Japan Fall 2023

2023 Japan Story

Note: This is a draft version awaiting the addition of photos.

Covid-19 screwed up everyone’s travel schedule Only now are things returning to what they were before the pandemic For us, this means that Delta Airlines is resuming their flights to Japan from Honolulu. That’s a big deal as the alternative routing requires a trip to LAX and then a long flight to Tokyo The direct flight from HNL is obviously shorter

We’ve been getting ready for this trip for several weeks We’re focused on just two places: Tokyo and Kyoto This time, we’re going to be more leisurely so that we can enjoy places that are in the neighborhoods and places that are a bit off the main tourist routes. We do have a few “anchor” places in our schedule These are popular venues that require reservations Those are the things that have been the focus of our planning activities

November 22nd: Wednesday-Thursday

This is a two-day report that happened on one day as we crossed the International Date Line during our flight.

Let’s start by going back to the beginning of the day

The big travel day has arrived We packed our gear several days ago It’s another “light travel” trip Our Hartmann backpacks have what we need and there is still some space This morning’s weigh-in shows our two backpacks at 9 and 12.5 pounds. That’s just about right as we’ll have some walking to do The camera bag has two bodies (Sony A7R5 and A1), each with a lens attached (14 mm, 135 mm) This weighs about 9 pounds A bit heavy even though it’s stripped to the minimum.

We’re used to taking early morning flights. Today, we’re doing a mid-day departure. That means that we can take more time getting ready. Nancy’s arranged a Lyft pick-up at 11:30 AM. It come on time and we’re off to the airport The driver is a true “motormouth ”

Check-in and TSA go quickly even though this is a very busy travel day We settled into the Delta Sky Club pretty quickly It’s time for a small lunch with a glass of white wine This is a comfortable way to begin the trip as the setting is familiar and we’re away from the crowds.

Our flight leaves from gate D2 It’s not a long walk Our boarding comes soon after our arrival One surprise is the use of facial scanning instead of a boarding pass. We used this before, on the day that it was introduced by Delta, when we went from Atlanta to Argentina We didn’t know this technology had made it to Hawai'i. Is this also used for domestic flights?

We’re flying Delta Comfort Plus. This gives us a lot of legroom and very good seats. Not lie-flat as in Delta One But the price is right and this is a daytime flight so we should be awake most of the way.

The flight leaves on time The pilot announces that it’s a 8:30 long flight We set a count-down timer. Off we go.

There is a meal service soon after takeoff Nancy gets the chicken option and Kim goes for the fried noodles. Both are good. The food comes in efficient and recyclable packaging. Delta is taking conservation seriously Then it’s time to watch a movie or two and nap a bit This is a long flight

There is another food service near Japan This time we get a hamburger slider This has a big beef patty; too much for Nancy. It is hot and tasty. The two meals are our Thanksgiving meal.

Landing at Haneda is within one minute of the pilot’s prediction It is dark outside as the plane docs at Terminal 3. As we know from previous flights, there is a very long walk from the gate to the immigration and customs area Moving walkways help Nonetheless, it's a long trip and we’re glad to be packing light

Japan lets you fill out the entry materials on-line We did this and using our printed copies (with a big QR code) speeds the formalities Soon, we’re out of the controlled area and into the public space.

Many of the financial transactions in Japan use a standard debit card. We’ve got Suica cards from a previous trip We tap our cards at the gate to the Monorail and enter In a couple of minutes, our train arrives Off we go to the center of Tokyo Today is a holiday in Japan so there are fewer people than usual traveling by train. That’s good as we’re tired and don’t want to be packed into a crowded train car We make a couple of transfers and within about 45 minutes we get off at the station next to the Sumo Arena Midway, we added some value to our Suica cards to make sure there was a large enough balance to cover our trip.

We find the 7-eleven and each of us does a cash download.

Our hotel is across the street It’s a short walk, thankfully, as we’re not pretty tired Check-in goes quickly and soon we’re up to our 7th floor room. It’s beautiful. Nancy found this room in time for us to select a river view Our windows let us see the Sumida river, a main waterway that runs through Tokyo

We’ve got a great location The view is nice and the transportation hubs are nearby

Before ending the day, we head to the 9th floor terrace. Here we can sit outdoors and enjoy a glass of Champagne while enjoying the nighttime view of the city Skytree is nearby

9:30 PM. Time to go to bed. It has been a very long day. Everything went well. We’re happy to be in Tokyo

November 24th - Friday

Nancy didn’t sleep too well She was up very early Kim got up a bit later Nancy found the Nespresso coffee maker and we started with a small cup of coffee.

The hotel room continues to amaze us The shower room was a perfect way to help us get ready. Japanese technology shines here.

Heading to the hotel’s restaurant was a simple and logical choice for our first breakfast They offer a set-price menu that has a choice of three items. In addition, there is a wide variety of fruit, breads and a bunch of other stuff Kim got the eggs benedict and Nancy had French toast It was a big breakfast; just what we needed to get the day started.

We’ve been watching a Japanese TV special about the great earthquake that happened almost exactly 100 years ago. On September 1, 1923, a 7.9 earthquake struck Tokyo. The land movement caused lots of devastation but the real impact came with the fires that spread through the city People rushed to the river and open areas for safety Unfortunately, the fire storm swept through these areas with a huge loss of life.

One of the most impacted areas was the site of the old Army Uniform Factory. It’s near our hotel, so was our first destination as it is now a memorial to the people who died.

On the way to the memorial park, we passed the entrance to a small garden. This site was the gift of one of the Tokugawa family members The garden, too, has a history with the earthquake as it was donated to the city in the year before the event Like other places, the garden was highly damaged. Several rehabilitation efforts have returned this small treasure to its original beauty We had a good walk through the grounds There is a large pond that serves as the central focus Soon, the maple trees here should be changing color

The Memorial Park is in the next block There is a tall pagoda structure and an adjacent hall These buildings are the central focus of the site. There are also gardens here, apparently designed to recall the role of other gardens as safe places where earthquake refugees gathered

The park is not only for the earthquake fire victims It is also a memorial for the people who died in the fire bombing during WW2 Together, some 160,000 people perished from the fires of these two events. Their ashes are in the pagoda tower.

A floral wall is specifically dedicated to the WW2 victims

The Great Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum is at one corner of the site We went through it and saw artifacts, art and stories that document the two tragedies (earthquake fires and fire bombing). It’s good to have a place that keeps the memories of these events alive. It also leads to an awareness that could be important the next time a similar event occurs

Our next goal was Akasuka, the old entertainment district of Tokyo To get there, we have to walk across Sumida River and then along a few streets A train takes us to the station located a few blocks from our destination. It’s time for us to be tourists.

The Sensō-ji shrine area is quite large, covering many city blocks The centerpiece of the area is the temple, which is the oldest in Tokyo. To get there, you pass by (or go through) the Kaminmarimon gate It’s an imposing structure Lots of people are taking selfie photos here Beyond that, are rows of buildings, most of them painted red. These house the many small businesses that are crowded together with no apparent order to what they sell People pack the walkways The shops offer lots of typical Japanese items to the tourists The unique sweet treats are drawing lines of customers. We’re not tempted as we had a big breakfast. There are just too many people crowded together for us to feel comfortable We move on toward the temple

There are side areas that have fewer people We tend to stay in these places as they are interesting, too Many very old religious monuments are hidden treasures in the gardens Eventually, we got near the main temple building. It’s huge. There is a large incense burner in front The billowing smoke is thick as people fan the burning incense sticks Is it true that they will be engulfed in a spiritual essence? For us, it’s too much air pollution.

We tire of the crowds It’s time to get something to drink and eat where we can relax away from the hustle-bustle of this popular attraction.

The Asahi Beer building is on our list of places to visit It’s nearby, so it’s an easy choice to walk a few blocks to this interesting location. We can see the tall, gold covered “beer” building as we go back across the Sumida River A few signs point us to the 22nd floor Lounge

The lounge isn’t very large. You pay for the drinks and food as you enter. Then take a seat in the viewing area When we arrived, all the window seats were filled We got a small table in the middle of the room. There is a view of Tokyo from above, including the river that we just crossed We each get a glass of beer and, after a wait, they bring our order of sausages The food and drink are good, as is the view It’s good to relax We really needed this break

We’re both a bit tired but decide that it’s a good idea to do a little shopping before heading back to the hotel A subway ride and a walk get us to Ginza We headed to the BIC store for some electronics. It isn’t clear whether the Black Friday sales or just the popularity of electronics has brought so many people to this place We’ve got a shopping list so we are quite focused Even

then, the crowds here make it difficult to get what we need We find a few things, buy them at the checkout counter and then decide we’d better head back to the hotel. We’ve run out of energy

Some of today’s subway rides have been on fairly packed train cars. Fortunately, most of the trips have been short We’re back at the hotel by 3:30 PM Tired Very tired Ready for a nap

7:00 PM We woke up, surprised that we slept so long Now we must get ready and head out to dinner A search of Google Maps gives a few ideas Hasegawa Tonkatsu looks like it is nearby and it gets good reviews on the Internet.

Outside, it’s now dark as the sun sets around 4:30 PM The wind is blowing and we’re being hit by cold gusts. This is likely the weather front that’s predicted to come on Saturday. Then, we expect the temperatures to drop quite a bit Earlier in the day, we remarked several times that the temperature was nearly perfect. Good daytime shirt-sleeve weather. Now, on our walk to dinner, a jacket is needed A few cooler days should also force the maple trees to change color What we’ve seen so far has been trees with green leaves Many of the Ginkgo trees have yellow leaves, but they, too, are not at their seasonal peak.

Walking the neighborhood streets near the subway station reveals that there are lots of small restaurants. We inspect the menus of a few establishments. Nothing is quite right. After going down a main street we turn and follow a small side street into a more residential neighborhood We can’t seem to find Hasegawa Tonkatsu, the place we had chosen earlier Turning down another side street we finally see a place that looks OK. We go in and get seated. It is a tonkatsu restaurant At least we’ve found a place serving the type of food we’re after

We ordered our meal along with some sake Nancy has pork with shiso and Kim goes for the tonkatsu with curry It’s all really good This fills us up; perhaps too much

As we leave, Nancy observes that this restaurant is, indeed, Hasegawa Tonkatsu We found it almost by mistake! The food gods are working for us again

We’re back at the hotel about 9:30 PM It’s been a good day It takes about an hour to wind down and we’re ready to sleep.

November 25th - Saturday

We’re planning on doing some shopping today. There are things you can get in Japan that are really well designed and relatively unavailable in other parts of the world That’s basically what we’re after The big mall stores don’t open until 11 AM That will give us time to get some breakfast and do a bit of wandering.

The day is getting cloudy That’s expected as the weather front is moving in It’s going to be a jacket day. The 8:30 AM temperature is 55 F, about 20 degrees cooler than yesterday at the same time

As usual, we have a bit of coffee in the room while getting ready. Finally, we’re off to get breakfast.

We’d spotted a likely breakfast place as we were around the station last night. It’s called “St Marc” and it is located just a few blocks from our hotel We’ve decided on the “set breakfast” but we’re a bit unsure of the procedure The lady at the counter hands us an English menu That helps. Then she points out what we should be doing. Soon, we’re set and, after a short wait, we each have a tray with our breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee We carry these to a nearby corner where we can eat at our own pace We’re not in a hurry this morning The food is pretty good. A bit messy but nice and warm.

Our next objective is Tokyo Station. It’s the focal point for several of our next planned activities. The train travel involves one change of lines and soon we’re at our destination Tokyo Station is a busy place and corridors are filled with people going every which way The “trick” is to follow the overhead signs. We want to get out of the station so we head to the Marunouchi Central Exit Once outside we see that we’re right in front of Tokyo Station There are a lot of people here Many are taking photos We do that too as this is an iconic place

The stores in this area open at 11 AM and we’ve got about an hour to wait The Imperial Palace is nearby and we walk toward it while viewing (and photographing) the Gingko trees There is a water feature that appears to be a moat that surrounds the Imperial grounds. There is a bridge that crosses the water and that’s where we head The grounds in this area are open to the public. The bridge leads to a Starbucks coffee shop. What a surprise. There are several old structures as well as some modern sculptures Ponds are a prominent feature here It’s good to get away from the crowds by the station and be out where there’s been a lot of artistic development.

We head back toward the shopping district There are several couples out here that are getting photographed. They’re spending a lot of money as the gowns are very elaborate.

The first Marunouchi mall has a large Christmas tree. Lots of kids are getting their photos taken with the decorations. Woops. We’re not in the right place. A quick search tells us that it is a nearby building that has the shop we’re looking for Indeed, we find the Good Design Store right where it's indicated on the map. This is a very interesting place. The store specializes in well-designed items that cover a range of uses We’re there for the Pokeboo boots We find them quite quickly Before getting them, we explore the rest of the store There’s a lot of good stuff here. We exercise a bit of restraint and choose just a few things (coasters, fingernail file, button-hole characters) A little more poking around and we find a well-designed (of course) wallet It looks perfect for travel Then we ask for some help with the boots Fortunately, they have our size (which is large by Japanese standards). By the time we check out, we’ve got a pretty full basket of nice things

This shopping complex is well worth wondering about. We do the circuit of a few floors. There are a lot of shops here that have interesting things One is a small Muji outlet This is one of our favorite places. We find a few things that are on our list of purchases. We use restraint and get just a few things.

Now, we’re getting hungry.

This shopping center has quite a few good restaurants but they all appear to be very busy We’re not in a mood to wait in line so we push on to Tokyo Station. On an earlier trip we ate at Book Compass This is a large bookstore that has a small area where they serve Japanese curry We enjoyed the food here on that previous trip so that’s our destination now It takes a bit of wandering around the station to find the right place. We got seats after a short wait. The curry is good It fills our needs

Nancy has been interested in the Yamaha “silent” violin There is a store that should have one we can see, so that’s our next destination Google Maps shows it is a 27 minute walk Taking a train isn’t much faster. So we’re off, walking along the city streets. We pass by a lot of big retail stores The sidewalks are fairly crowded Soon, we see the BIC store where we bought stuff yesterday This is a chance to get the few small things that were skipped on the previous visit The store is packed with people, just like yesterday. But we persevere and eventually find several little electronic things (e g , adapter plugs) that are useful

The target in our walk was supposed to be the Yamaha store. After our BIC purchases we get back on track It’s about a 10 block walk As we approach our destination, we find that the main street through this area has had the traffic blocked and people can not walk on the street. That’s good as there are a lot of people here There are likely more than could be handled by the sidewalks It’s good that we can spread out a bit

The stores here are all “upscale” establishments The buildings and window displays are very creative This is a special area No wonder there are so many people milling about here

There is a big gathering in the Yamaha store A lady is playing the piano near the store’s entrance. She is very good. There is no space to stand and watch so we head upstairs to where they sell string instruments.

The top of the escalator is the 3rd floor. That’s where they have row after row of musical scores. It’s very impressive Kimo would really feel at home here But we’re interested in the strings section so we find a staircase and head to the 4th floor

The view you get when walking into the upstairs room is stunning The sales floor is spectacular as there are showcases filled with lots of brass instruments As we walk around, we view a large part of the spectrum of musical instruments for symphonic orchestras. Nancy finds the “silent” violin area and spends some time evaluating the various models After a bit, we see a man pick

up one of the silent models He plays a few notes and shows that he’s quite accomplished For us, it’s an opportunity to hear how loud “silent” actually means. It’s quiet enough for our purposes That’s an important thing to have learned We’re not here to buy an instrument That will happen later when we’re back home. For now, we’re satisfied with what we’ve seen and heard.

A bit of a walk and a few train rides and we’re back at the station near our hotel. We’re tired from the day and decide to buy a few things we can eat in our room That will be tonight’s dinner There is a nearby Lawson store They have the “Anthony Bourdain” sandwich (egg salad). We get a few, along with a bottle of wine and some potato chips. Then we head back to the hotel

It’s 5:30. We settled into the room. Eat our dinner while enjoying the wine. It’s also time to sort through our purchases Pretty neat stuff

It has been a big day The weather, while cooler than yesterday, has been good We’ve walked a lot Seen some interesting places And purchased our “critical” shopping items The food was good, too.

Now, about 7:30 PM, it’s time to quit We’re getting closer to being on local time and over our jetlag. A good long sleep tonight should complete the transition.

November 26th - Sunday

Today, we’ve got one of our “anchor” events. There is an evening light show in a garden. Our plan is to combine this with walks around a different part of Tokyo

We’re both up by 6:30 AM and start with a leisurely cup of coffee and a few chocolate biscuits from Muji We both slept pretty well That’s a good sign that we’re adjusting to the local time

It’s another cool day outside The temperature is 40 F and it might not climb very high; the prediction is 50 F Of more concern is rain The radar map shows that we’re getting the tip of a large weather front that’s moving across the Pacific. A light rain between 8 and 9:30 AM is what we expect It’s not a particularly disruptive event as we can use the time to get organized and do some detailed planning for the day.

A couple of small cups of coffee in the room gets our day started Warm clothes are important so we layer ourselves. Knit caps and gloves go in Nancy’s backpack. Then we’re off to get some breakfast The easy alternative is to return to St Mark’s Cafe and repeat the “set breakfast ”

Our breakfast venue is full of people We’re lucky to get the last two ham and egg breakfast sandwiches. They heat these while we wait. The food, along with a cup of good strong coffee, is just what we need

The Shinjuku Goen garden is a two train ride across town. Then there’s a fairly long walk to one of the entrance gates This is a large (60 acre) complex that was created in the 1860s using a French design intended to mimic the great royal gardens of Europe. Now it’s our chance to see if they were successful especially whether the design has adapted traditional elements into the larger scheme

There is a modest entrance fee (about $4/person) Once inside, we see that there are quite a few people The garden is so large that there is no crowding We’re able to walk many of the paths nearly alone. It’s only when we are around special viewing spots, of which there are many, do we have to wait for our turn to take a photo

Overall, the garden has several large sections This includes some very large lawns, big patches covered with trees, a formal garden area and, perhaps, the most beautiful -- the many ponds surrounded by sculpted vegetation. This was a place designed for the Emperor to relax and enjoy golf (hence the large lawns) It likely served this purpose well Eventually, control was given to the government so that the town’s citizens could use the facilities There were ups and downs over the years. Fire bombing in WW2 caused considerable damage with only a few facilities surviving The garden has been rebuilt mostly along the lines of the original design

The Japanese Garden area is particularly interesting as there are paths that wander around the edge of several large ponds Stone walkways and bridges cross the water in places Trees are artfully placed on the periphery. This is an area where you want to walk slowly, pausing now and then to take in a special view

The Taiwan (shelter) overlooks one of the water features. It’s easy to imagine past years when the Emperor came here and relaxed while enjoying the view The building itself has historic value as it is a true Chinese style, imported from Taiwan (then under Japanese rule) Nearby, there is a large grove of cherry trees. A sign says that there are 65 varieties planted in the garden Some are ancient The different varieties flower at slightly different times so that there is a prolonged season in which to enjoy the blossoms. There must be huge crowds here during that period.

Four long rows of very large sycamore trees are located at one edge of the garden. These are a seasonal treat, too Now, they are at a peak point as their leaves have turned golden brown We linger here as this is quite a spectacular show of fall foliage It’s quite unlike the more traditional maple-tree displays.

The formal garden features roses Lots of varieties have been planted around square plots As usual, the varieties are named and many are noted for having won some rose competition. This isn’t their season; only a few withering flowers remain on a scattering of plants

We make our way toward one of the entrance gates in search of the greenhouse. This was an important early feature of the garden A garden role, right from the start, was the modernization of Japan’s agriculture. It was here that a lot of fruits and vegetables were introduced and developed for the local climates. Food grown in the garden was served to the Emperor and after WW2, the gardens helped feed the local citizens We have discovered several places where modernization of Japan has begun as we’re traveled through Japan. Here is another key location as agriculture is a vital part of Japanese culture

We stumbled on a very modern museum in the garden. The purpose is to tell the story of the garden’s development They do a very good job, especially with a totally immersive video presentation Another highlight was seeing what appear to be fresh flowers encased in blocks of clear resin. It’s a mystery how they create these beautiful artifacts. The museum building itself is quite stunning Finding this place is one of the highlights of our garden visit

A large, modern glass conservatory stands adjacent to the museum Inside, you follow a set path that wanders through a maze of permanent plantings Alongside the path they’ve placed stands which hold potted orchids. Our visit coincides with the last day of the orchid exposition. We’re lucky to see a wonderful collection of beautiful specimens The walkway twists and turns There’s even a small waterfall and a pond with some Victoria water lilies Being inside is a nice change as the pace is slow and we (finally) get to see some flowers. (Outside, there are almost now flowering plants ) The route through the conservatory takes people through the displays in an efficient way That’s important as there are a lot of people who want to see what’s inside this interesting building.

It’s time for us to leave the garden. We’ve been here for over three hours. Our last walk is alongside a row of “old style” greenhouses These are likely still in use by agricultural researchers They aren’t open to the public

Our goal now is to find something to eat Nancy checks the map There are a few ramen places nearby Off we go Ramen is on our list of “things we have to do ”

The first place we find looks like they are getting ready to close Anyway, all the seats look like they are filled. Let’s push on.

A few blocks later, we got to another small ramen shop, Matsui Ramen It must be popular as there is a line of people waiting outside. Should we wait, too? The establishment’s web page says they close at 4 PM We’ll take our chance

We got in! There are just 8 seats here. You order by selecting and paying at a vending machine. There’s no English on the buttons Google Translate to the rescue We get to our seats and hand the chef the tickets

The ramen is excellent Noodles are the star of the dish The broth brings the flavor; Nancy got “salt” and Kim has “shoyu.” There’s a soft-boiled egg and a few pieces of thin-sliced meat. A few small pieces of bamboo shoot (?) make it complete

Eating ramen shouldn’t seem like a big deal. But, for us, it is. Partly it’s because we wanted to eat this local-treat in a small, neighborhood restaurant To do that, we’re faced with a triple challenge: location, language, and culture. Our success tonight gives us not only the satisfaction of having eaten a good meal, but it encourages us to do new culinary adventures of this sort

It’s time to walk. We’ve got reservations for a night-time garden event starting at 6 PM. That gives us just enough time to walk and see the avenue lined with gingko trees They should be at their peak display of yellow leaves now It is a long walk When we arrive, we find the street absolutely packed with people. This is about a two-block stretch with really tall gingko trees standing like cones They’ve put in lights and these are needed as the sky is already dark We snap photos from a few different places and then wander down the street while we watch the other people trying to take creative photos Everyone seems to be having a great time It’s amazing how many people turn out for events like this There are, literally, thousands of individuals here. As you would expect, everything is very orderly and well behaved.

It’s getting time to head back to the garden Another long walk We get to the gate and they tell us that the entrance is at the other corner of the garden. Off we go on about a six block walk, only to enter the garden and return the same six blocks, this time on the other side of the garden wall The line is very, very long Lots and lots of people are here for this event

There is a limited number of reservations available for this night-time event We got our tickets before coming to Japan. It takes quite a while for people to pass through the entrance checkpoint Once inside the garden, we get an LED lantern we can carry as we walk These lanterns are glowing orbs that also shine a pattern on the ground The patterns vary Looking ahead at the stream of visitors on the trail, the lanterns make colorful dots in the nighttime darkness

Our walk leads us back to the sycamore grove that we visited in daylight. Now, the trees are illuminated with spotlights that slowly change color It’s a visual feast Just like the gingko tree avenue, the area between the rows of sycamore trees is packed with people taking photos. We do the same.

The garden walk goes around several of the large ponds. Trees have lights illuminating the canopy Music is coming from speakers arranged around the periphery It’s not too jammed with people along this path All in all, it’s a nice walk with a few beautiful vistas created by the combination of trees, water and lights. We’re glad that we came to this special event. And it’s good to see so many other people enjoying this kind of “botanical” experience

It’s a short walk to the nearest train station. We’re lucky to get a train right away. Our change of trains is also fast so it isn’t long before we’re back at the station near our hotel

What about dinner? There’s an Italian restaurant near the station. We check it out. Nope. Doesn’t look right Too bad as we’re not getting very tired and need some food We’ve always got a Plan B when in Japan: sandwiches from Lawsons. That sounds just right. We grab a couple of sandwiches and two cans of beer and retreat to our hotel room

It’s a very simple dinner. Just what’s needed.

It has been a very full day The weather cooperated; it was cool and we basically avoided rain We got a lot of exercise as we walked 26K steps or more (Nancy always has more than Kim).

About 9:30 and time to sleep

November 27th - Monday

We’re pretty sure that the rainy weather has passed. Equally important, the temperature predictions call for slightly warmer days That’s important as it tells us how we’re going to dress

It’s another 6:30 start with some coffee in the room. We’re not in a hurry so we get ready slowly. Yesterday was a big day and we don’t need to push ourselves too much today

Our big activity for today is the Universal Studios Harry Potter experience. Our timed reservation is for 12:30 PM but we’re aware that they will let us in up to an hour early The venue is quite far away so our goal is to leave the hotel room at about 10 AM.

We’re skipping a neighborhood breakfast today Instead, we’ll try to get something when we arrive at, or near, Universal Studios. The train trip doesn’t require any transfers but it is a long trip We expect it will take about an hour

Things go as planned. We arrived at our destination about when we expected. It’s just a short wait before they let us enter the facility A lot of people have come in at the same time That’s created a long line of people waiting to check coats and other belongings That’s not a problem; we’re not in a rush.

There is a food area in the lobby. As expected, it’s themed to fit the “Harry Potter” crowd that’s here You can tell that there are a lot of die hard fans as many people are wearing Hogwart Gowns or other Potter clothing

We’re ready for some food The most obvious place to eat has a few interesting choices Kim gets the English breakfast (eggs, sausage, bread, beans) and Nancy chooses the Banger and Mash with peas and carrots. Coffee, too. These are both hearty meals they’ll hold us for a while.

Our entrance time has arrived A big group goes in together We spend time in several rooms At each place we get information about what to expect and how to behave. Finally, the doors open and we’re on our own We get to explore the story of how they made the Harry Potter movies.

We’ve rented audio headsets These are useful as they give us interesting background information at many stops. We feel like we’re getting a much more in-depth presentation by using these devices

In general, the route takes us through the different facets of how a movie is created. The materials we are seeing are either original props or identical duplicates The scale of things is huge We go into very large rooms that are full-scale sets There are rooms after rooms that are reproductions of the sets for scenes in offices and classrooms.

The stories, some told to us with the audio presentation and others on bi-lingual posters, lead us through the cast’s intent to make things appear realistic Incredible details Things that you’ll never see when you view the movie were important to the production It’s as though everyone believed in what they were doing and wanted it to be authentic.

The story that’s told at this venue is complex and it’s long Overall, we spent about 5 ½ hours here. There was just a short break part way through where we had some butterbeer and popcorn Otherwise, we were immersed in the process of making a movie

It’s clear that there is a specific audience for this attraction. You have to know the Harry Potter story Most likely, you need to know it in detail It helps if you identify with the story’s themes Over and over, as you walk through the displays, you’re reminded of events you saw in the movie It’s a chance to bring back the visual memories and compare them to the sets that are on display Most of the time things will match in general But here, you get to focus on details that you didn’t see. It’s not unexpected that after this tour, you’ll want to view all the movies again.

It wasn’t really any work to go through the exhibits But by the end we’re quite exhausted The presentations have demanded our attention and, in doing so, extracted a lot of energy.

We exit through a complex of rooms where you can buy Harry Potter themed things. We’re not tempted.

Outside, there’s a full moon shining on us. We head to the train station. We get seats on the train that will take us back to our hotel’s neighborhood Sitting is important since it will take about an hour to finish this ride Periodically, lots of people come on to the train At other stations, many leave. We’re watching the rhythm of the local commuters.

Nancy’s found a place for us to eat our dinner Their specialty is deep fried sticks of meat and vegetables. We got to the location quite quickly. It looks OK. In we go.

There are two seats at the counter They give us a menu in English Ordering seems to require scanning a QR code, going to a website and then choosing what we want to eat. That’s the theory In practice, it doesn’t work Finally, we got some help from a staff member

We ordered a set of 8 “sticks,” some edamame and two mugs of beer We got the beer and edamame first That let us get started on eating The sticks came soon thereafter Each stick was different. The set consisted of beef, pork, shrimp, lotus root, onion, quail eggs, radish, and asparagus It’s an interesting combination

Overall, the restaurant was OK. Not great. However, this gave us a chance to see what’s available to local people That was one of our goals As a result, this dining experience was positive

The next stop was a 7-eleven We needed some more cash While there, we got a couple of small cans of beer and a packet of mixed nuts. They came back to our hotel room with us. We spent a little whine drinking and nibbling while debriefing the day’s activities

It was a very good day. The Harry Potter event exceeded our expectations. The weather was good We had a few interesting dining experiences

The day ends again at about 9:30 PM. We need sleep as tomorrow is a travel day.

November 28th - Tuesday

This is a travel day. We’re leaving Tokyo and going to Kyoto.

Nancy woke up early today and Kim slept in a bit. We’re not in a rush as our schedule calls for us to be at Tokyo Station by 12:30 PM Our plan is to pack, head out for some breakfast, check out of the hotel and then go to our Shinkansen train

Packing is a bit tight as we’ve added Pokeboo rain boots to our backpacks They’re pretty compact but they still take room Fortunately, everything fits OK It’s good as we expect to carry these boots on a lot of our future travels.

The weather prediction is for a high of 70 F today. It means that we’ll be comfortable on our walk to get breakfast We need to be aware of outdoor temperatures as we look ahead The temperature will plunge by at least 15 degrees, at least in Tokyo The sky is clear today and it isn’t windy.

We’re trying a new place for breakfast The Beck coffee shop is in the Ryogoku Station complex. They have a few choices for their set menu. Nancy gets the bread-yogurt-salad combo

and Kim’s choice is a sort of hotdog in a bun with potato salad Both are better than they sound The coffee is good, too. We’re happy to have found a good alternative for breakfasts.

Back at the hotel, we take our time doing the last minute departure things. We don’t want to get to Tokyo Station too early as we suspect there won’t be places to hang out and wait Nancy gets us checked out of the hotel and we return to Ryogoku Station We’re each carrying a backpack and Kim has a camera bag. That’s a concern as we need to be careful on the train. Usually, you wear a backpack in the front so that you don’t bump into other passengers It’s the courteous thing to do in Japan But for us, this isn’t going to work As a result, when our train arrives, we see that the car is packed full of people. We won’t fit. So we waited for about five minutes for the next train It has room and we enter with some relief The trip takes two stops where we change lines Then it’s a direct run to Tokyo Station

This is a crowded place Our goal is to find a locker where we can store our gear That will let us walk around and explore this interesting station. We check the signs, do some walking and finally find a small set of lockers The available units are much too small We hunt some more Finally, we discover an area with lots of lockers A big one is open and we stuff our gear inside A few button presses and a Suica card swipe and we’re ready to wander unencumbered. That was important as the combination of two bags (backpack and camera bag) pinched a nerve (or something) and he lost the ability to use his arm to lift anything Fortunately, this function returned quite soon. It’s a warning to keep travel gear light.

Tokyo Station, down at the B1F level, has a lot of interesting restaurants There are also places to buy take-out food. It’s fun to kill time by wandering through the maze of shops. There is a curry bun place (Zopf) that we’d heard about We got a couple of them to eat on the train trip We also found a place with an interesting set of flavored rice inside a tofu shell(inari sushi). We got some of these, too, for the Shinkansen trip Then it was time to collect our bags and head to the departure platform

The prepaid reservation for the Nozomi Shinkansen train was made before we left Hawai'i Nancy linked the trip to our Suica cards We're a bit nervous about how this works Can we simply tap our Suica card to enter the gate? We tried it and the gate opened and we got a small card that lists our train, car and seat That’s a very nice simplification (We recall a previous trip where you had to feed two cards together through the gate reader. It was something that we messed up and had to get help from the gate assistant.)

It’s about a half hour wait at the departure platform. Then we’re seated in our Green Car seats and off the train goes, exactly on time The trip lasts a bit over two hours We get a view of Mount Fuji; the top is covered with clouds

There are some hints of Fall foliage change seen in the hills, especially as we get near Kyoto

We’d seen some huge billowing clouds over the distant mountains as we headed south The weather radar shows a weather front moving across this area. We expect that the southern tail of the shower belt will pass the Kyoto area quickly

After departing our train in Kyoto we make the short walk to the local subway line The train comes soon and we ride a single stop to our destination The hotel is just a few steps away That was easy!

Our room is on the top floor of the Citadines Hotel; it’s 1001 in the corner This accommodation is just what we need. The kitchen is complete. There’s a good-sized desk for the computer. The bed is large We’ve even got a lanai that overlooks the main street Up high, we get a bit of a view of the city

The weather does look a bit threatening The prediction is for rain to begin at 4:30 PM and that’s just an hour away. It seems prudent to prepare for a period where we don’t want to go out. A quick trip across the street to the 7-eleven provides us with some “emergency” food (think: cup soup) and a few necessities (wine, nuts, tomato juice) We’re prepared

There is a soba restaurant just a few doors away from our hotel We’ve been there before and we think it’s an astounding place to eat authentic Kyoto food The weather appears to be clear now and if we head to the restaurant now, we’ll likely beat the dinner crowd. Off we go.

They create soba noodles from scratch at Soba-no Mi Yoshimura. You can see the stone grinder processing the soba at the entrance. If you’re there at the right time, you’ll also see someone rolling out the dough and cutting the noodles We got seats right away (next to where we ate last time). Nancy goes for a cold soba and Kim picks a hot soba “soup.” These orders come with tempura, salad and a few other things We add a tofu salad to start Sake, too

A waitress comes to pour the sake. She fills the glass to overflowing. There’s a saucer underneath and this catches the sake flowing over the rim of the glass It’s an interesting style of serving a drink

We savor the meal It’s as good as we expected, and our expectations were high

The soba maker is beginning another batch as we pause to pay our bill. We wait and watch as this artisan rolls and rolls the dough Then he uses a large cleaver to slice the dough into strips The entire process is done very, very carefully. It’s a treat to see.

Then it’s time to retreat to our room Before quitting, we go to the basement level and fill a water container. This hotel is good about using resources. No plastic water bottles here!

8:15 PM It seems too early to quit But it’s been a stressful day And we’ve got an early start planned for tomorrow.

November 29th - Wednesday

Today we’re going to start our multi-day adventure looking for Fall foliage in Kyoto First up is Enkoji Temple We learned about this place on a YouTube video It’s a popular place that requires a reservation. We took care of that in Honolulu.

We need to be out early today as our reservation is for 9:00 AM. They seem to be quite strict about you arriving on time The alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and we move somewhat purposefully as we make coffee and begin to get ready There’s some tomato juice for our very light breakfast as prepared for this in our 7-eleven purchases yesterday. We need to dress warmly as the predicted high temperature is 57 F We’re getting out soon after sunrise; the temperature is in the 40s

Getting to the temple involves a walk across the river, a short train trip, a transfer to another train and then a 15 minute walk It takes about an hour We’re at the temple before 8:30 AM They let us in early.

There are a few chrysanthemum flowers in pots at the entrance. They are stunning. The flower heads are large and complex A lot of serious flower breeding has gone into the development of these varieties

The sun is just creeping up about the mountains and only the tops of a few trees get sunlight at this hour That’s enough to see some patches of gold and red color from the maples We’re patient as we know the light will get better fairly soon.

The temple has some interesting sand sculptures just inside the entrance. Just beyond, the gardens are interesting, too. It’s much as you’d expect at such a temple.

One of the features that attracts us is the stand of huge bamboo off to one side. There’s a patch of a few well-lit maples making a splash of gold as it shines through the gaps between bamboo stems

A small pond is partly covered with fallen maple leaves It’s a challenge to get a good camera angle as this, too, is an interesting sight

There are quite a few serious photographers here You can tell by their gear Many people are carrying expensive cameras. That’s a change from elsewhere. There, most people use cell-phone cameras We need to be careful to keep from “photobombing” other photographers

The lower part of the garden isn’t too big. We head to the back and then up a path that leads us high above the temple grounds There are some nice maple trees here and the sun illuminates the leaves very well This high viewpoint lets us look over this part of the city Kyoto extends quite a way back in the flat lands between the mountain ranges.

The sun has been rising and it’s time to go down to the main garden and get some photos. The ground is covered with moss and in most places, the maple leaves that have dropped rain on this carpet of green. That’s a nice visual effect.

We enjoyed seeing this temple It was quite a bit of work to get here but well worth the effort

As we leave, we notice that people are taking a route opposite to the one we came up to reach the temple Perhaps it’s an interesting alternative route Let’s find out

After walking a few blocks we see some obvious activities indicating that there is an attraction here Signs say that there is a home of a retired samurai nearby Shisendo is the name of this place. Other people are going into a path in the forest. We follow them.

You enter a building here. That means taking off your shoes. There’s a strict protocol about where you can step with and without shoes You’ll likely get scolded if you walk with shoes in the wrong place (read: it happened)

The samurai had a very nice home It was built in the 1600s Only recently (on the scale of historical events) has this been opened to the public

The view of the gardens from the house is quite spectacular There are a lot of photographers here patiently waiting for clear sightlines to get photographs from the house perspective. We join them for a bit and then retrieve our shoes and walk into the garden.

The gardens are multilevel. We wander and take photographs. We’ve come at just the right time as there are lots of magnificent maple trees here

This is another hidden gem. It doesn’t seem that too many tourists are here. The people we see (and hear) are likely locals (or other Japanese)

Time rolls on and we’re pretty saturated in taking photos and just enjoying the scenery. It’s about noon and we’re hungry, too We didn’t have much for breakfast

It’s a few blocks walk to a main street. We turn and walk along the street looking for a place to eat We don’t go far The name of the place that grabs our attention is “Cafe & Bar ChaCha ” We go in. This seems perfect.

There aren’t too many dishes on the menu Kim gets the meat and onions dish and Nancy has the curry. Each meal comes with rice and a salad. We get coffee, too. It’s a big lunch. Good quality

After we’ve finished, we ask for the check. This happens as the waitress is clearing the table. Apparently our request distracts her as she swings around with a tray and hits a woman sitting

at the next table in the head One dish goes flying It was a hard hit We feel sorry for the woman as it wasn’t her fault. She says she’s OK, but we’re still concerned.

We have some favorite temples that are not too far away. Let’s walk.

About a half hour later, we arrived at Higashiyama jisho-ji We know this temple well as we’ve been here on all of our visits to Kyoto.

A large sand sculpture is, perhaps, the most prominent feature as you enter the garden Nearby is a maple tree that’s at its peak color. These two garden elements are a strong visitor attractor. We need to wait our turn to get close enough to take photos

The walk around the garden gives different perspectives on the sand sculpture, a pond, and the temple buildings The crowd thins a bit as the things to see are stretched out along the path We follow the route up the side of the mountain. Up here we can look down on the garden. As we’ve seen elsewhere, most of the soil is covered with a thick carpet of moss There are a few channels that carry water across the garden

We never tire of seeing this well-designed attraction Lots of people come here We’ve learned that if you take your time, it’s quite easy to find gaps in the stream of individuals moving along the paths. That way, you don’t feel like you need to keep moving. It’s better for contemplation, too

As you leave the garden, the road runs through rows of shops selling a diverse set of things to the tourists There’s food, too We get tempted and buy an ice cream cone (soybean with peanut powder sprinkled on top) and matcha tea (with whipped cream on top and tapioca sphere in the tea) It’s a fun treat

The Philosopher’s Path begins here. We follow it for a short distance until we find the store that we see on the YouTube “Live Japan” video stream that we’ve been watching in preparation for this trip Nancy spots the camera We wait a bit while viewing the live stream This location does, indeed, come up in the sequence of video locations. Unfortunately, there seems to be a time delay so we can’t see ourselves waving at the camera

We walk along the path for a bit more and then turn. Up the hill is Honen-in, another of our favorite temples

Honen-in is on the small side compared to nearby, popular Kyoto temples You get into the garden through a very picturesque gate Everyone stops to get a photo as the opening is framed by the superstructure. A bright splash of maple leaves shines through from the garden inside. The problem is the people First, they stand waiting for a good photo opportunity when nobody is walking through the gate Then they, themselves, walk through the gate and pause while they photograph the inside garden from above. We’re patient. It takes a bit of luck to get “the perfect shot ”

The Honen-in garden has two sand structures near the entrance. Looking back at the entrance gate over these artistic creations gives almost a mirror image of what we saw when entering There is the color of the maples seen through the opening. But here, the roof of the entrance structure is covered with a layer of green moss This adds to the visual beauty As before, we’re not the only people to recognize the photographic potential of this view A line of photographers wait patiently for visitors to enter so that the image is free of distractions.

There are small buildings and ponds inside the gated area We stop and chat with a docent who is suggesting that we attend a musical event that’s inside one of the buildings. His English is very good He attributes this to once having had a girlfriend in Hawai'i

There are some good photo locations here as there are some peak foliage trees.

On the way out, we visited a small building at the side of the garden. Usually, this place is closed and we’re surprised that it’s now open Inside there is a gallery show of pottery The pieces are very attractive The potter is in the gallery and we exchange a few words; language is a bit of a barrier this time.

We note a gardener who is using a leaf to clear leaves from the temple’s entrance steps It is very quiet! What a contrast to those leaf blowers we hear in other places. Everyone should have one of these environmentally-friendly models

Our walk takes us along the hillside. Not far away we spot a particularly big maple tree with bright orange leaves It’s at the entrance of another temple This is one that’s new to us We’d like to go in, but the sun is getting low in the sky and we’re pretty tired. We need to head back to our hotel This place can be saved for another day

It’s about a half-hour walk to the nearest subway station. We pass by several of the large, familiar temples We can see from the outside that they, too, have peak foliage displays

There is a special tunnel just before we get to the subway station. The red bricks that line the tunnel wall are arranged in a spiral fashion It’s very unique

The train trip involves a four-stop ride, a transfer and then a final two-stop ride. We drag ourselves up the stairs and emerge a few steps away from our hotel Whew! We’re glad to be here.

It has been a long day We had stocked up on some “just in case” food and decided that it will be what we need for tonight’s dinner. We’re too tired to go out and eat.

The “cup soup” meal is OK We have time for a debrief of the day Then it’s time to get some sleep. We’ve walked between 18 and 21K steps. It seemed like more as we did a lot of up and down the hillside, city streets and subway stairs

November 30th - Thursday

We’re pretty seriously visiting temples and shrines now as the weather, for at least part of each day, seems to be good for photography. The sun is shining when we get up this morning. The outside temperature is cold at 42 F The predicted high is 52 F We’ll dress warmly

We start with the usual cup of coffee in the room. We’ve got tomato juice so we have that, too. There is an interesting coffee shop not too far from our hotel We get ready for our day and then head out to find this new establishment Our apartment is very near the corner of two main streets. One runs East-West and we take it to get to the river and places on that side of town. The other big street runs North-South and it goes to Kyoto Station in the southern direction That’s the general way we’re going for breakfast

The Toru Coffee Shop specializes in high quality coffee They also have some plates of things to eat. We ordered the buttered bread menu item along with the hot dog item. Each of these comes with a salad We split the two orders This, along with some dark coffee, made for a great meal

We’re running a bit short of cash That’s taken care of by a visit to the nearby 7-eleven There’s a subway entrance nearby Down we go We both add some value to our Suica cards We use these debit cards for a lot of things so it’s important to have a “healthy” balance.

The train ride is the opposite of yesterday afternoon’s trip. Two stops, change trains, four stops, exit the subway station. We’re near the entrance to the “spiral” tunnel. We walk through and continue on to the Nanzen-ji temple

This temple is an epicenter of tourist activity There are several large structures here The XX is a particular people-magnet Just beyond there’s a grove of maple trees in peak Fall foliage The large temple is just a bit farther toward the mountains. We’re like everyone else here; we’re snapping a lot of photos The sun is shining through the leaves and they are showing particularly bright colors

Our next focus is the small garden at the south side To get there, you pass beneath an aqueduct that brings water from Lake Biswa. This old red-brick structure is very photogenic. We’ve been here quite a few times and with each visit we try to get a photo through the arches Alas, people like to sit and stand in the arches This obscures the sightline We’re not going to get the photo today.

Nanzen-in is the name of the small garden We pay the entrance fee and go in the gate There is a residence structure at the start. You can look through the room and see a bit of the garden.

It’s as though you have a window looking out at the brightly colored trees It’s a wonderful way to start our visit.

The other side of the residence is where we’re headed. It’s here that there is a small pond up against the mountainside The maple trees are in full color

After contemplating the scene from the edge of the structure, you walk by the pond and up along the mountain You’re just above the rear edge of the pond as you continue around There are many places to stop and get a photo The site was designed to have many great views This is the peak time to enjoy the effort that went into creating this private place.

We’re done looking at this temple as we feel the need to move on to other places while there is still some blue sky.

Eikan-do Temple is the next large attraction as we move along the crowded street. We need to watch for traffic as this road is shared by vehicles and people This temple covers a large area There are a lot of maple trees here and, like other places, we’re seeing them at the peak of their color change. There are a few special places here and we focus on those. The dragon fountain is always fun to see The big highlight is the pond We need to struggle a bit to get into places to take photos Everyone seems to have the same idea about where to get that perfect image In the end, with a bit of patience we take enough pictures to adequately document the key scenes around the pond

It’s a little after noon and we’re getting hungry. We know exactly where to go. It’s a small restaurant that we’ve been to twice before We’re lucky that there are a couple of seats available. They are the same seats that we used last time. We ordered an omelet over rice and fried rice Both dishes are just what we need

We need to walk quite a bit to get to the next temple. Our route takes us back along the Philosopher’s Walk The canal has bunches of maple trees hanging over the water It’s great to stroll in a place where you don’t need to worry about vehicle traffic

Reikanji is the next temple; it’s located up the mountain It’s a new place for us We are attracted by the sign that says this temple is only open two months a year. One of those months is November and we’re here on the last day of the month.

There is a defined route that you take here. It leads you next to some temple buildings and through gardens One of the features here is the camelia collection Although this isn’t the prime flowering period for these plants, there are a few individuals with flowers About midway on the walk there is a sign that says, basically, that this is Kyoto’s largest maple tree. We can see the canopy when we look up The leaves have turned orange and it’s a great sight with a blue sky We find the trunk and this is, indeed, a huge tree

The path leads to a temple building We’ve got to take off our shoes We then walk around the building’s periphery and view artifacts (beautiful bowls, sculptures of people, etc) in display cases and rooms with very special screens We’re not quite sure of the importance of this as the descriptions are all in Japanese. Nonetheless, we enjoy what we’re seeing. Soon, we put on our shoes and walk the short distance to the exit This is an interesting place but not quite on par with what we’ve seen elsewhere

The Anraku-ji temple is next door The sign at the entrance describes some horrific events that lead to the creation of this temple Shoes off; then we go inside This has a nice combination of buildings and gardens. After we walk a bit, we go inside a temple. A priest is giving a talk. We sit and listen, not understanding anything Everyone else is paying close attention so we can assume that the priest’s descriptions highlighted important things

Walking among the buildings lets you see interesting internal gardens We can enter rooms, too There are places to sit at the edge of one of the rooms so you can gaze into a garden. Very beautiful Peaceful

Back out in the garden (after putting our shoes back on), we stroll a bit more. It’s a very nice place It’s enough off the regular tourist track that we’re not feeling crowded We’ve enjoyed our visit here

Now it’s time to get back to our hotel We simply reverse our route

We get to take a short nap before getting ready for dinner.

Dinner tonight is in the Gion District. The restaurant is one we went to six years ago. We liked it so much that we made reservations for tonight’s meal before we left Honolulu The walk to the restaurant takes about a half hour We leave about 6:15 PM and arrive at our destination right at 7:00 PM, the time of our reservation.

We get seats at the counter We ordered some sake and the set dinner The dishes come, one after another. Each item is a small treat. Most are just a few bites. The sake goes well with what we’re eating The meal is finally done at about 8:30 PM We’re full This lived up to our expectations.

We walked back to our hotel The side streets of Kyoto, especially in this neighborhood, are quite interesting. Lots of little restaurants and bars. Most appear to seat a dozen or fewer people Some are quite modern Others are old and full of character

Now it’s late. We’re glad to be back in our room. Lots of steps today; between 21 and 24 K.

December

1st - Friday

We’ve settled into a normal starting routine We’re not in a rush now as many places don’t open too early here Even coffee shops may stay closed until mid-morning

The good weather is still holding although today’s temperatures might be a bit lower than yesterday. The predicted high is 54 F. We’ve been OK with our double layering. We don’t even need hats in the daytime

We’re going to start by trying a new coffee shop. Then we’ll head to Nijo Castle. It will be a bit different from the temples that have been our focus for the last few days

The coffee shop has the unusual name “Open.” It’s just a few blocks from the hotel. When we arrive, there is just one table with four people Otherwise, we’re the only people there The web page says that smoking is OK here and we’re concerned For now, that’s not a problem Beatles music is playing and we get quick service from what appears to be the only service employee. We get the set meals; omelet and toast is one and fried egg with bacon is the other As usual, both come with a small salad. Coffee, too.

It’s a good meal and the quiet atmosphere is what we need as we get the day rolling A few other people come here while we’re eating. Smoking isn’t a problem.

Getting to Nijo Castle is a two-hop train ride There’s almost no walking needed

Nijo Castle is the site of several related political events in the history of Japan It is here that the shogunate finally consolidated power over the entire country. That led to a long period of peace in what had been warring factions. The reign of the militaristic shoguns ended at the same place when, some 250 years later, political power was transferred from the Tokugawa regime to the Emperor. Both events happened in this Castle.

We buy entrance tickets Here they accept credit cards for payment That’s good as it’s a bit more expensive than we’ve been paying by cash at the temples. Long streams of students pass by as they enter the same venue There are lots of school groups Each child in a line is wearing the same color cap It’s a good way to keep the groups from inadvertently mixing

There is a wide moat outside the tall rock walls that enclose the large property We cross a bridge and enter through a huge, very imposing gate. There is an open courtyard inside. Like a lot of the areas, the ground is covered with a layer of gravel At one side is a barracks where guards were once quartered It’s a rare surviving example of this structure

There is an established route that you follow This path takes you through gardens, into inner courtyards, through the residence, and then back out into the grounds Signs are plentiful with extensive descriptions in Japanese and English. Much of what we see dates back to the early

1600s There have been changes, of course Fires, renovation, decay and the movement of important structures from other places to this site are among the many factors that have modified the original design We get a sense of the formality and power that was centered at this location.

We bought a ticket that lets us enter the residence Off with our shoes Then we follow the crowd around the periphery of the building. This works well as the structure is designed with an outer walkway that allows access to the rooms in the interior We peer in The walls of each room are covered with huge screens These walls are mostly gold in color and painted with some strong montief, such as tigers or pine trees. The ceilings, too, are ornate with complex geometric patterns

The structure of the rooms, such as the different levels of the floors, sent a message to the inhabitants about the rank of each person Even the compass direction the Shogun faced was important. The first rooms were where people waited. Smaller rooms were where meetings were held Some rooms were very formal while others were intentionally more casual

We were glad to leave the residence and resume our walk outside. There is a lot to see with the gardens and the supplemental structures that remain intact The city is remodeling one of the main buildings It’s good to see that there is active work to preserve this important cultural heritage. It’s not cheap. Millions of Yen are being raised to support this effort.

Near one corner of the property is a structure called a “keep.” Originally, it was six stories tall. Only the rock base remains. You go up several flights of steep stairs to get to the top. Up there you get a good view of the buildings and gardens below A lot of work went into the defense of the Castle. Big, strong buildings were once filled with many guards.

We continued our stroll There are quite a few maple trees here As elsewhere in Kyoto, most of these are at their peak Fall foliage. A few gingko trees punctuate the mostly green pine landscape with bright yellow leaves These trees, too, are at their peak color change

There is evidence, here and there, of lights and projectors. We’ll see these later as we’ve got tickets for tonight’s NAKED show

We were tempted to go to a tea shop for something to eat and drink. A look inside showed that everyone is sitting on tatami mats That’s a no-go for Kim (unfortunately) Instead we continued our walk to the Castle exit.

It’s after 12:30 PM and we need some lunch Google Maps shows a couple of nearby ramen shops. Off we go. It’s just about a block to one that looks good.

There is a line of a half-dozen people waiting outside the ramen shop We decide that it’s worth staying here until there is seating available. It doesn’t take long.

You choose the menu items with a big vending machine We’re fortunate that there is a button that changes all the food names to English. It takes but a moment to select our dishes and pay with a credit card

We seated ourselves at the counter facing the kitchen The first thing to come are the two bottles of Asahi beer We bought the 750 ml size; that’s likely too large for us but we were a bit rushed at the vending machine. There were alternative sizes but they were not obvious at the time Well, we’ll have a lot of beer to enjoy with our meal We also ordered gyoza A plate of six arrives soon They’re still very hot so we’ll have to wait a bit before we eat them

Kim got the “spicy simple ramen” and Nancy chose the #1 (pork ramen) The waitress asks how hot we want the spicy ramen; let’s go for it and make it spicy The dishes are much as we expected. It’s good ramen. The service is prompt. We don’t feel rushed. This has been a much needed lunch But with all that beer, we’re really full Really, really full

The train back to the hotel is the reverse route with a simple change of subway lines

We’re both exhausted from the morning and, perhaps, feeling a bit of the after effects of the beer It’s time for a nap

It’s good that we have quite a long time in Kyoto. Unlike other trips here, we don’t need to rush around to see all the prime attractions We can take off some time and get refreshed

We got up a bit late in the afternoon. We need a few supplies to take care of the rest of our stay in Kyoto This requires a quick trip across the street to the 7-eleven We get bottles of tomato juice, some wine and a tube of toothpaste.

Our evening event is another NAKED light show It’s at the Castle The sun is down now and the temperature is dropping. We’re pretty sure that we’re dressing properly so that we’ll stay warm. All we change from our earlier outing is the addition of hats and gloves

We’re leaving at about 5:15 PM. This is inside the local rush hour so we’re concerned about crowding on the trains There’s nothing we can do about it Off we go

The subway trips aren’t too crowded. We only need to go a few stops so we don’t need to sit.

There is a line that runs along the moat at the Castle. We join at the end. This seems to be pretty organized Someone comes by to make sure we’ve got tickets for the right day At about 6:00 PM, the line starts to move We enter through the gate and once inside, our QR codes are scanned. We’re ready to go.

The first projection is on the gate that leads into the courtyard in front of the residence This is a particularly fancy gate. We saw it on our morning trip. Now, there is a changing light pattern that

adds a lot of “flavor” to the gate Lights on the residence seen through the gate add to the effect This is a great start for the evening tour.

Ikebana displays, with individual lighting, line the path. We get a few photos of these floral creations with the residence as a backdrop The chrysanthemum flowers in some of these artistic arrangements are really interesting We don’t have time to stop and enjoy these as much as they deserve. We need to keep moving.

There is a garden to the left of the path It has well-sculpted pine trees There is also a pond with a waterfall at one end. The lights make this an attractive feature. There’s competition on the other side of the path Here, a projection makes a moving display on the side of the residence

We’re aware of the music at this point. This adds a lot to the visual displays. We return to looking at the pond The lighting emphasizes the reflections in the water

The path winds through more gardens Trees are illuminated There are interesting sights

Our next stop is at one of the moats. We’re facing the outer wall. This becomes a canvas for the light show It’s a long expanse and images create a dynamic display of abstract shapes and stylized flowers This is accompanied by music that floats through the air We stand there to watch two sequences of the visual storyline.

The path takes us along the moat and into a pine forest. We stop again and return our gaze to the moat wall and the projected images. From here we get to see the reflections of the images in the water It’s an even better view although we’re farther from the display

From here, we walk a bit and see the well-lit tea house reflected in a pond Then we get to a grove of maple trees that have the color of the leaves enhanced by colored lights shining from below. We saw these plants earlier in the day and took a lot of photos as the sunlight was enhancing the visual effects of the colorful leaves Here, the effect is, in a way reversed as the light direction is opposite The background tonight is a black sky Earlier, it was a deep blue with a few white clouds.

Our walk continues. There are some lights being projected on the ground. Each speck of light moves quickly. This adds sparkle to the walkway.

Our route continues to an area with some commercial activity. There is a large projected display here that uses the wall of the museum as a canvas Some ikebana is done here, too, using some handheld lights to illuminate a huge floral arrangement

We’re nearing the end of our walk through the Castle ground There’s just a short commercial gauntlet to go through Then we’re out the exit We take time to turn back and see this monumental entrance gate well illuminated by floodlights.

This was a well-done evening event It was well worth the effort

We’d had some reservations about whether we were dressed warmly enough What we wore tonight worked fine. In part, walking helped keep us from getting cold.

The next thing to do is take the two-train route back to our hotel

We’ve eaten quite a bit today Should we stop for food before returning to our room? Perhaps eating a few things that we've got will be enough So we settled in with some wine, potato chips and a large Cup Noodles. It is just what we needed. And we are enjoying it in the comfort of our room

It’s about 10:00 PM. We’ve had another great day. It’s time for sleep.

December 2nd - Saturday

The outdoor temperature slowly creeps downward It’s 39 F and the predicted high is 52 F We’ll be OK as today we should be walking quite a bit Our big goal is the Kiyomizu-dera Temple It’s close enough that we’ll walk there from our hotel. Later, we’ll explore some local food specialties

Yesterday was a travel-light day. We used cell-phone cameras and left the heavy gear back in the room That worked for the Castle viewing, both day and night Today is different Kiyomizu-dera has some of the most spectacular Foliage displays and we need to be ready with all our gear.

We’re off at about 8:30 AM.

The route to Kiyomizu-dera takes us down the street in front of our hotel, then across the river, and continues up the hill. It’s about a half hour walk. Our body temperature rises a bit and we are not cold by the time we get into the streets near Kiyomizu-dera There is a shrine that gets our attention The sign in front says that this is for the pottery deity This area is now famous for pottery. A street nearby is “pottery street.” It’s an interesting local factoid as pottery is an essential tool for civilizations

There are a lot of interesting establishments along these streets that climb up the side of the mountain We’re on the lookout for one in particular It’s a restaurant that serves tofu All the dishes are tofu. It makes sense as Kyoto is famous for its tofu. It’s said that the secret is the water From what we’ve seen walking around the city, there’s a lot of water here We find the restaurant and fix its location in our memory

Lots of people are congregating in this area Many come by tour buses The streets become increasingly filled with people. We’re all heading the same direction but many visitors are stopping at the tourist-oriented shops that line the street We push our way through

The Kiyomizu-dera temple property extends over a large section of the hillside There are a few bright orange structures at the start, then a large temple building Nearby, we found a place to pay the entrance fee.

There are a number of viewpoints that look over the forest that generally sits below the temple structures. At the Fall foliage peak, there will be lots of maple trees with bright orange foliage. Alas, we’re probably a week too late The leaves are now a dull dark red color A few trees, here and there, are still showing peak coloration, but the general appearance is quite faded from what we expected to see. That’s OK. We found a few good view points and took a lot of photos. It’s good to visit this place even though it is very, very crowded

We’ve timed our activities so that we’ll get to our tofu lunch before a line develops This restaurant is popular and it’s difficult to make reservations Things work as planned Nobody else is in line when we arrive. It isn’t long before a half dozen other people wait for the restaurant opening along with us Promptly at 11:00 AM, a staff person starts letting people inside We go in Service is very prompt We’re having the primary set menu That seems like the choice for everyone, too. The meal consisted of nine items. Each tofu with the exception of one that was both tofu and rice The taste, texture and style varied between each of the items All were great. This meal shows the flexibility of using this one main ingredient. We’re really happy that we chose this place for our lunch.

The subway station is down the hill by the river. The Fushimi Inari Shrine is our next destination. As expected this is a crowded place There are shops lining the few blocks that lead from the train station to the shrine The street is soon packed with people It’s not unexpected as this is a weekend day and people are out enjoying the Fall colors. Vendors are offering lots of tempting foods We pass them by as we’ve just eaten Perhaps we’ll stop on the way back

The shrine buildings are painted bright orange. That’s standard for Shinto shrines like this one. Quite a few people are following their religious practices here We skirt the building and head to the entrance steps leading up to the path up the mountain. This is where the walkway runs under hundreds of torii. These orange structures stand adjacent to each other and form a bright orange tunnel Up we go along with a lot of other people

Each torii has been sponsored by a family or organization Heading uphill, you don’t see the writing that identifies the torri’s benefactor The names are only seen when you come back down the hill. This is a very photogenic place. We snap a lot (!) of photos as we walk.

There are a few places where you can leave the uphill trail and head back down That’s what we did on a previous visit as we had a limited time for this activity. Today, we have plenty of time so we decided to go all the way to the top of Mt Inari This is more than a 45 minute hike

The trail mostly consists of steps. For the most part, you walk through torii. There are a number of commercial establishments arranged along the trail You can stop for refreshments These vendors also sell items for the religious aspects of the shrine. There are many family shrines along the route These are generally clustered near the stores People buy candles, for example, and light these at a family’s shrine

We push ourselves up the hill This is a big climb Local people who are used to bounding up the subway stairs pass by us They’re in good shape Not so much for us

Eventually, we make it all the way to the top Then it’s time to head down That goes faster, of course This has been a great experience The signs beside the trail have given us interesting snippets of the history of this place. It’s staggering to realize that it dates back some 1,300 years Japan has maintained some of its ancient history, often in the form of religious sites, for a very long time.

There was a “Korean waffle” shop near the train station Waffles are special so we decided to get one. We are, after our arduous hike, short on energy. The waffle is quite thin and folded in half Inside, they put whipped cream and some fruit In our case, we got some pieces of mango This is difficult to eat without getting messy It tasted good

We’re ready to head back to the hotel The train gets us fairly close and we’re left with about a 15 minute walk. By the time we’re in our room, we’re pretty exhausted.

Dinner tonight is going to be pizza Partly, it’s because there is a restaurant not too far from our hotel. We’re not up to walking too much today. Italian food will also be a change from what we’ve been eating

The restaurant has a dozen or so tables. It’s about half full. We ordered the appetizer plate and a pizza along with a bottle of wine The food comes quickly It’s very good The pizza, in particular, has a very thin crust The toppings (tomato sauce and hamburger) are very tasty It’s simple. It just works for us.

Dinner was great. Now it’s time to get back to the hotel as we need to wash some clothes. This is the midway point of our trip and, since we travel very light, our clothes need refreshing. The hotel has some convenient washers and dryers We get the job done

Now it’s time to quit for the day We walked somewhere between 22 and 25 K steps The big thing was climbing 76 stories While we feel the accomplishment of doing this, we’re likely to be a bit sore over the next few days.

December 3rd - Sunday

The mornings are much the same as we start with some coffee and, if we have it, some tomato juice We’ve got the juice for this morning so that’s going to carry us until we can get a proper breakfast.

Today’s general plan is to do a day-trip out of Kyoto to a neighboring city. Our destination is Uji, a historic area that’s less than an hour away There are several trains that go to Uji We decided to take the JR Line That means we’re going to transit in Kyoto Station Part of our logic is that there are lots of places to eat in Kyoto’s main terminal.

We wandered a bit in Kyoto Station We’re looking for a Starbucks Coffee Shop as we need to buy more Via, the “instant” coffee developed by this chain. Up and down floors and along corridors All the while we check Google Maps for directions It’s a bit confusing Eventually, we found the right place Why not have breakfast here? That’s an easy choice We grab a couple of egg and veggie wraps and have these with a large coffee. This is a substantial meal and it should hold us for quite a while

Getting to the proper platform requires that we pay attention to the overhead sign It’s good practice for our Tuesday trip when we go back to Tokyo Now we’re focused on getting to Uji We get to the platform and a train is waiting with doors open. We dash in. No need to rush as the train remains in the station for about five minutes before heading out

This trip is above ground so we can see the character of Kyoto’s “suburbs” as we go along the track This region is densely populated Most of the houses are two or three story structions packed closely together. There are large apartment buildings here and there. Not a lot of open space. As we’ve seen in other places, the people live on the flat lands and the hills remain covered with vegetation

The train arrives at the Uji station and almost everyone gets off This is a popular place for people to visit and this is a peak time to come here We walked across the town for about ten minutes. It’s then apparent that we’re near our destination as there are lots of food and omyagi stores The crowd is denser, too

The main attraction here is the Byodoin Temple. It is situated along the Uji River. Rather than going directly to the temple, we walked along the river and entered at the other end of the temple grounds. This lets us avoid standing in a very long time to buy entry tickets. Instead, we got a quick entry Our route first takes us by the site’s museum, a very modern building at the corner of the property We’ll go into the museum later Now we need to scope out the grounds

There are several small buildings that we examine The flowers grab our attention Some of these are chrysanthemums They make elegant floristic statements that go with the overall tenor of the location.

The main building was constructed in 1053. It is called Phoenix Hall. There is a large Buddha statue inside along with a number of ancient carvings and painted scenes It’s all very elegant We didn’t go into this building (there is an extra fee and a long line). Instead, we got to see many of the items and an explanatory video on our visit to the museum. What we were able to do was walk around the pond that surrounds Phoenix Hall and take photos framed with colorful maple trees.

The museum has a small but very important collection of ancient artifacts We were impressed with the quality of the presentation. Not all the signs had English versions of the text. Nonetheless, we understood and enjoyed what we were seeing The wood carvings of the Buddhas riding on clouds are a marvel of delicate craftsmanship The fact that the temple decorations have lasted so long is amazing.

The grounds here have given us some very good views of Fall foliage. The maple trees are not at their peak But the overall views, especially during the periods when there was a blue sky, are some of the best we’ve had on this trip

We’re well beyond midday at this point It’s time to eat something We saw a promising restaurant when we approached the temple We return there and find only a short line of people waiting for entry. A waiting line is a good sign. We joined the queue and after a short period got inside and seated

We had some idea of what we wanted to order as we examined the display models outside. We now try to match these visual images up with the menu There are pictures that help in the process. We’re ready when the waitress returns to take our order.

Matcha is a kind of green tea made from dried and ground Camelia leaves It’s a bit different from regular green tea as the plants are covered for a few days before harvesting. This is supposed to increase the chlorophyll content (and, perhaps, the anti-oxidants) of the leaves This process also enhances the green color Matcha is a local specialty The process was brought to Japan from China by Buddhist monks. For a time, this was reserved for the religious and noble classes The tea ceremony is derived from the use of this tea Later, the general public was able to enjoy this beverage. Now, matcha is used not just for tea. The tea powder is added to many things including noodles and ice cream.

Our lunch provided us a way to taste a matcha-enhanced dish. One of the things we each got with our order was a bowl of matcha noodles in a light broth We both got tempura that included shrimp, several vegetables and mushrooms Nancy’s lunch included unagi (eel), rice and some small condiments while Kim’s order had a bowl of sashimi on rice. This was a very good lunch. Each dish was well prepared and the combination of foods worked well

The Uji river is quite large. A big bridge spans the flow. The original span dates back some 1300 years That makes it one of the oldest bridges in Japan We took some photos Then we walked

over a small pedestrian bridge to an island in the river This location gives us a good view of the mountainside on the other bank of the river. It’s here that we’ll find a few other significant temples

Another pedestrian bridge crosses the remainder of the river. Nearby, a short path leads up to a pair of temples We walk up A sign notes that one of the temples was moved We examine them from the outside. There is a small service being held in one of them. Just a family of four people and a priest Even though these buildings are very old, historic relics, they are still used and provide a continuing spiritual role in the lives of the people who live here This is a reminder that we always need to be aware of the protocols that must be followed when we visit.

There is a river-side road that we follow upstream A branch river flows into the Uji river It’s a huge addition of water that spills over a slight dam and roils as the two watercourse meet. We’re somewhat transfixed by the sight of this confluence It’s really quite a rare thing for us to see

We move on

Our next visit is to Koshoji, the first Zen temple in Japan. This is the first of what has become some 14 thousand Zen temples of the Soto sect Koshoji was founded in 1233 Like a lot of famous temples, this one was moved from its original location to where it is today

We reach the temple by walking up a long, sloped driveway This is a tree tunnel with maple trees forming an arching canopy over the street. The leaves are colorful especially when there is direct sunlight shining on them. The blue sky gives great contrast to the orange, gold and red leaves

The temple itself is surrounded by gardens The grounds are very accessible and we’re enjoying the views as we walk around

At one side of the temple grounds there is a sign that explains that the temple staff take special care of some tea plants This helps ensure the continuity of this variety This is just another sign that these historical locations continue to serve modern functions.

We were quite taken by our visit to the cemetery that sits on the hill behind and above the temple buildings.

The walk back down the hill showed us, again, the beauty of the maple leaves as they were illuminated by the sun It’s getting late in the afternoon and we’re facing a sun that’s low in the western sky This is close to the golden hour

We head back down the river There are some large birds at the edge of the swiftly flowing water They look like egrets or cranes They are quite active as they look for fish We get a few of them flying. There’s also a black-crowned night heron standing stiffly on a rock. One cormorant pops up now and then as it fishes underwater

It’s a nice walk down the street. This gives us a chance to see a few very elegant houses that have views of the river The views of some of these are nicely framed with maple trees

Recognizing that this is the center of matcha culture, we’ve missed an opportunity to have two of the matcha specialties: matcha tea and matcha ice cream We’re on the lookout for a place to stop to make up for this deficiency.

We pause at a shop (Uji Biyori) and as we’re reading the sign out front describing what they offer, the proprietress opens the door and asks what we’re looking for. “Do you want something to drink,” she asks in English Well, sure We pass through the restaurant and soon we’re seated outside with a view of the river We order both matcha tea and ice cream The matcha ice cream is very light and it sits on a bed of something like rice krispies. It’s a very nice combination of smooth and crunchy Nancy’s dish has some azuki beans and mochi balls The tea is very good, too. We’re happy to get these two remaining specialties.

The proprietress told us earlier that her husband was going to come out and play the harmonica. We’re almost done when he does, indeed, come out with a harmonica in hand. He asks where we’re from We tell him “Hawaii, USA,” he says “Do you know XX?” Of course So he plays it for us He is very, very good It’s an exceptional performance What a nice added treat.

It is just a short walk to the train station. We’re taking a different line. This involves two train transfers. Before long we’re walking across the river and heading back to our hotel.

We’ve eaten a lot of food today. We’ll just have a light, in the room dinner. This involves a quick stop at the 7-eleven Tonight’s fare is an apple (from yesterday), potato chips, a few nuts and red wine Simple Easy Just what we needed

The day seemed a lot easier than yesterday We walked between 15 and 18 K steps and climbed 36 stories Maybe it wasn’t such an easy day after all

Going to Uji turned out to be a really good idea We avoided the over-crowded tourist areas, saw some important cultural areas, and got some interesting views of the Fall foliage.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Kyoto We need to get some sleep so we’re ready to wind up our great stay in this wonderful area.

December 4th - Monday

There’s one major concentration of temples that’s yet to visit on this trip It’s way over in Arashiyama. We’ve been there before and enjoyed some of the places. It’s just that there are a few sights that are big tourist magnets It may be hard to avoid crowds today

We bought some VIA at Starbucks yesterday. That gives us good coffee in the room. We have our usual tomato juice, too Then we’re off to the Open Coffee Shop Our plan is to have a fairly big breakfast and then skip lunch. Dinner tonight promises to be large, so we don’t want to over eat during the day

Both of our breakfasts are the same: egg omelet, toast with some bacon, and a small salad. Coffee, as well

It’s just a one-hop subway ride to Kyoto Terminal. We wind our way through the people who are going every which way Finally, we’re at the proper platform for our trip across town This is a local line so the train stops at every station. We’re glad to disembark.

The nearest attraction is a path through a bamboo forest We head in the right direction, along with a lot of other people. This is one of the congestion points. It’s not a problem as everyone is being respectful and the mass of people keeps moving The view of the huge bamboo shoots is always impressive The light is good so we take a bunch of photos The Tenryu-ji temple comes next. We remember the layout of the grounds from a previous visit. This, too, is one of the super popular places We skirt the crowds a bit by walking on a path that goes around the periphery of the garden. Unfortunately, the maple trees are a week or two beyond their peak coloration. Leaves have become dark red or brown. Sunlight doesn’t shine through It’s OK We didn’t expect every place to be perfect

Spending a bit of time viewing the temple’s large pond gives us a refreshing break There’s a restaurant here that’s gotten rave reviews from Myra (who was here just a few weeks ago) Our schedule is too filled to work this in. Perhaps next time.

The route to the exit takes us by a large zen garden that’s mostly very long rows of carefully raked white stones. Such simplicity.

Our walk takes us to some small temples. Many look interesting. But we don’t have time to explore them. Another thing to put on the list for our next trip here. We return through the bamboo grove and then onto the path through the even larger bamboo forest It is a very popular attraction in this area for a good reason. It is quite spectacular.

The narrow roads in this area go through residential areas There are occasional farms and restaurants. Colorful maple trees located here and there encourage us. After a short walk we reached our destination: a little, out of the way temple

Jojakko-ji temple is new for us. There is a good video on YouTube showing what it looks like. That was enough for us to make it a high-priority destination Right from the start we know this

place will be special There are a lot of colorful maple trees in the garden The walkways and building structures are also attractions in their own right.

An entrance gate sits just beyond the ticket sales building. This is the first of many photo magnets. A sign (basically) says “No photos until after the gate” but this is widely ignored.

A long, steep flight of stairs leads up to a landing on which the main temple sits. The abundance of maple trees at or near their peak color provides many photographic sight lines Many photographers with “big gear” have found this place and they are making good use of the opportunities to compose interesting shots.

A trail leads up higher on the hill Branch trails provide different views of the garden As elsewhere, there are lots of great sights. Another key building, the pagoda, is up here. It’s another photo magnet

We head even higher up the mountain Now we can see Kyoto

Descending toward the exit continues to give us new sights. One in particular, caught our attention It was a small side trail that led to some ancient tombstones It’s a very peaceful place that’s surrounded by interesting plants

We finally needed to leave This was a great place to visit

The route leads back through residential streets. These are familiar as we’ve been here before. We even found a restaurant we ate at a few years ago It takes about 20 minutes to get to the train station. Our Suica cards need some funds added. This station is a good place to get that done The wait on the train platform is short This time we get a semi-express train that zips us back to Kyoto Station

A bit of familiarity helps us get through the maze of corridors in Kyoto Station Our subway ride takes us one stop It’s just a few steps to our hotel

The dinner reservation is for 5:00 PM After a short break, we dress up and head out to catch a train that will take us to the Middle restaurant. The trip lasts just a bit more than half an hour. We arrive on time.

The restaurant is in a two story building. We enter the front door. Nobody is there so we walk up the stairs This is the right place We get a warm greeting and are shown to our table

We’re in a fairly large room. On one side there’s a full size window that looks out toward the river It’s an elegant, minimalist room A divider wall separates the area into a large room and a smaller one

There are only two small tables in the larger room There is space for many more, but it is soon apparent that this is enough as there are just two couples eating here. (Later, another couple came and they sat at a long table in the smaller room )

The service is quite amazing. Three staff members are very attentive to every detail. They are able to converse with us in English, at least enough that we’re never out of touch with what’s happening.

There is no menu We’ll get what the chef creates, mostly using fresh vegetables and seafood

Our one choice is what we’ll drink This is a bit ambiguous when we choose red wine and we’re presented with three opened bottles of French wine There is the “bottle or glass” option, but without knowing the price, this seems a bit risky. We each selected the “glass” option for the Haut Bally II (a good Bordeaux winery) They pour small servings into elegant glasses We’re off to a good start.

This is a highly specialized restaurant for Japanese food The food comes in small portions There are many dishes. Each comes with a description of the ingredients. There’s a small language barrier here but that’s not important We’re here to trust the chef’s skill in both design and preparation

We’re enjoying the sequence of morsels, for the most part The local lobster is undercooked by our standards. A few dishes are, perhaps, a bit too salty. Overall, this is successful. We get a view of modern, high-end cuisine.

Eating at Middle is not a quick affair. Our meal extends a full three hours. It’s a nice way to spend the evening We’re not rushed The ambiance is calm and relaxing

The cost of the meal is about what you’d expect. It’s not unreasonable.

The service extends all the way to our departure A staff member guides us down the stairs and out the door. The chef comes, too, and they both thank us and bid us a good evening.

The train ride back to the hotel is just six stops. At this hour we see more “characters” riding the subway.

We’re glad to be back at the hotel. We’re tired as we walked between 18 and 20 K steps and climbed 30 stories Our tummies are full, too

This has been a great last full day in Kyoto.

December 5th - Tuesday

It’s our travel day We’ve got a midday Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo

The weather is a tiny bit warmer today. There is a full cloud layer and the radar shows serious rain just to the south We’re not dressing with full underlayers as we’ll be indoors most of the time.

It doesn’t take us long to pack our gear Our luggage stays in the room while we go out for breakfast. Today it will be different. There’s a vending-machine restaurant nearby. They advertise breakfast selections so we’ll see how that works

Nancy gets a more traditional breakfast with salmon. Kim goes for the egg and sausage. Both our meals come with miso soup and a bowl of rice The service is simple and fast This is an alternative that we’ll remember for those times when we’re in a hurry

Now it’s time to check out of our hotel and head to Kyoto Station We’re again aware of the convenience of our location as it’s just a short walk and one-stop ride to our destination.

Kyoto Station is a busy place Like all the big terminals, there is a basement floor filled with shops and restaurants. We’ve got time to kill so we head down there and walk around. We’re lucky to find some seats so we have a place to relax as we wait for our departure time

Getting some food for our trip is the next task. We hunt around and settle on some cutlet sandwiches and meat skewers Before boarding our train, Nancy gets bottles of tea and coffee to go with our meal.

The Shinkansen ride is smooth and fast It takes a little more than two hours to get to Tokyo Station.

We’re not quite sure how to get from one side of the massive (and busy) terminal to the other side where we’ll get our subway ride. Walking around doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. We check a map There is only one area where it looks like you can cross the station We head in the right direction and finally see a sign that indicates we’re on the correct path It’s a long walk There are many people doing the same thing so it’s surprising that there is just one place you can do the crossing

Following more signs gets us to the subway station Then it’s just four stops to the area near our hotel We emerge onto the street, turn to the right and walk along a familiar stretch This will be our third stay at the Mimaru Hotel.

It’s good to get settled into a hotel room that’s so familiar We’ve got an end unit (601) that gives us a view of the main street that fronts the hotel.

We take a short nap and then dress for dinner. It’s time to wander the neighborhood and look for a place to eat We head down the street and turn onto a side street that looks promising There are, indeed, some interesting places. We’ve got “Italian” in our head as a likely cuisine. We stumble onto a small place that looks just right. We can see inside and there are no diners there Just the chef It seems OK so we go inside

Salto Tappo is quite elegant inside A large kitchen is at the rear Large wine coolers are on one side along with cabinets holding a wide variety of wine glasses We get seated and look over the menu. A bottle of Chianti Classico starts the order. Then we select olives (to eat with the wine), salads (green and Caesar) The main dishes are based on Penne and Linguine pasta

This is a one-employee establishment. The chef does everything. The service is very good and the food is superb Each dish is perfect The wine is excellent, too

We’re a bit anxious that we’re the only people dining here It is a small place with just six seats at tables and five places at the counter facing the kitchen Finally, a man comes in and sits at the counter. He seems to know the chef. He eats and leaves. Then a couple comes in. They sit near us

After a bit, we strike up a conversation with these other diners. He is British/Australian and she is Japanese, raised in California They have lived in a lot of different places Both are lawyers We had a great time talking with them. The wine flows (and flows). We didn’t leave until nearly midnight! Whew! We had a good time, but really stayed out too long and drank too much. We’re really ready for a good long sleep We’re not in a rush to do things in Tokyo as we’ve planned this part of the trip to be unscheduled activities.

December 6th - Wednesday

A brief shower dampened Tokyo overnight. The weather has cleared by the time we’re up. This should be a fairly lazy day so we’re not in a rush There are a few maintenance tasks, such as a load of laundry, and these keep us tied to the hotel for most of the morning

By 11:30 AM we’re getting hungry so we head out to a familiar coffee shop: Precious Moments Coffee. We’re too late for the breakfast menu so we each have one of the lunch sets. These are sandwiches (club and BLT with egg and cheese) and a small salad Coffee, of course This is a pretty good meal We’re feeling better now

The next stop is to pick up a few things at the 7-eleven Tomato juice for our morning start-up juice A small box of wine, some nuts and a few other basic necessities They go back to the hotel room with us. We’re still tired. This has been a go-go trip and we were out late last night. Time for a short nap with no guilt

By mid-afternoon, we’re ready to go to Midtown. This is a shopping area not far from our hotel. We’re very familiar with this place as we’ve gone there on each of our recent visits to Tokyo There are interesting shops in this up-scale mall. We’ve always found something clever to buy. There is a Muji store here, too. They have useful things and interesting foods. Perhaps most relevant is that this venue offers a quiet, unhurried experience We like to wander by the stores on the different levels and peek into a few places that have interesting things.

Today’s purchases were only at Muji A couple of small bags to hold travel gear and a half-dozen interesting things to eat. We found potential items to buy a few other places but we’re putting off those purchases until we do more comparison shopping We’ve got time on our side

One of the things that got our attention is an apple from Aomori. This is in one of the specialty fruit stores where each item is perfect in all regards The prices reflect this exclusivity We would have gotten the apple, as Myra said this was the best variety she’s ever eaten. But there were too many people shopping We’ll get one on another visit

At 5:30 PM we decided it was time to eat dinner. We’re hungry and there are quite a few good choices of places to try We narrowed the list to hamburgers and udon The noodles won out A small shop in the mall had seats so we didn’t have to wait The two choices were beef udon with a tempura shrimp and the udon set which includes a bowl of rice and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) Both of these were very filling Basic good food

The walk to the hotel included a loop through a special display area adjacent to the mall. There are trees here that are lit with led lights Music plays through speakers throughout the garden There are fountains shooting water up in bubbly pillars.

Some of the trees are maples and you can see the colorful leaves One notable tree is a large gingko. This is a photo magnet and the yellow leaves look to be at their peak Fall foliage display.

We walk on enjoying the nighttime sight The path stops at the ice skating rink This is an annual attraction put in place for a few months.

As we head out, several other visual treats grab our attention. One is a chrome sculpture that’s reflecting lots of the nearby lights. It sparkles. Then we see a row of very large ginkgo trees. These, too, have lights wrapped on their trunks and branches They are located at the rear of the garden and form a backdrop rather than a center of attention. We’re up close to them as our path to the hotel runs this way We’re solitary admirers of these magnificent trees

It’s just a short walk to the hotel. We pass by a building that has a sign up on about the 3rd floor windows: Cat Hotel (only cats) Amazing

It’s early enough that we can do some photo editing and catch up with a bit of correspondence.

This has been a good day Quite different Just what we needed at this time in our trip

December 7th - Thursday

The weather is getting warmer. Today’s high should be about 60 F. That means fewer layers of clothing We don’t have rain in the forecast either It should be comfortable as we go out and about the town

We’re anxious to try a different place to eat breakfast There is a New Zealand Coffee Shop nearby Examining it more closely, it doesn’t look like they have much of a selection for food We move on. There are a lot of businesses and government offices in this area. There must be breakfast places We wandered around a nearby mall No luck Our decision: let’s take the subway to Ueno and look for something there

The characteristic of Ueno for us is the huge park We’d wanted to go here to look at the Fall foliage. Before heading in, we’re still in need of some breakfast. There is a sign on a building that’s advertising Hoshino Coffee Shop and it features drip coffee It’s on the second floor We take the elevator up This is a cozy place Decorations lean toward “French ” We order pretty substantial meals. One is a mound of rice covered with an omelet-like egg with gravy and tender pieces of beef The other is mushrooms with hamburger meat over rice along with a small salad and a tasty sweet cake The coffee was very good, too This was a good choice for both the location and the food.

Now that we’re well fed, we head to the park.

There is a large pond at one end of Ueno Park It’s filled with lotus plants We’ve seen this many times but never when the plants are green and with flowers. Today is no different. Dead leaves are not very attractive We accept that this is a normal part of the plant’s life cycle

There are some good displays of gingko trees. Yellow leaves are falling.

We head to the Zoo entrance We’ve never been here It’s not expensive (for seniors; Y300 each). The first thing that strikes us are the cormorants flying around. These birds are nesting on an island in the pond Some zoom by us carrying nest materials We struggle to get good photos.

Next up are displays of penguins and flamingos We poke around a bit more as we search for the shoebill, a large African bird with a huge bill. Soon we’re at this bird’s cage. This interesting bird can only be seen through a window and then a door It’s standing very still with its back in our direction, occasionally turning its head toward us This is not a great opportunity for a photo But we try.

We move on There is a nearby panda exhibit It’s not too crowded so we pause for a while watching a panda eat some bamboo.

Our next goal is the bird house. We found it but it’s closed in order to prevent the spread of avian disease. A few miscellaneous exhibits come next. Finally we see some Andean Condors, a few hawks and eagles and then some Snowy Owls These birds gave us some photo opportunities but, as is necessary, there was always a mesh fence between us and the birds.

That wrapped up our zoo visit The next goal was to re-visit the cemetery where some of the famous rulers have their memorial sites. It’s not a long walk. We’re guided by Google Maps.

This is a huge cemetery We wander and eventually find the location of the Tokugawa Yokenobu family plot. Unfortunately, it’s being renovated or repaired and was closed. We’ve seen it before, so that’s not a problem We move on

The “cat street” is nearby It’s a fun place to walk There are a number of gift shops selling cat-related items Of particular interest is a place we discovered on a previous trip: a man that sharpens knives. He’s still got a shop here although his workroom has moved downstairs. We admire his skill at getting just the right edge on fine blades

This wraps up our visit to this area and we need to head back to our hotel. There’s a nearby subway station that takes us directly back to our Akasaka station

We’ve got time to relax as our dinner reservation isn’t until 7:45 PM.

Tonight’s dinner is another special meal so we dress up a bit. Getting to the Fukuzushi Restaurant involves a walk to Roppongi, just 10 minutes or so away from our hotel Then we hunt the neighborhood, again with the help of Google Maps We finally found the right place It isn’t too obvious so we did a bit of double checking on an entrance sign using Google Translate. How would we do navigation without these services?

We’re seated at the bar. We can watch the chef prepare food from our seats. There are just eight seats and we’re the only people here We can hear voices from another room so there are a few other customers. But not many.

The chef’s wife speaks English That helps as we get started We’ve ordered a meal where the chef decides on the dishes. It’s another night where there’s no menu. We choose a saki brand and a small pitcher is filled We use this container to pour the saki into our glasses

This is a sushi meal. Our food comes primarily as small bites. We watched many of these being prepared It’s an art Only the best ingredients were used The result was a series of “that’s the best I’ve ever had,” moments Indeed, each item was just right in every respect

The meal was not rushed We were able to share a somewhat fractured banter with the chef We found out that he’s fourth generation as a sushi chef.

Nine dishes filled us up.

We enjoyed the walk back to the hotel Tokyo Tower was spotted through the forest of Mori building.

Today’s been a bit different Less structure in the daytime Highlighted with one of the best meals we’ve ever had.

December 8th - Friday

We both got up a bit late. Neither of us is feeling prime. Tummy upset? Kim ventures out to find some Pepto Bismol No luck at either the 7-eleven or Lawsons Fortunately, there’s a pharmacy very close by. Unfortunately, all the boxes have labels in Japanese. A bit of a web search and the help of a friendly stock guy narrowed the search to one particular brand We’ll see if a few of these pills help

We decided that today’s good weather means our priority should be outdoor activities Tokyo has a number of very large parks We target Yoyogi Park in Harajuku

There is a Starbucks Coffee Shop near our Akasaka subway station We visited it on a prior trip and know that the simple food and good coffee will be just right for how we’re feeling today. It’s true: Nancy has a veggie-wrap and a mango drink and Kim sticks with black coffee and a donut. Easy Fast

There is a Harry Potter store next to Starbucks It’s small but fun to browse We’re not sure how the Harry Potter craze has lasted so long

The Chiyoda Line runs from the Akasaka station right to Yoyogi Park That’s convenient Once outside, we head to the Park’s West Gate There are paths that lead all over A lot of small kids are here. They group in long lines and walk together, most of the time. They seem to require very little supervision It’s healthy for these youngsters to be outside and getting exercise in the fresh air.

Our walk exposes us to a few trees that retain their Fall colors The sky is blue and the sun shines through the red leaves, enhancing the visual effect of contrasting colors. We often stop to snap a photo Don’t we have enough pictures of red leaves? Apparently not

There are a few small encampments of homeless people. They’ve set up large tents. This doesn’t appear to be temporary

There is a big statue located just off the path that commemorates the start of aviation in Japan. It was from a flight here that Japan Airlines began Two busts single out individuals who, it seems, were critical in this development. We’re at a place where not all the signs have English translations. We’re using Google Translate, of course, but for a few signs, we’ll wait until we process the photos before we know what we were seeing

Another characteristic of this part is the number, and quality, of the restrooms You’re never far from a place to get relief The walkways are broad so that a crowd of people won’t restrict walking. Today, there aren’t many people here. But on holidays and during peak floral events, this is likely to be a very popular place

Our walk gets us to a dog park. It’s actually divided into two halves. One is for small animals and the other for medium to large pets The leashes are off The dogs are chasing each other It’s good to see happy dogs doing one of the things they like to do.

While observing the dogs, we’re approached by a single woman She starts talking to us in broken English. She asks about us. It seems like she’s practicing her language skills. She’s very nice but a little persistent Finally, she asks if we have 30 seconds It’s time for a brief meditation After that, she pulls out a piece of paper and we get information, in English, where we can send her a text if we feel this exercise has helped us.

What is it with the “30 second” ladies? And how did we get trapped again? We must improve our search image so we can avoid these “events” in the future. They seem quite harmless, but our skeptical-hunting antennae are tingling

The next stop is by the bird park This area is being rehabilitated to increase biodiversity The result is that we can’t go in It’s OK They want the leaves to pile up so the habitat is better for the soil and decomposer critters. That will provide more food for the birds.

There are birds here Mostly crows And in our location, we’re seeing (and hearing) a lot of them.

A field covered in yellow ginkgo leaves catches our attention. There is a small forest of trees and they are dropping their leaves. It’s a pretty sight. Quite a few people have been attracted to this photogenic area

We’ve done a pretty big loop around the park Now it’s time to look for the Meiji Jingu Shrine We know that it’s next to Yoyogi Park The walk to the shrine entrance was quite short When we arrived, we were faced with a question: eat now or after visiting the shrine. The “now” alternative won and we headed to the nearby sandwich shop We got a pair of sandwiches, one the simple egg salad and the other a bit more complex with ham, tomato and lettuce It was good to sit and relax. We’re both still not feeling up to par. Taking it easy is a good idea.

The walk to the shrine begins by going under a huge torii The path is very wide and it continues ahead, covered by a full canopy of tall trees. It’s a beautiful and tranquil spot. We walk on, and on

There is a museum off to the side. Unfortunately, it’s closed while they change the exhibit materials

On the other side, there’s a garden You pay an entrance fee (Y500 each) That’s perfect for how we’re feeling This route has few people There are a lot of great views including water features. We even spot a sleepy black-crowned night heron in a pine tree.

This is a seasonal garden It features iris and camella Neither is in flower at the moment We’re enjoying being here, nonetheless.

Finally, we decided to head back to the hotel. We’ll visit the shrine another time. We’re just not up to being out much longer today What Kim thought was a short-cut back to the subway station turns out to be a long walk We’re relieved to finally get a train to Akasaka

There is a take-out place, Kitchen ORIGIN, that’s on the way back to the hotel We stop and get some things for dinner Kim goes across the street to the 7-eleven and buys a box of red wine In the hotel, we’re able to settle in for the rest of the day.

The next order of business is a two hour nap. Then we’re up at 6:00 PM and ready for our in-room meal. Even the Japanese take-out seems a cut above what we get elsewhere. We’re biased, of course But we did have a nice meal tonight

Then it’s time to turn in We need to be up at 2:00 AM for a video conference of RW’s memorial service Most people will be in Oregon attending in person

December 8th - Saturday

We were glad that we could be “present” at RW’s memorial service We had to be up and dressed by 2:00 AM. There was a Zoom link that put our image on the screen at the Quaker Meeting House in Eugene, Oregon The service lasted about an hour It was a fine tribute to Valerie’s dad.

Our “normal” wake-up came hours later This time we both remarked that we’re feeling good That’s a change from yesterday when we were both a bit out of tune.

The usual in-room coffee and tomato juice got us started Then we went off to Precious Moments Coffee. We’d been there before on this trip. That time we were too late for their breakfast menu Today, we’re in time to eat a good Japanese-style meal We both ordered the

set menu item consisting of egg, bacon, toast and salad A large cup of coffee, too This is a “comfortable” choice as the amount is about right and the preparation makes each of the foods a delectable bite We like coming to this establishment as it is a convenient location and the ambiance is just what we need at this morning hour.

It’s a short trip to a train station near the Meiji Jingu Shrine Yesterday’s visit was cut short This shrine is a major historical venue in Japan. We really need to see it properly.

The walk up to the shrine is on a very wide path There are a lot of people here but we’re spread out so it doesn’t seem crowded. Large stacks of saki barrels are on the side of the walkway. These are provided (annually?) as thanks to the emperor Across the way stand barrels of French wine These provide a link between the two countries It’s an interesting contrast based on a similar theme. The saki barrels are very colorful while the wine resides in more somber wooden casks

The shrine buildings are interesting but not too imposing The focus is at the shrine where people can offer a short prayer Nearby, the faithful can send written personal messages Other places sell memorial tokens. It’s a busy place. There’s a lot going on.

We left by a side path We got what we wanted out of this visit

The Harajuku neighborhood is a very popular shopping district This is a weekend day with good (read: great!) weather. There are a lot of people on the street. We begin to navigate by just going with the flow of pedestrians.

An Ikea store gets our attention. These are popular retail outlets. We’ve never been in one. It’s filled with lots of innovative and useful home items They’re interesting to see but completely impractical to buy This realization cuts our visit short It was a good stop, however

We did a quick look-see at the Allbirds store It was on our “should visit” list We didn’t expect to find an outlet here It’s useful as we can confirm the styles of shoes they offer There’s no need to buy anything.

We do have a specific objective. It’s Takeshita Street. As expected, it’s filled with people. These crowded venues are an interesting phenomenon. Tokyo is a huge city. It’s as though there are not enough interesting places for people to get outside The result is epic congestion at the few urban magnets. We see this at the intersection near the transit centers. Masses of people flowing in every direction

This is the lunch hour and virtually every place serving food is filled and has a line of people waiting for entrance Sometimes the line is long; occasionally very long We tried one place but didn’t really want to wait Instead, we decided that we’d had enough walking in this area

Rather than going back to our hotel, we got off the subway one stop short of our usual Akasaka Station. Here, we’re close to Midtown. We’ve got one small thing to buy. We head into the shopping mall and go upstairs The purchase is a very small pair of scissors It’s a perfect travel item.

Food is on our mind We’ve been through the basement food complex before Perhaps this is where we can get something to take back to our hotel. Our wandering doesn’t get us to anything that seems right How about stopping at a restaurant up a level? That’s a good idea

Le Pain Quotidien is a chain that’s found in many large cities. It’s a good choice as they offer just the sort of food that we need right now Nancy gets a ham sandwich with soup and salad Kim gets an interesting variation on a BLT that comes with potatoes We each add a glass of wine. Good quality and fast service.

Our walk back to the hotel takes us through the park that sits on one side of Midtown. We’ve seen quite a bit of this park before This is where we got a night-time display of lighted trees Now we’re on a different path and we’ve gotten to an area with streams running through dense vegetation. The waterway runs into a large pond. This is a hidden gem of a garden. How did we miss finding it? Apparently, this is the former location of the Morhi family estate

A stop at the local Natural Lawson provided us with a bottle of Malbec wine, some potato chips, a couple of egg-salad sandwiches, and more tomato juice

It’s good to be back at the hotel and away from the crowds. A short nap and we’ll figure out what to do next

Tonight, we’ll nibble what food is in our room It’s good to have a day where we’re a bit more relaxed That’s not to say we didn’t walk We logged between 15 and 18 K steps today

December 10th - Sunday

The weather is getting warmer Today’s predicted high is 65 F That’s an amazing increase from what we had early in our trip. It means that we’ll not layer our clothes. It may mean that wearing our heavy coats will result in our being too warm We’ll see as we go through the day

Today’s objectives get us focused back on why we like Japan and its culture The design of many things here is often unique and better than we find elsewhere At least that’s our bias We haven’t done a lot of shopping so far on this trip. We’ll make up for that today. Recognize that we’ve come to Japan with minimal luggage and our bags are already full, so anything we buy has to be very small

It’s Sunday and back home this means that we're going to eat waffles for breakfast Why break this tradition? We head out toward Tokyo Station as there are some places there where we’re likely to find waffles One constraint is that we prefer a sit-down restaurant rather than doing a waffle take-out.

Nancy has us honed in on a likely place It’s Sarabeth’s Tokyo Restaurant We needed to go through the maze of Tokyo Station as our subway stop was on one side and the restaurant was on the other side of this massive transit building It should be easy to cross from one side to the other but, as we’ve already learned, there’s just one path It’s not straight and you’ve got to watch for the overhead signs.

We made it outside and we walked a bit There it is, up on the second story of a building There is a short line of people waiting. That’s the case everywhere. There are a lot of people out and almost every place you can eat has a waiting line

Once seated, we can examine the menu Waffles? The closest they come is what they call “apple pieffle ” It seems that this is a waffle with apple spread, caramel sauce, banana, whipped cream, at least according to the menu. Let’s give it a try.

The breakfast specialty here seems to be eggs benedict We’ll get that, too The smoked salmon variety. Coffee, as well.

The meals are great. The egg dish is perfect in both appearance and taste. It’s two eggs balanced on English muffins. There’s a salad along with this.

The pieffle is an actual waffle with the toppings listed on the menu. The whipped cream and caramel sauce come separately so you can add them to match your taste Slathering them onto the waffle seems best

The coffee is rich and strong Just what we like

This is a great breakfast. We take our time. This will fill us up so we’ll have energy for the rest of today’s activities

There is a Labi electronics store across the street. That’s our next stop as there are a few things that we’d like which might be here The camera section has the usual display of gear We wander the camera bags area. Getting just the right bag has been elusive. We’re looking for something that is small but large enough to hold one camera with a large lens It shouldn’t scream “I’m a camera bag ” We stumbled onto a candidate On inspection, it seems to meet our needs and, fortunately, it’s not very expensive. Purchased.

Heading out, we walk a few blocks and come across a Mitsukoshi Department Store These are really high-end establishments. There are sections with the top designers. We head to the food section as these sorts of stores are amazing places to buy both foods to be prepared and

dishes that are ready to eat We’re glad that we just finished a big meal as there are so many good options of things to buy. There is a level of perfection in take-out foods and we’re seeing example after example We’re not alone here, of course The place is packed We notice that the customers are, for the most part, middle-age or senior citizens. They've got the money to shop here.

We walk on. We’re headed in the general direction of the Itoya Stationery Store. We get to an intersection that’s familiar It is one of the crossings we see on the Japan Live video feed This is one of those major intersections where huge crowds cross the street, all at the same time We get to cross, too, adding ourselves to this periodic surge event.

Just a short distance further there is a building that’s distinctive for the vegetation growing on the lower floors. This is one of the “take a photo” places. Then we noticed that Mont-bell is located in this building That’s one of our shopping goals It’s an accidental find

Mont-bell has a distinctive line of very well-designed outdoor gear We’ve gotten vests here on a previous trip Now we have time to do a slow browse to see if there are other things we can get that might be useful. In the end, we did buy just one thing: a very compact shopping bag.

We’re at a decision point Do we want to go to Itoya or can we skip it and head to Koishikawa Korakuen Garden? The garden wins out and we begin the walk. On the way, we stopped by a drug store and got some contact lens cleaning solution A bit farther on, we come to Tokyu Hands.

The store covers several floors of a building We take the escalator up This is a very interesting place. On this floor, they’ve got a very wide selection of stationery items. Wow! There is some much here that’s interesting We bought a few things, including another small bag to carry electronic gear and some cards Then we went up to the next floor Here they have hardware things. We found a rare battery checker. And we got another of the tiny scissors, an identical design to yesterday’s purchase

On the next higher floor, we milled around household things. Lots of neat stuff. But we don’t have the room in our bags to carry anything more

We leave Tokyu Hands with satisfaction that we’ve found another interesting place that we’re sure to visit on future trips

Tokyo Dome is our next goal It’s next to this location that we’ll find Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

The area around the Tokyo Dome (which is basically a baseball stadium) is an entertainment district When you look up, you’ll see a large ferris wheel and an immense roller coasterThere are a lot of people here. It seems like there is some event at the Dome, although there isn’t any obvious evidence indicating the purpose of the activity We’re focused on finding the garden

We walk along two very long sides of the garden before we get to the entrance. On one side, there’s a row of ginkgo trees Many are at peak yellow color The sidewalk has a thick layer of fallen leaves. It’s a sight that’s worth stopping to admire.

The garden’s entrance fee for seniors is very low (Y300 for two) We go in

There is a large pond here We’re a bit late in the season for maple trees to be at their peak Fall colaration, but there are a few trees that do stand out with bright orange and red leaves Their colors reflect in the pond. We needed to pause periodically as we walked around the pond’s periphery There are so many good spots for photos

The garden has places where you walk up paths through a dense forest. This isn’t just a flat area It’s large and complex As we wander we find informative signs Many describe historical attributes of the garden. As with most of these premiere Japanese venues, the origin is traced back to politically-important people These were exclusive enclaves in their earlier years It’s good that the public can now enjoy what was once restricted to an elite minority

The garden has several notable facets Ponds stand out

Near the end of our visit we encountered a small group of photographers. Serious cameras were all pointed at the same spot What could they be interested in? After a moment of lining up the lens directions, we spotted a small bird at the edge of a stream that runs through the garden. It looks like a type of kingfisher. Indeed, after watching it for a few minutes, we saw it dart to the river and catch a fish A web search confirms that this is the common kingfisher

The sun is getting low now We’ve been out a long time We’re ready for a break We leave the garden and walk around the side of the Tokyo Dome

There are a lot of people here What’s the event? It takes a while for us to figure out that there is a Japan Idol performance that will start soon inside this big arena

We headed to a nearby place that we spotted earlier It’s called “Tokyo & Wine ” That’s just what we need.

This is a small restaurant There are just a few customers We take a table We’re told to order with a cell phone using a QR code to bring up the menu. A bottle of Root 24 wine and a pizza is the order sent to the kitchen They bring some bread and then the wine The pizza comes soon after, served as a rectangle on a wooden platter This is more of a NY style pizza Thin Not too much for toppings. It’s just right for us.

The servings in Japan are smaller than we’re used to in the US This might help explain the observation that most Japanese appear to be quite fit. Few are overweight. Exercise helps, of

course We’re seeing that we walk a lot here and that includes going up and down lots of staircases.

Anyway, the food and drink were just right. We head out. Near the Tokyo Dome we paused for a bit. The crowd in the Dome periodically let out very loud cheers. Over and over. Something big and exciting was happening inside We could feel the energy as it escaped to the outside

It was then time to take the subway back to the hotel This required just one change of train lines

Before settling into the room, we went to the hotel’s rooftop observation deck You get a good view of part of Tokyo from this 12th floor location There’s too much light pollution to see more than a few celestial objects. It’s fun to try to identify the nearby highrise buildings.

We’ve had a great day. This helps wrap up some of our “must do” items. We did get some good exercise as we logged between 18 and 20 K steps We made good use of a day with prefect weather

December 11th - Monday

Right from the start today we’re alert to changes in the weather Today’s high is predicted to be 62 F. That’s very nice as we’ll dress even lighter. However, the concern is the rain. The radar image shows a heavy storm to the south and it’s moving slowly north, right at us The weather model shows showers likely starting late in the evening. Even so, we’ll stay aware of the conditions. What’s obvious is the cloudy sky. Gone are the nice blue skies we’ve been enjoying.

Breakfast in the room is coffee, tomato juice and nuts. Adding nuts to the usual starting ingredients will give us a bit of extra energy

We’ve been debating whether we should go to Yokohama. It’s Japan’s second largest city. That in itself should make it a strong attraction The location is also convenient as we can take a subway train with just a single transfer The entire ride should take about an hour

Our concerns include the fact that this will be our last full day without rain (we’ll have a pretty good-weather day on Wednesday, but our activities will be more limited by the travel limitations).

In the end, we decided that we should see Yokohama We got good subway connections including most of the trip on an express train. Most of this line runs above ground so we could see the city as we zipped by There is a continuous mass of houses and associated commercial activity along the entire stretch between the cities We were unaware of a passage from Tokyo to Yokohama.

Our destination station is next to the harbor Lots of tall buildings are in this area This has long been one of Japan’s commercial hubs. It looks prosperous.

We’ve been eating late breakfasts out in the town and today will not be an exception to this pattern. Queen’s Tower sits on the waterfront. There’s an indoor mall. Right near the entrance we found a place serving curry That’s just right for us Hamaya Curry is the name of the restaurant. Our choices included a beef curry that comes with chunks of slow-cooked beef in a dark broth and a chicken curry with lots of vegetables in a soy-milk-tomato broth Both had a mixture of rice and 10-grains Some salad, too A hearty meal that should help get us through the day.

We wandered out of the Queen’s Tower mall and into the next building along the waterfront; Yokohama Landmark Tower. It’s a monster of a big structure. We came here to go to the 69th floor observation floor We need to search for a while to find the elevator There’s a small fee Up we go. The room is called Sky Garden.

There weren’t too many people up in the tower when we arrived This meant that we had no trouble finding good observation points on any of the four large windows. The view from this height is spectacular We studied the seaport on one side and the complexity of the urban milieu on the other Today’s clouds obscured the distant features We’d like to have seen Mt Fuji But it was not to be.

On our way out of the Tower, we stopped at Gelato Firenze and each got a two flavor serving. The mixtures were green tea & hazelnut and chocolate & orange. Both were really good.

Outside, we walked by the Nippon Maru, a four masted sailing training ship. This is now used as a museum although it looks like it’s ready to get underway at any time Unfortunately, it’s closed on Monday Otherwise, we’d have taken a tour

Our walk continued along the waterfront There is a small island just off shore in the harbor and it’s connected with a nice walkway Our destination was the CupNoodle Museum

The museum is filled with school children We’re OK with that, especially as the kids seem to be headed to different parts of the museum. The exhibits focus mostly on the development and evolution of this convenient food. The concept has been very successful and Cup Noodle products are consumed worldwide Overall, we enjoyed seeing the displays and learning some of the key elements in the development of this product. Perhaps most interesting was a recreation of the kitchen where the first product was developed

After leaving the museum, we headed back by detouring through a large building with the name “World Porters ” We were very surprised that much of the ground floor is occupied with a “Hawaiian Town ” There are a lot of stores here that are small replicas of businesses from Hawaii. Imagine seeing a line of people waiting to buy malasada from Leonard’s. Amazing.

As we headed back to the mainland, we noticed a building (Notre Dame) that has unusually tall windows on each of three floors. What could this be? It’s a strange design. A web search shows that it is primarily a wedding site The tall rooms are separate restaurants Very elegant

Then it was time to take the train back to Tokyo. We were fortunate to get seats. That made the trip quite easy By the time we exited the subway system in Harajuku, the skies were dark

People fill the streets It’s rush hour and a weekday We need to break out of the crowd occasionally to take photos The trees are filled with LED lights There are lots and lots of bright signs on the buildings. It’s not unlike Times Square in NYC.

We’ve got a specific destination We want to buy a bag strap at a store called Topologie We found this on our previous walk through the small side streets of this shopping district. As we remembered it, this unique strap should be just what we need for the new (small) camera bag It’s worth hunting it down. Google Maps to the rescue. We find the store and make the purchase

We’ve wanted to walk the streets of Kabukicho for some time. This activity is on our “gotta do” list Tonight seems like the best time to do it Getting to Shinjuku requires another subway ride All the stations in this area are a complex maze as there are multiple lines connecting at the terminal. Google Maps helps a lot as you’re guided to the proper platform to catch a train and told the best exit when you leave the station Expect to walk blocks and climb a lot of stairs as you make use of this remarkable transit system.

The streets in the Kabukicho area are filled with places for entertainment The

We finally returned to the place that we often watch on YouTube It’s Bankara Ramen It’s a nice, small restaurant Not quite what we expected Better than we’d been able to see from the outside view. We ordered two different pork ramen along with two “monster” beers and a plate of gyoza

It was a large, satisfying dinner. It gave us a different perspective on this restaurant. We were also able to see lots of details in the nearby establishments We’ve been seeing people coming and going from various doorways. Now we know more about what they’re doing.

Time for a final subway ride back to Asakasa This involves another trip through the subway maze. Then a two-train trip followed by the short walk to the hotel.

After we’d settled in for the night, Nancy felt what she thought was an earthquake Could it be? A quick check on line to the official Japanese earthquake website only showed a tremor a day ago Nancy seemed quite sure of what she felt It was minutes later that the web confirmed her senses There was a nearby 3 5 earthquake

We walked a lot, between 20 and 23 K, and climbed 32 floors

December 12th - Tuesday

We’ve had great weather so far. Some days were cold. Rain can be the problem and today, we’re getting light dousing The drizzle should last most of the morning, according to the radar That’s all OK as we’re still a bit fatigued from other previous day’s activities There’s no need to rush anywhere.

Our first focus is lunch Actually, it is sort of a brunch as breakfast, as usual on this trip, is mostly coffee, tomato juice and nuts.

Nancy’s got a favorite food: unagi (eel) We’ve seen a nearby restaurant that seems to specialize in this local delicacy. A bit of web searching confirms that this is a good place. In fact, it’s likely very popular so we make a reservation for 11:30 AM, right when they open Miyagawa Akasaka is the place.

Before going for lunch (brunch) we do some walking in the neighborhood We’ve wandered around the Akasaka subway station before. But this time we’re paying a bit more attention. This station is anchored by the TBS network building It’s a massive structure There is even a subway exit that exploits this physical affiliation What’s interesting is how the Harry Potter theme dominates the area. There is a Christmas Tree, but the story at the base of the tree is about Hogwarts and student wizards and witches This isn’t a religious celebration; it’s all about the movies and their associated gear. Marketing is the king.

Now it’s time for lunch We appear to be the first people to be seated It isn't long before the restaurant is filled. This is, indeed, a popular venue. There are a lot of small touches in the decor Little things We’re having fun looking at all the details A small place catches our attention; it has an image of Mt Fuji

The grilling of the unagi takes some time We’re sitting at the counter facing the kitchen so we can see the chef focused on flipping the skewers with unagi as they cook over the grill This is a specialty and it’s clear that the precise timing of the process is important.

We’ve both ordered the same thing. Our choice is unagi, of course. We got ¾ size as part of a set menu It comes with rice and condiments There’s also a pitcher with broth That will be useful later They’ve been serving us tea since we were seated

There are some English instructions that generally say how you’re supposed to eat this meal (That’s a really strange thing But we’re in Japan and there are customs that we don’t know) Basically, you eat some unagi. There is an empty bowl as part of your service. The idea is to transfer some of the food into this bowl You then eat from this bowl The second step is to eat

unagi with rice The next step is to add condiments Finally, you pour the broth into the bowl and eat this mixture. It isn’t really complicated. The goal is to get different tastes.

There are a few pickles that add to the experience. Overall, this is a great meal. Whew! What a lunch.

It may seem strange, but we’re both a bit tired. Perhaps we didn’t sleep too well. Maybe it is a general symptom from our travels After all, we’ve been on the road for quite a long time Anyway, we’ll fix the problem with a nap

It’s later afternoon as we rouse ourselves Tomorrow is our travel day back to Honolulu This is our opportunity to do some packing We’re traveling light on this trip Our Hartmann backpacks weren’t quite full when we came to Japan. We’ve bought a few things. Can everything fit? We’ll soon know

Whew! It looks like we’re just at the limit of what we can stuff into our bags We'll need to do some fine tuning tomorrow, but for now, things seem to be OK

It’s time for dinner We had a great experience at Salta Tappo earlier Why not return there tonight?

The sky is clear as we do our short walk to the restaurant We’re carrying an umbrella but it’s not open. The rain should come later. The umbrella is simply a precaution.

No other customers are at Salta Tappo when we arrive We’re seated at the same table as before. On our last visit, we saw other diners share half portions. That’s our plan tonight.

The wine list is quite short; mostly Italian wines We chose a bottle of Roberto Sarollo’s Barolo from Garantita. A bowl of olives served as the food complement while we waited on the other items

A Caesar salad started the food service. Delectable. Then we got plates of Spaghetti carbonara. It was quite unusual, and very good, as the noodles were in a thick cheese sauce A “meat” course came next. We had beef. It came as a perfect small steak with potatoes and a few vegetables.

Finally, we ended this great meal with a glass of Limoncello. What we got were two glasses each Our chef gave us a locally produced version along with the Italian product Both were good What a nice touch

We really enjoyed this last big meal in Japan It was quite fitting as it showcased how Japanese perfect the things they do, whether they are original or adaptations of imported things Tonight, we had an exquisite Italian dinner, reinterpreted in a Japanese style.

Our chef was, again, remarkable as he did all the tasks single handedly in this restaurant

Back out on the street, we now needed our umbrella We’re getting just a light sprinkle

There are interesting lights around the Akasaka Station. We were there earlier. Now’s the time to see how the view changes with the addition of LED lights The plaza is animated with light bars that change color. This is enhanced as we’re getting the reflection of the lights in the water that’s puddled on the walkway It’s quite magical

Harry Potter music is playing. The symphonic effect adds to the ambiance of the place.

This side trip is worth the effort The rain is now intermittent We headed back to the hotel

This has been a relaxing day It’s something that we need as tomorrow will be quite intensive as we combine a day of sightseeing in Tokyo with a trip back to Hawaii.

December 13th - Wednesday

Our final day in Japan has arrived. We’re both glad to be heading home soon. It’s been a good three weeks Now we’re a bit saturated with new experiences Going back to Hawai'i will calm things down

The sky is clear today The prediction is for slightly cooler temperatures

We finished most of our packing last night. Our bags are full. Really full. There’s just a few things that we need to do to wrap up our apartment stay This has been a great place for our visit. We’ve found some new places to eat in the neighborhood. The transportation hubs are convenient Shopping places, ranging from the 7-eleven across the street to the mega shopping center at Mid-Town make it straightforward to get essentials and to window-shop in an uncrowded, unhurried location.

We’ve got a general plan for the day We’ll check out, go to Ueno Park and visit the Science Museum, then head to Haneda Airport for our flight.

We leave our room neat and tidy. Then head down to the desk to check out. We’re asking them to hold our bags until mid-afternoon No problem (This includes the camera bag; the storage room is adjacent to the front desk so it should be secure storage )

It’s good to feel “light” as we’re not carrying anything besides our cell phones It also helps when we’re on the subway as bags tend to get in the way when the train car is crowded

Getting to Ueno Park is about a 40 minute ride that involves one transfer The station exit is close to the Science Museum (whose full name is the National Museum of Nature and Science) so we’re at our destination quite quickly We bought tickets on-line for a special exhibit: WASHOKU: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine.

Here is a summary of the information provided about this exhibit (thanks to Bard for creating a draft).

Washoku is a Japanese cultural practice centered around food, encompassing its production, preparation, and consumption It values respect for nature and sustainability, using seasonal, local ingredients like rice, fish, and vegetables Special meals and beautifully decorated dishes play a significant role in celebrations that mark important occasions, particularly New Year, where symbolic dishes are shared with family and community Knowledge and skills are passed down through shared meals, formal education, and grassroots efforts. Washoku goes beyond just food, it's about cultural traditions and community

This was a well attended exhibit We spent a lot of time here as this is a high-quality presentation We didn’t get the audio guide and most of the exhibit information signs are in Japanese so we had to use Google Translate quite often. That really saved us.

By the time we finished the exhibit, it was early afternoon. And we were hungry (especially having spent a lot of time looking at models of good food) Fortunately, there is a restaurant inside the Museum. We headed there for lunch.

The Museum Restaurant fills a large room. There were a lot of people there. Many families had small kids so there was a pretty high noise level Ordering involved using a tablet on the table to select items We fumbled a bit as everything was in Japanese (We failed to spot the button for English until we were done.) Apparently it all worked as our lunch choices were delivered to our table very quickly Nancy had shrimp tempura (3 big, crunchy shrimp, a salad and rice) and Kim had beef curry. It was a much-needed lunch. The quality was good, too.

Then we were off to examine the rest of the museum. We’ve been here before so most of the exhibits are a repeat That’s OK as we need to move through the six floors pretty quickly First stop: third floor (top of the building) It’s here we found Watson Yoshimoto’s stuffed animal collection. We were very impressed when we saw it before as it is an innovative way to show a large collection of large mammals This time, when we realized that Mr Yoshimoto was, basically, a big game hunter, we weren’t so happy Some of the animals on display are on the CITES list (read: illegal to have specimens). This collection was once housed in Honolulu. It’s hard to reconcile the killing of these animals with the credit given to the hunter for his conservation efforts, including many honors and awards. Time often changes our ethical standards.

The next floor showcases the development of technology As expected, most of the examples are from Japan.

The lower floors have some remarkable collections of dinosaurs. We’re in awe of the size of some of the skeletons The biodiversity exhibits are outstanding They are models in how specimens should be shown. There are no dark, dusty shelves holding nondescript animal remains here Everything is modern LED lighting focuses on the specimens Evolution is presented well in a number of contexts For example, there are several displays showing the variability within a species.

Farther down (the building goes three stories underground) there are exhibits about scientists, including all of the Japanese who have been awarded the Nobel Prize By the time we got here, we were pretty fatigued. We were also aware that it was time to head back to the hotel to get our gear

The Chiyoda subway line connects to the station nearest our hotel Getting to this required a walk across Ueno Park It’s a big place and we always enjoy the stroll along the wide promenade that cuts through the center of the park. Today was no exception. The weather is nice It’s a good way to finish our outdoor activities in Japan

Getting to the subway station gave us a bit of navigational anxiety as Google Maps had a strange idea about what streets to follow. Our memory of a past trip in this area came to our rescue Before long we were at the station

We picked up our bags (groan, they’re heavy) and walked back to the subway station We said “goodbye” to the now very familiar neighborhood The train trip involved some line changes There were stretches that were a bit crowded but we were early enough to avoid the commuter rush The last leg of the trip was on the monorail We had to walk a long way from the subway station to get to the monorail terminal. That was a chore.

We took a short break on our arrival at Haneda Airport (Terminal 3). Then we were off to the Delta check-in area We made contact with an agent and were directed to another area where they examined our passports and boarding passes Then it was through the Japanese equivalent of TSA (very efficient) and passport control. Facial recognition is used both in entry and exit processing No longer do we get our passport stamped

We arrived in the departure area without any difficulties Next was the long walk to the Delta Sky Club. This lounge is on the third floor. It’s pretty large. There’s a lot of good food here.

We settled in for the three hour wait before our flight would board. We nibbled some food, of course And had some wine

The walk to our flight’s departure gate was another long trundle Reminder: don’t carry so much stuff!

We had seats in Delta’s Comfort+ section of this two-aisle aircraft. The cabin layout gave us two adjacent seats, one at the window and the other at the aisle That’s a comfortable arrangement for us. The flight departed close to on-time (9:00 PM). There was some turbulence. We expected that as the radar map showed several large bands of storms stretching north-south across the Pacific There were the weather fronts that we nearly encountered during our last days in Japan.

We got two meals en route. The first was fairly substantial. Kim had the vegetarian lasagne. Nancy got pork and rice Both came with a salad and a cup of ice cream

The flight home lasted about six and a half hours It’s a faster flight than the other (westward) direction. Global Entry got us through the immigration process quite quickly (read: short line). Customs, too, was fast as we had only our carry-on bags

Honolulu was getting some showers We walked way over to the Hawaiian Airlines area to get a Lyft ride The wait for a car wasn’t long

Finally, we made it back to our apartment. Whew! What a trip.

Oh, it’s still Wednesday. We’ve gained back a day as we crossed the International Date Line.