No Regrets!

Been home for a few weeks, but my eye is still on Japan. I continued to follow the Kyushu Basho, Fukuoka’s sumo tournament, and watched as Aonishiki, the man we affectionately referred to as Jerry Cowlings from Indianapolis, won the tournament. He is in fact a Ukrainian and a rising star in the sumo world. I’m also still getting Japan videos in my feeds. I love how I can recognize so many of the places and remember standing in those exact spots, and I also like being able to see through the bullshit filters and music make a lot of the spots more romantic than they really are. (more…)

Our last morning in Japan was met with a sadness that the trip was over but a sincere appreciation for what Dave and I have done together on this trip. We did everything we wanted to do at our own pace, never felt rushed. Our schedule was packed but efficient. We feel confident saying we made the most of the time we had, and we agree that we wouldn’t have changed anything about our itinerary. We were also comforted by the optimism that we will be taking another big trip together next year. (more…)

Too many drinks last night. We woke up rough, with Samurai Dave feering particurarly rousy. We took it easy this morning, skipping a bit of sightseeing to recover in bed. With the time, I researched the sumo tournament to prepare myself for some of the matches we were going to see. In true nerd fashion, I even built a spreadsheet which calculated odds for specific Makuuchi (top division) matches for Dave and I to bet on as we watched. (more…)

We got up early to pack and leave our bags with the hotel concierge, who would forward them to Fukuoka. With only daypacks in hand, we hopped in a taxi to the ferry terminal for a day trip to Miyajima. Lockers at the terminal made it easy to stow the things we didn’t need on the island, and buying ferry tickets was painless. (more…)

Our morning trip to Hiroshima started like many mornings in Japan: with 7-Eleven sandwiches for breakfast. Three sandwiches, a hermetically sealed banana, and a tea drink for $3.30. How can you beat that? We prefer that to taking a bento box on the train. The ones we spotted in a window looked vile, especially first thing in the morning. (more…)

An early start this morning to head out of town for a day trip to Himeji Castle. We picked a good day for this. Sun is shining, and it’s absolutely perfect outside. (more…)

With nothing booked for the morning, Dave and I enjoyed a much-needed sleep-in. After packing up, Dave had words with the front desk after his super-sensitive nose had detected that his laundry hadn’t been cleaned properly. Once the issue was resolved to his satisfaction, we made our way to the train station to catch our shinkansen to Osaka. (more…)

This morning’s excursion took us to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, beginning with a charming uphill stroll along a shop-lined, rustic street to the entrance. The grounds of Kiyomizu-dera are massive, with meandering paths and a dozen different structures. Very walkable and cool, we spent a very pleasant couple of hours exploring it all. In a change from yesterday, the weather cooperated perfectly, with photogenic clouds serving as the perfect backdrop in the morning. (more…)

Another early morning, another temple. While waiting in line to enter Kinkaku-ji, I caught sight of the most vivid rainbow I’ve ever seen. We didn’t get inside quickly enough to capture it arcing over the temple. That would have been spectacular. (more…)

After a luxurious night’s sleep in our plush Four Seasons bed, we hopped into a taxi to begin exploring Kyoto. While definitely urban, Kyoto feels more intimate and homey than Tokyo, with no towering skyscrapers or dense city core, and the streets follow a familiar grid for more efficient navigation around the city. (more…)