple ($5 golden palace on the water).
From there we took a street car to the amazing Arashiyama bamboo forest. We stepped off the main road and ventured into the woods , each step taking us further and further into the bamboo canopies. It was a breathtaking sight to explore. Even with the crowds of people, the forest seemed serene and peaceful. The one thought kept running through our minds – where are the pandas? Don’t they know that there is this cool bamboo forest? Joking:)
Of course, we couldn’t spend time in Japan without visiting Kyoto Pokemon Center – a place where you can unleash your inner child and take a long-coveted picture with Pikachu!
Our last stop in Kyoto was the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. We wandered through a windy Matsubara-dori road higher and higher until we came upon its deep-orange colored Gate and Pagoda. From there we watched the sun setting over the beautiful city of Kyoto.
To cap off the night, we strolled through the Gion District and onto the Pontocho Alley, a narrow path along the Kamo river filled with restaurants and bars. We were looking for local sake breweries, but suddenly we stumbled upon some Japanese whiskey bar, which for me and Jason (from Kentucky) beckoned us in.
Odai
As much as we enjoyed Japanese metropolitan areas, we wanted to explore the quaint countryside, so we set off to our Airbnb in Odai, MIE prefecture for the R&R (prefectures are like states/regions). We arrived at the most amazing traditional Japanese home with its own private tea gardens. We fully embraced the town of Odai, so much so that we bought groceries from their local market, alcohol from their local convenience store, and decided to stay in and grill out, cooking some squid, tuna, octopus, and Japanese wagyu beef.
We enjoyed our evenings listening to Abbey Road while sipping sake and Jasmine tea. We were in a peaceful bliss soaking in everything our lodging and Odai had to offer. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and so did our mini-family reunion a-la Japan. Monica went back to teach, Ricky headed back to the states, and Elaine and Jason returned home as well after a few days in Tokyo where they caught some Japanese baseball game.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima is an enchanting city with a rich history. Unfortunately, it is forever scarred by the events of August 6th, 1945. Walking the city and visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the museums was an eye-opening experience and a humbling history lesson of the atrocities of war. But it was also a story of human resilience and ever-lasting hope. Like phoenix, the city rose from the ashes left behind by the atomic bomb.
For lodging, we stayed at two places – the ANA Crowne Plaza and a quaint B&B called the J Hoppers. Since we wanted to see the city by bus, we purchased 2 hop on hop off bus tickets for just $2 apiece (can be purchased on board) and rode around. For food we had the delicious Hiroshima Okonomiyaki noodles which are cooked right in front of you.
Nagasaki
We finally had a chance to ride the Shinkansen train – also known as a bullet train – from Hiroshima to Nagasaki. Upon arriving we checked into the ANA Crowne Plaza Nagasaki which is located right on the harbor and in walking distance to China town and the catholic pilgrimage Oura Church. One of our meals was at a local restaurant Menya Always, which served delicious ramen soup and dumplings. Totally recommend!
We took a trolley car north ($2 on the blue line) to the Nagasaki Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The museum paid respect to those who lost their lives from the events on August 9th, 1945. The peace park had statues donated from different countries around the world in hopes for peace.
We feel honored to have the privilege to visit these two cities-survivors and encourage everyone to make this journey at least once in your lifetime.
Thank you Japan, Arigatou gozaimasu!
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