Tokyo
Return to Tokyo 6-22-2012 9:09:18 AM After leaving our luxurious ryokan, we headed back to Tokyo to enjoy our last apartment (Airbnb) and our last week in Japan. We stayed in Shibuya and kept ourselves busy with long walks, eating onigiri (rice balls), and many other...
Hakone
Hakone 6-20-2012 8:54:59 AM Wednesday, June 20th Finally. We made it to Hakone. But it turns out that the storm caused landslides, which restricted bus and train travel. Our hotel was on the side of a mountain, but we could not reach it. We found a nearby hotel, Hotel...
Nara
Nara 6-19-2012 4:43:42 PM Tuesday, June 19th After leaving Koya-san and our friendly monks, we headed out to Nara, which houses a giant Buddha. The temple was surrounded by more friendly deer, although these were a bit more aggressive and tended to eat maps right out...
Koya-san
Koya-san 6-18-2012 11:43:42 PM Monday, June 18th After the visiting Taiyo Castle, we headed to Koya-san, which is hidden on a mountain side and is very hard to get to. One of the reasons it is so out of the way is because it is filled with Buddhist Monks...
Taiyo Castle in Himeji
Taiyo Castle in Himeji 6-18-2012 9:09:18 AM Monday, June 18th We went to an amazing place today. Update: Taiyo Castle had reproductions of numerous famous sites from around the world. In the pictures, you can see the Arc de Triomphe, Tienanmen square, Terra Cotta...
Miyajima Island
Miyajima Island 6-17-2012 8:54:59 PM Sunday, June 17th Today we went to Miyajima Island, where there is a Torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine that is placed in a spot where it is sometimes in the middle of the ocean and sometimes in the middle of a beach. A...
Bitchu-Takahashi Castle and Gion Corner
Bitchu-Takahashi Castle and Gion Corner 6-16-2012 11:19:30 AM Saturday, June 16th Chris and I woke up and took our little walk to the subway station from Chisun Hotel in Hiroshima. We were headed to Bitchu-Takahashi Castle. It was a rainy looking day. By the time we...
Hiroshima
Hiroshima 6-15-2012 3:22:23 PM Friday, June 15th Today, Chris and I went to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Museum. This museum remembers the victims of the atomic bomb. They had displays that told the actions leading to the event, lists of the 140,000 victims next to...
Himeji
Himeji 6-14-2012 4:43:42 PM Thursday, June 14th We woke up at our nice hotel and went to the Himeji Castle. We figured that this castle would not take long, given how many castles we have seen. Himeji was under construction and would not be done for two more years....
Kyoto Day 4
Wednesday, June 13th We traveled to go see the golden pavilion today. It was originally the retirement villa of the shogun and according to his will it became a Zen temple after his death in 1408. It is really covered in gold leaf. Like a lot of temples and buildings...
Osaka
Osaka 6-12-2012 3:40:20 PM Tuesday, June 12th Today we took a day trip to Osaka from Kyoto. We went to the aquarium in Osaka because it is one of the biggest aquariums and has the biggest saltwater tank in the world. We also found the best sushi place...
Kyoto Day 3
Saturday, June 9th We left Inuyama early in the morning and headed to Hikone. We went straight to Hikone Castle. Hikone Castle was very beautiful. It had a museum and tourists could go into the castle. The museum had neat antiques and replicas of items used more than...
Kyoto – Maiko Birthday
Kyoto-Day 2 6-10-2012 9:21:09 AM Sunday, June 10th Today is my birthday. I am 26 years old. With that being said, we decided to check into our hotel, APA Kyoto Gion Hotel, and enjoy the day. Hotel Gion is in the Gion district in Kyoto. The Gion district is where all...
Kyoto Day 1
Saturday, June 9th We left Inuyama early in the morning and headed to Hikone. We went straight to Hikone Castle. Hikone Castle was very beautiful. It had a museum and tourists could go into the castle. The museum had neat antiques and replicas of items used more than...
Inuyama
Adventures in Tsumago. Thursday, June 7th We began today with a traditional breakfast. We then spent time walking around the shops of Tsumago that sold little trinkets, groceries, and treats. Arrival in Inuyama. Thursday, June 7th We arrived late in Inuyama. We found...
Magome to Tsumago
Wednesday, June 6th We woke up at Hotel New Station and took at traditional Japanese bath. To do this, you go to the 7th floor and go in the appropriate sliding door based on your gender. The women's section locked so no men could get in. They didn't worry about women...
Matsumoto
Tuesday, June 5th We left Tokyo after a quick breakfast at the restaurant below our apartment, the Oriental-Recipe Cafe. We then went to the JR train station and ordered tickets to Matsumoto. We took a short train to Shinjuku then boarded another train headed to...
Shibuya Crossing
Monday, June 4 We went to Shibuya Crossing today. When you leave the station, you can see the Hachiko statue that commemorates the most loyal dog ever. Shibuya Crossing is like Times Square in New York. Tons of people, tons of food, and tons of shopping....
Meiji Shrine and Inari Shrine
Sunday, June 3 On Sunday, Chris and I woke up and head to the Meiji Shrine. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who ascended to the throne in 1867, and dedicated his life to modernizing Japan while still keeping the traditional Japan sacred. He...
Arrival in Japan
We left Shreveport at 5:36 PM on May 31st and headed to Memphis, Tennessee. Around 11:40 PM Shreveport time is when we landed at the airport in Los Angeles (9:40 their time). Our plane left at what was 3:10 AM Shreveport time towards Tokyo, Japan. The flight was 11...
Our Adventure in Japan
When I began earning a salary through teaching last October (2011), my husband, Chris, and I decided to save up the money for a dream vacation the upcoming summer. I have always wanted to go to Japan and Chris is always on board for an adventure, so we...