Japan 2025

29 September 2025

Other than the 4am alarm and the 4:30am Uber pickup to get us to the Madison airport for our 6am flight to MSP, it was a relatively painless travel day. We arrived in Minneapolis just as the sun was rising, and stumbled our way to the Delta club where we vegged out and ate some breakfast. When we were fully awake, we walked our usual loop and gathered with the large crowd at the G gate where we were squeezed in due to the renovation currently taking place in the hallway. I considered it “training” for waiting patiently in large crowds.

We boarded the flight for Tokyo at 10:30am. We had splurged for the Delta One “lay down” seats, which sure makes the 13-hour flight a lot easier. I was delighted to see Tricia (Dugan) as one of our flight attendants.  She’s the younger sister of one of my best friends from Merritt Avenue in Oshkosh, Katy.  Several times she’d been working our flight to Europe, but a few months ago she switched from her DTW-AMS route to MSP-Tokyo route, and does this 5-7 times a month. It was fun to catch up with her.

We were served sparkling wine while we were waiting to board, and a 4-course meal (soup, salad, chicken, and dessert) with wine for lunch. I was watching some shows I’d downloaded on my iPad while I ate, then skipped dessert and put my bed into the flat mode and snuggled into a three-hour nap. I woke up and read my book a bit, then napped for a while longer. When I woke again, we still had 4 hours to go, so I watched a movie in Spanish with English subtitles and then a documentary. I kept looking at the flight status screen and trying to program myself to this time zone that is 13 hours ahead of home.

30 September 2025 

We arrived in Tokyo just after noon, but the next day, so it’s Tuesday now. I’d completed the “Visit Japan” immigration work online before we arrived, so we navigated the immigration booth and exit line with just a little assistance needed from the friendly English-speaking staff. We claimed our bags and exited the doors, looking for a sign that said “Green Tomatoes,” which would have been our pre-arranged shuttle to the hotel. We didn’t see a sign, and stood there for about 10 minutes.

At that point I switched my phone off Airplane mode and attempted to make a call to the number on my voucher. That didn’t work so we waited a bit longer - still no Green Tomatoes. I googled how to make a call with a US phone in Japan, and “good old Google” told me I needed to add the US Country code (011) to the front of the number, so I did that and it worked. A woman answered the phone and verified that we were scheduled for a pickup and she’d find our driver for us. About 5 minutes later, a young man approached us and said “Green Tomatoes?”  Of course, we said “yes.” He was very apologetic for our wait, and led us outside where a van came to pick us up. The voucher said it could be up to 90 minutes to the hotel depending on traffic, but it was less than 20 minutes.

We arrived at the hotel, Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi, just before 2pm and were able to get into our room to get settled for the next 4 nights. We’re here one day in advance of meeting our tour group, so we’re on our own until 5pm tomorrow.

We got settled and I worked hard at not falling asleep, but it was tough. I figured if I can stay awake at least until 8pm, I should get a good night’s sleep and be able to function somewhat normally tomorrow - that’s the plan!! The plan didn’t exactly work though. At 4pm, I couldn’t function and JT had been sleeping for an hour by then. I set the alarm for one hour, and fell asleep hard! When my alarm went off at 5pm, I just wanted to keep sleeping but I forced myself to get up, and it took me about 30 minutes to get JT to wake up and stay awake!

I was surprised to find it gets dark at 5:30pm here, and that made me wonder how early it gets dark in December? We decided to venture out into the streets. We seemed to be near a big train station, so the neighborhood was swarmed with people that seemed to be just getting off of work. Jeff’s hearing aid batteries died, and it appears he doesn’t have any spares in his toiletry kit, so we set off to find a place to buy batteries. We checked the 7-11 on the corner and a few similar stores with no luck. We walked about 4 blocks to a store that came up when I typed “drug store” into Google Maps. This was a pharmacy with a lot of food items as well. We cruised the aisles but didn’t see any batteries. I typed “Do You Have Hearing Aid Batteries” into Google Translate and showed it to a clerk and he led us to an area near the checkout counter that we’d missed. There we found what we needed. I had no idea what the cost was, and handed the clerk a ¥5000 bill and received ¥3812 in change - thereby answering one of our questions: do Yen coins exist? Yes! I now have coins in the 500, 100, 10 and 1 denomination. With the current exchange rate being ¥148 = $1, that means the ¥1 coins are worth just over a half a penny.

Surprisingly, we weren’t hungry, so we walked a few more blocks. We were like walking zombies though, so we shuffled back to the hotel, brushed our teeth and I filled the soaking tub and had a relaxing bath. After that we both lay down on the bed to read a bit. We couldn’t even summon the energy to play our usual backgammon games for the evening!

1 October 2025

I slept kind of like on the airplane - two hours of sleep, and 30-60 minutes of reading before my next nap. I finally got out of bed just before 6am and stretched my yoga mat into the little hallway and did some meditation, good stretches and a 30-minute yoga session. It felt like just what my body needed.

I’d read about this, so it wasn’t a shock, but our room is nice, but tiny. There are two beds, each just a little wider than a twin bed in the States. There is no closet or drawer space, so we’ve used one bed to lay our suitcases out (they wouldn’t fit anywhere on the floor) and we’re snuggled together in the other bed, which worked ok. No one got bopped in the nose or pushed out of bed! Our queen bed at home will feel like a super-king when we get home after three weeks of this kind of close sleeping!

Something else that is unique: in the elevator lobby of our floor, there is a shelf with “nightwear” that you can take for sleeping (the note says to please only wear the nightwear in your room)!

Jeff woke up and we dressed and headed down to the restaurant where we were able to negotiate the breakfast buffet with just a few issues. The staff all speak English and are very friendly and helpful. As the woman was gently correcting me about which cup to use for my tea and how to extract the hot water, she probably said “I’m sorry” to me 4 times - when I’m the one who should have been sorry!! Breakfast was a huge selection of foods that are exotic to us plus our general fare of eggs, sausages, pastries, yogurt and fruit. We opted for omelets and yogurt - there will be enough shocking our systems with exotic foods in the days to come! We realized it had been about 24-hours since we’d last eaten breakfast on the plane Tuesday morning … and it was shocking that neither of us were starving.

After breakfast, we had a few hours to kill before calling an Uber to take us the 8 kilometers to our Sumo Exhibition. I got a little stressed when we messed around too long and then of course it took 15 minutes for an Uber to come, but it all worked out, and it was a really entertaining outing - hilarious and educational.

Sumo wrestling began as a sacred Shinto ritual over 1,500 years ago, praying for good harvests and honoring deities. It evolved into an Imperial Court event and, by the Edo period (1603-1867), became a professional sport with organized training and rules. Today, professional sumo is Japan's national sport, balancing ancient traditions with modern spectacle and even welcoming foreign wrestlers.

Sumo wrestlers start as young as eight years old, and live in a “stable” (English translation), a communal quasi-monastic training quarters. There are 44 stables in the greater Tokyo area.

We were fed a typical Sumo meal - Chanko-nabe, a stew with vegetables and lots of meat. We were served a much smaller portion than what they typically eat: they eat 2 meals a day, roughly 10,000 calories each, consumed within 30 minutes! They showed us a slide of the heaviest Sumo ever - a 646 pounder from Russia who was the heaviest, but not necessarily a champion.

There were two “retired” Sumo men putting on the exhibition for us today, and they weren’t that big. They both said they had dropped considerable weight since their active days, but they were referring to weight in Kilos and that gets a bit lost on me (not doing math too quickly with the fog of our jet lag still in our brains).

They led us through typical warm up exercises and practices, and explained how most of the rituals (stomping, slapping themselves, tossing salt into the ring) is done to ward off evil spirits, purify the sacred space of the dohyo (ring), intimidate opponents and engage the audience.

After the exhibition, they invited 10 people from the crowd to suit up and give it a try. It was fun to watch, but both JT and I declined participating.

It was a two-hour exhibition, and despite the light rain when we got out of the theater, we decided to walk the 5+ miles back to the hotel. It was wonderful to discover how “walkable” Tokyo is.

On our walk, we passed by the Tsukiji Horgan-ji Temple, a 17th century Buddhist temple that was undergoing major renovation. We didn’t stop, just viewed it from the courtyard. We walked through the Hamarikyu Gardens, where we admired the Cosmos in bloom along with many distinctive trees and shrubs.

Besides being impressed with the walkability, we were surprised by all of the water - rivers and canals. I guess I always thought of Tokyo being more inland, but Toyko Bay is quite large, and ocean going ships come right into the various ports. Makes for lots of beautiful bridges and walkways along the canals.   Our other startling impression was about how clean and orderly Tokyo was – no litter or graffiti, cars yield to pedestrians and not the usual horns / siren sounds of a large city. 

This evening, we had the gathering / welcome meeting for our Iconic Japan tour. There we met our Tour Guide (CEO = Chief Experience Officer) Mika Yabe and Fellow Tour Participants:

Paul and Samantha (Sam) from the UK

Adam, Janet (mom) and Vicky (daughter) from the UK

Diane and Tom from Canada (BC)

Earl and Margaret (Marg) from Canada (BC)

Gail (mom) and Brittany from Vancouver

Julie (daughter from NY) and Monica (NC)

And us - 15 in total

Mika gave us an overview of the tour, and philosophy of G Adventures which is partnered with National Geographic Journeys on this trip. Their motto is “Doing good has never been so fun,” and I look forward to learning more from her on how “Community Tourism” benefits the places we visit in Japan on this tour.

She’s Japanese herself but lived for 9 years in Canada and the UK, which gives her a unique perspective as a guide. She said when she moved back to Japan, she fell in love with it all over again and wanted to be able to share that love with others. She’s been guiding for 15 years and working for G Adventures for 11 years. She really loves sharing her culture with adventurers and I think she’ll be a great guide for us.

After our meeting, we were on our own for dinner, but she offered to walk us to a place with lots of food choices on her way to the train station where she’ll secure our Japan Rail tickets for the next 11 days (she has all of our passports for the night, just slightly nervous about that). We walked past a large grocery store, then to a food court sort of place with lots of options. Only one had an English menu and it was closed for a private party, so it was a bit overwhelming. I suggested we head to the grocery store and look for sandwiches to have a light meal before we crash for the evening, so that’s what we did. It’s always fun to check out a grocery store in a foreign land anyway. This time I had my “Google Translate” app open to ensure whatever I was getting in my wrap was ok - not ready for adventure with food just yet, maybe tomorrow.

2 October 2025 

I think I was sleeping by 8pm, and then I was awake again from about midnight - 2am reading. Then I slept well until 6am when I got up and showered and got ready for the day. Feeling a little more in the groove, but it’s tough to fool the body when the reality is we’re 13 hours different than what we’re used to!

Tokyo, originally known as Edo, rose to political prominence in 1603 when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, and by the mid-18th century, Edo had evolved from a small fishing village into one of the largest cities in the world, with a population surpassing one million. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to Edo, and the city was renamed Tokyo (meaning Eastern Capital). Tokyo was greatly damaged by the 1923 Great Kano earthquake and by allied bombing raids during WWII. From the late 1940s, Tokyo underwent rapid reconstruction and expansion, which fueled the “Japanese economic miracle,” in which Japan’s economy became the second-largest in the world at that time, behind that of the United States.

Tokyo is now the largest city in the world, with over 37 million people in the metropolitan area. We can see the density with the massive apartment buildings, traffic and people on the street walking and cycling, but somehow it doesn’t feel as chaotic as New York City, Paris or London. I think the difference is the nature of the people - traffic is flowing without all the horn blowing, crossing the street doesn’t feel dangerous as cars are yielding to pedestrians, and we’ve heard very few sirens.

We met the group in the lobby at 9:30am and walked to the train station. We travelled through Tokyo today using the ‘Japan Rail’ One Day Ticket, which Mika procured for us last night. How nice it was to be able to explore the system with a native guide rather than struggling to figure it out by ourselves!!

Our first stop was the Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū), the largest Shinto Shrine in Tokyo. It was built in 1920 and is dedicated to the 123rd emperor of Japan, Emperor Meiji and his wife. It has a serene atmosphere as it’s in a forest that was established in the busiest area in Tokyo. The shrine’s construction was a national effort, with people from all over Japan contributing more than 100,000 trees to create the expansive forest. This was a symbol of people’s deep respect and gratitude for the emperor’s role in shaping modern Japan. It was a great place to escape the bustle of the city and wander the grounds along the wide walking paths.

Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken led Japan's rapid modernization from the late 19th to early 20th century. Their reign marked the end of Japan’s feudal past and a period of significant modernization, industrialization, and increased international relations. This change opened Japan to Western influences, particularly in technology, education and the military. The Emperor also cut his hair (versus the traditional “top knot” for men), wore western clothing, enjoyed eating beef and drinking red wine. After their deaths, a desire arose to honor their spirits, leading to the shrine's construction on land once favored by the Empress. Despite being destroyed during World War II, the shrine was rebuilt in 1958 and continues to serve as a place of prayer for the imperial family and Japan, set within a vast, man-made forest of trees donated from all over the country.

Mika told us a bit about the Shinto religion, which she described as more a way of life than a religion. With no central authority in control of Shinto, there is much diversity of belief and practice evident among practitioners.

Gates called “Torii” mark the entrance to Shinto shrines and are recognizable symbols of the religion. Shinto revolves around supernatural entities called the kami (神). The kami are believed to inhabit all things, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations. Public shrines facilitate forms of divination and supply religious objects, such as amulets, to the religion's adherents. These were available for sale, and there were 20 different types ranging from hope for safe travels, to health, to happiness, to finding the right partner, etc.

Shinto places a major conceptual focus on ensuring purity, largely by cleaning practices such as ritual washing and bathing, especially before worship. Little emphasis is placed on specific moral codes or particular afterlife beliefs, although the dead are deemed capable of becoming kami. The religion has no single creator or specific doctrine, and instead exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms.

Mika let us through the rituals which included bowing as you passed under the torii, washing our hands and rinsing our mouths, tossing a coin into the temple and then bowing twice and clapping twice, and turning and bowing as you passed under the torii on the way out. Besides the gorgeous and solemn setting, the place had a spiritual feel. On our way out, we passed a small parking lot and Mika said when you get a new car, it’s tradition to bring it here to be blessed as well.

We learned that many Japanese practice Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is focused on life, nature, and achieving “benefits” in life, whereas Buddhism is more focused on the afterlife, communing with ancestors.

Next, we walked about 5 minutes to the Harajuku district is known as the center of Japanese youth culture and fashion, where we were immersed in the city’s quirky, modern style.

Our first stop was Takeshita Street; a 400 meter path lined with colorful “Kawaii” which is directly translated as "cute," this Japanese cultural movement is reflected through various avenues of entertainment, toys, personal style, attitude, and cuisine. Most interesting was the prevalence of “animal cafes,” starting with a cat cafe, dog cafes, a place where you could interact with baby pigs, another with ferret, chinchilla and hamsters. The crowd definitely had a young vibe, and all of a sudden we were seeing exotic and different fashions on the street - clunky shoes and boots, feathers, short skirts and midriffs, different colors of hair and funky clothes. A departure from the mostly black and white clothes of the working people we’ve seen on the streets.

Another 5 minute walk and we were on Omotesando Street, with shopping and dining options including independent boutiques and larger international luxury stores (often referred to as the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo). We were given free time here for shopping and lunch on our own. Jeff and I poked in a few stores, then went up some stairs where we bought a sandwich and a smoothie and watched the crowd from our second-floor shaded perch above the busy street.

Back on the train, we stopped in Shibuya, a suburb very popular with the younger generation. We walked the huge Shibuya Crossing, at a multi-street intersection that reminded me of Times Square due to the large, animated screens on the buildings. Despite the crowds though, it didn’t feel like chaos, everyone was still so orderly!

It was about 3pm then, several people had already abandoned the group, and Mika gave us the option of traveling to another suburb with a shopping area and a nightlife area that is very popular, but we’d had enough stimulation by them. Back on the train, 7 stops on the Yamanote line and we were back at Tamachi Station. Anytime I’m on a train, it’s always a crap shoot about getting out of the correct exit, and we had a 50/50 guess with this one. We guessed correctly, but we had to walk a good while before I was sure we’d chosen correctly!

We walked back to our hotel. Jeff had a upset stomach, so we walked back a few blocks to the pharmacy, and there Google translate and a pharmacy technician helped us pick out some OTC meds (that and a little pantomiming on JT’s part!).

Back to the room, we decided to opt out of the dinner tonight. I wasn’t hungry after the late lunch and Jeff didn’t feel up to eating and drinking. We played a few games of backgammon, and I worked on the blog. No naps for me today and I think I’ll stay up past 9pm!

3 October 2025 

Last night I slept from about 9pm until 3am - I think I’m making progress! I read until about 5am, then got up to do my meditation and yoga session.

We met the group in the lobby at 9am and set out to visit the Tsukiji fish and seafood market. We checked in at the Tsukiji Cooking Class Studio and split up into two smaller groups. Each group set out to explore the market with a chef and it was a fun experience. We bought two types of tuna, some vegetables and pickled sweet potato (you could buy essentially any vegetable pickled, apparently it’s a thing here - primarily cabbage, radishes and cucumbers fermented in a rice bran mixture). We weren’t allowed to take photos at most of the seafood booths; I think primarily to keep the crowd moving and make room for the serious buyers. We walked through two buildings of vendors, and it was amazingly clean (like most things so far in Tokyo).

We stopped by a booth near the studio selling Japanese knives. We already have one at home and it’s excellent quality - sharp and quick. We bought two new knives - one with a blunt nose for cutting veggies and a paring knife.  Kind of a fun souvenir that will make us frequently recall this trip!

Back at the Cooking Class, we washed our hands and got ready to make sushi. First, we had a demonstration of how to make Miso Soup, using three different types of miso:

·       White (Shiro) with a mild flavor and shortest fermentation time

·       Yellow (Awase) which is in-between

·       Red (Aka) which was fermented the longest and made with a higher concentration of soybeans.  Results in a more concentrated flavor with a saltier taste.

Most Westerners, including me, associate miso mostly with soup but there are many uses for it, which is why there are many variations of “miso” especially in Japan.  Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, with a peanut-butter-like texture.  The base of all miso is soybeans, along with water, salt and the koji, whose mold facilitates fermentation.  The foundation of a koji is a cereal, generally rice, barley or just pure soybean.

The secret ingredient in Miso Soup is to make the Dashi base using thinly shredded fish that had been fermented and then dried for 6 months (we were using bonito) and kombu (kelp) in water. Then the fish is strained out, and miso is added to taste.  We bought shredded Bonita at the market.  The chef told us traditionally, the drying and shredding of the fish would all take place at home, but no one has time for that anymore and most people now buy the pre-shredded fish.  We were given bowls of Dashi broth and encouraged to add the different kinds of miso to experience the varying taste of each.

Next the Chef demonstrated how to make Sushi Rice, a task that apparently takes about six years to perfect! The rice is cooked, then transferred to a large wooden bowl made from the wood of a cypress tree. Next, just the right amount of Sushi Rice Vinegar is added and mixed with a technique to prevent the rice from sticking or breaking up. He used a hand fan to cool it down a bit, as if it’s too hot it will cook the fish!

A few people took turns slicing the tuna into just the right thickness for sushi, and then we were following along, trying to make 4 different types of sushi. Most didn’t look like the ones he was making, but I think I had about the prettiest sushi at our table if I say so myself! We made Nigirizushi (oval mound of rice with fish on top), Gunkan maki (gunkan=battleship) - dried seaweed along the side, rice in the bottom and topped with salmon roe, makizushi (seaweed, rice and vegetables and tuna rolled using a bamboo mat), and Onigiri (rice balls topped with fish).

I’m not the biggest sushi fan, mostly out of ignorance and lack of trust eating raw things, but I’m getting better. Seeing how fresh this tuna was and putting it together myself definitely made it more tasty to me!! We made too much though.  I felt bad about how much I left behind, but I couldn’t eat it all.

After our sushi lunch, we took the train to Asakusa, the historic heart of Tokyo. We went up to the 8th floor observatory where we could see Tokyo Tower in one direction, and the Sensoji temple in another. All below us was a sea of people - people walking around in rented kimonos, lots of gift shops, and a few artisan shops. I was excited to see my first Buddhist temple, but the scene was madness with so many people - nothing like the tranquility of the shrine yesterday. Mika gave us 45 minutes of free time, which was 30 minutes more than I needed, but I wasn’t ready to try to get back on the train by ourselves.

We got back to our hotel just before 5pm, thoroughly exhausted. Looking forward to getting out in the country tomorrow and away from so many people!

Saturday 4 October 2025

Finally, a good night’s sleep and I was awake at 6am feeling rested! We finished our packing and brought our large suitcases down to the lobby on our way to breakfast. Today will be our first experience having our larger bags sent via the luggage forwarding system known as Takuhaibin. Our larger bags are being sent to the hotel in Kanazawa so we have just our backpacks and my duffel bag with what we’ll need for tonight and tomorrow morning.

We left the hotel at 9am and took the train four stops to the main train station in Tokyo. Mika said a million people a day travel through there, and I think they were all there today. For the first time in Japan, we experienced pushing in a crowd - but there is a sense of urgency when you have a train to catch! We made it through the bottleneck and were on our platform about 3 minutes before we boarded our train.  Probably to add to our urgency, Mika had given us about 40 minutes to browse the shops and buy bento boxes for our lunch on the train before we went up to where the platforms are. But we made it, and all have beautiful lunches to show for it!

We took the “bullet train” to Nagoya, about a 1.75 hour ride. The train was spacious, smooth and comfortable. It also had WiFi, so I took the time to do a long DuoLingo Japanese lesson (haven’t made much progress, but it’s fun while we’re here) and browse Facebook. Ironically, we have a former BrightStar colleague, Heidi.  Two years ago, I saw on FB that she happened to be in London staying in the same hotel as us.  I reached out to her, and we met for breakfast the next morning. This week I saw on FB that she and her husband are on a very long cruise which started in Vancouver, went to Alaska, had many days at sea and they are now off the coast of Japan. Today, she posted that they were at the Tokyo tower yesterday - the same neighborhood we were exploring! It would have been a blast to run into her again.

In Nagoya, we had about 45 minutes until the next train. We grabbed drinks at Starbucks, used the toilet and were off again. The next train wasn’t as deluxe or smooth as the bullet train, it doesn’t take long to be spoiled! We followed the coast on the bullet train but now we’re headed into the forest and the mountains. It was a gorgeous ride. We ate our lunch on the train, and as usual had twice as much food as we could eat. The sushi we picked up (salmon and shrimp) was really good, as was the tomato and mozzarella salad. Jeff’s bento boxes had a lot of “mystery food,” and I sampled just a bit of that - still not feeling too adventurous.

After about 50 minutes, we arrived in Nakatsugawa, where we waited on the platform for only about 10 minutes for our last train of the day, the Limited Express Shinano, which took us to Nagiso. There we boarded a small bus that drove us about 10 minutes to the village of Tsumago, arriving about 3pm. As soon as we stepped off the train, the air was so clean, we felt 1000 miles from the bustling city of Tokyo. It was raining lightly, but everyone was prepared for that with rain jackets and umbrellas.

Tsumago was a “post town” on the Nakasendo Trail. I was excited to be here, as we will be walking portions of this trail on our next adventure here with our hiking gang, so it was fun to get a preview. The Nakasendo Trail was an ancient trade route between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). Originally there were post towns about every 8 km, because that’s about as a far as one could travel in a day given the mountainous territory. During the economic recovery boom after WWII, most towns and villages were raised and completely rebuilt, but a concerted effort went in to preserving the old town charm of Tsumago and a few other post towns.

Tsumago is considered to be one of the best preserved post towns in Japan, and the residents go to great lengths to recreate the feel of the Edo Period. Motorized vehicles are prohibited from the main street during the day and phone lines and power cables are hidden to preserve the traditional village and allow visitors to feel as if they have stepped back in time, and indeed, that’s what it felt like! Mika told us it’s suffering a bit now as the residents are aging out and their children have fled to the big city and don’t want to run the family shops. So, I did my best to support their economy by buying chopsticks and wooden sake cups, along with some other trinkets. You can always count on me to support the economy!!

From there, we had a choice to walk 30 minutes to our accommodation, or Mika would help arrange a taxi. We all opted for the walk, although it was pretty tough for several members of our group – it was all uphill! We walked along the Araragi River, past small farms with small rice patties and garden plots (there isn’t much flat land here)! The light rain continued, but the temperature was mild and the air felt so clean - I was so happy to be walking!!

We continued to Hanaya Tsumago Ryokan, a traditional Japanese bed-and-breakfast, where we spent the night. This sort of traditional Japanese lodging is relatively simple and minimalist. There is tatami mat flooring (forbidden to walk on with shoes), paper screens separating the sleeping areas (bring earplugs), dining room seating is on low cushions at low tables, and the beds are futons that are brought out a night when it’s time to sleep. The bathrooms are communal, and best of all, many have hot springs or onsens (separated by gender).

We removed our shoes, and changed into the provided yukatas (lightweight cotton robes) and slippers (with different slippers provided for use in the bathrooms). Mika was very instrumental in teaching us the customs so we didn’t offend the owners and staff with any outlandish behavior!

We were fed a “kaiseki” meal—a ritualistic multi-course dinner emphasizing artful presentation and fresh ingredients, with the opportunity to purchase beer, wine or saki (they also have a vending machine with beer, gin & tonic, and assorted beverages!). The dinner was amazing and so beautifully presented. We were fortunate enough to sit across from Mika so she could identify what we were eating and give us pointers in how to eat things! After dinner, she pulled out her calligraphy set and taught us all how to write our names in Chinese.

After that, we went back to our room to set up our beds, then off to explore the shower options. Lucky for me, only the woman have a communal shower and hot tub, which was fantastic (the guys had just a communal shower).  The soak in the hot tub was terrific and should ensure a great night’s sleep.

Sunday 5 October 2025 

It was a peaceful night sleeping at the Inn. I had doubled up my futon mattress, and it was so comfortable. I fell right asleep after the hot tub soak last night, and woke up about 4:30am. I read for a bit, did some meditation and exercises then waited until it sounded like the shared bathroom space was clear to emerge for the day.

Breakfast was served at 7:30am, our first “Japanese” breakfast. Like the dinner last night, it was beautifully presented, with tiny little portions. It consisted of:

·       Black beans - cooked with sugar

·       Shredded Carrot and burdock - cooked with sugar

·       Omelet

·       Banana

·       Yogurt with jam

·       Pickled radish and cucumber

·       Salmon

·       Miso soup and seaweed

·       Rice

·       Fermented soybean with sauce

It was helpful to sit across from Mika again and have her explain the what (things were) and how (to eat) as we tried to make sense of everything! I tried most things, except the salmon (I just can’t do fish in the morning) and fermented soybeans (because why?). I was full enough with what I ate. I’d say it was a relaxing way to eat, except for cutting off the blood supply to my feet (I think eating at the low style table is something you have to train for starting when you’re a kid)!

After breakfast, we had free time until 10:20am when our shuttle picked us up to take us back to the train station in Nagiso. Mika gave a demonstration on “Furoshiki” - the art of using cloth for wrapping and functional purposes. Very clever, especially her presentation of wrapping a wine bottle in colorful cloth. She said in Japan, you present a gift like that, but then you unwrap it and take the cloth for yourself!

It wasn’t raining, but it felt like we were socked in the clouds this morning. I’m loving the humidity and the fresh air! It is so green and lush here in the mountains, I have the feeling that it rains a lot here. We walked around the outside of the Inn after breakfast, enjoying the scenery and the cats. I’d forgotten that “kudzu” came from Japan - it’s taken over a lot of the hillsides here, just like in the south in the states. We saw dozens of massive spiders, Trichonephila clavata, according to the AI identification thing that is now a part of the iPhone. Their webs looked like those intricate beaded necklaces African women wear, and the way they were highlighted by the drops of rain was just spectacular. I can’t recall when I’d ever been so intrigued by spider webs before!

It’s good to have this immersive time with the group to get to know one another a bit better. Our first days in Tokyo were a bit overwhelming and disjointed. Now we have long train rides, quiet walks in the countryside, and time at the Inn without much outside distraction.

We caught the 11am train to Nagano (the Limited Express Shinano again), and it was a two hour ride to Nagano. There was a small store across from the station and we bought a bag of Japanese potato chips and a coke from the cool vending machine - felt like I needed a regular snack break to get back to “normal,” but we didn’t end up finishing either. We spent about an hour of the ride playing backgammon, and the luck was all on my side today and I won 6 of the 7 games we played, including a gammon.

In Nagano, we had 45 minutes before catching the Bullet Train “Hakutaka” to Kanazawa. There were three floors of amazing food booths - not quite as hectic as yesterday in Tokyo, but it is Sunday (I think). It was a beautiful train station.

We arrived in Kanazawa about 3:15pm - another gorgeous train station! Our hotel is next to the station, very convenient. We walked to the hotel (ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel) where we’ll be the next two nights but didn’t have time to check in or get settled as the last admission to our next stop was at 4pm. We jumped into cabs for the 10-minute drive to the “Samurai House.”

Kanazawa had been the seat of the powerful Maeda clan during the Edo period. We took a taxi to the Nomura residence, the beautifully restored home of a wealthy samurai family, boasting a collection of antique heirlooms and a stunning garden. The Nomura Family held executive posts from one generation to the next under rule of the Maeda family. A stunning landmark, it has a coffered ceiling constructed of Japanese cypress and beautiful fusumae (paintings on sliding-door panels) which were created by the personal painter of the Maeda family. My favorite was the garden which features a 400-year old Japanese bayberry and winding stream surrounded by ancient rocks, it was so tranquil, I could have sat there for hours. Our visit there was tempered by anxious crowds trying to rush through the house, rudely walking through our group when Mika would be telling us something, etc. I get the feeling they’re Russian tourists, definitely not European or Australian.

After our tour, we walked through Nagamachi, the city’s well-preserved samurai district located at the foot of Kanazawa Castle, where samurai and their families lived in mud huts. Now the mud huts are long gone, and the narrow streets are filled with boutique shops featuring locally made textiles and dishes. We did a bit of shopping, then walked through a narrow alley and we were transported onto a busy street with high end designer shops and lots of pedestrians and traffic. We jumped on a bus there for about a ten-minute ride back to the train station. When we got off the bus, we heard drumming and chanting and wandered over to watch dancers under the beautiful entrance to the station (made to look like really large traditional drums). There were other acts in native costumes that were ready to perform - it would have been fun to stay and watch for a while, but we were all dead on our feet and had yet to check into the hotel.

We checked in and had an hour to get settled before gathering to walk to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. On the way there, Mika led us through the train station again to point out a few dining options for tomorrow night when we’re on our own, plus a place where we can do saki tasting - I want to check that out tomorrow!!

Dinner was good – Jeff and I split a salad and a tagliatelle bolognese dish, and had glasses of red wine. We all stopped in the 7-11 afterwards to buy chocolate and snacks, then back to our rooms to collapse into bed.

Monday 6 October 2025 

The breakfast buffet at the ANA Crowne Plaza was amazing. Mika said there are three large tour groups at the hotel and advised us to get down to breakfast early. We were up and ready for breakfast by 7am, had time for a leisurely breakfast, then finished packing our large bag as it’s heading on the luggage transport to our next stop, Hiroshima. We’re getting better at the logistics – I saved out an outfit for tomorrow and clean undies, and a pared down toiletry kit. Those all go in the duffel bag I used as my carry-on luggage on the flight over here, electronics and valuables go in our backpacks. We were down in the lobby to meet our group just before 9am. Today, we’re going to explore Kanazawa using a one-day bus pass, that Mika handed out before we headed out.

We rode the bus to the downtown area where we’d boarded the bus last night - about a ten minute ride. There wasn’t much bustle to the town this morning.

We walked about 15 minutes, through town, across a river and into small alleyways. I enjoy exploring like that - it gives me a sense of how people live, and nearly every block had a small temple or shrine, that one would only see by walking through the neighborhoods. One shrine had a number of statues, and many had red crocheted bibs on. Mika explained that mothers make those and hang them on Jizo statues to ward off evil spirits, especially for vulnerable children. Jizo is a “guardian deity” who postpones enlightenment to help others, and is particularly seen as the guardian to unborn, miscarried or stillborn babies and young children. Buddhists believe that the souls of children that die before their parents end up in limbo so Jizo will care for them and lead them along the path to enlightenment.

We came to the Muoryuji Temple, often referred to as the “Ninja Temple” because of its secret staircases, hidden rooms, and seppuku ritual suicide chamber. Mika couldn’t guide us there but had given us some history before we went in and were handed over to the temple guides. Their tour process was very organized, but it was in Japanese. We were a bit into the tour before our guide handed us guidebooks in English, which made everything much clearer. There were lots of rules, because this is a temple. Proper clothing, no shoes, no babies or small children, no photos, and no drunk or ill-mannered people! We were divided into smaller groups; we had about 6 people from our group and 4 Japanese tourists. Our guide spoke a little English, enough to tell us what page in the guidebook and to give us directions to move on to the next room. But otherwise, her explanations were in animated Japanese, so even though I didn’t understand her words, her enthusiasm was fun to watch.

What was most striking to me was the age of the building - it was built in 1643! There were areas where we couldn’t go, and sometimes when we heard another tour group above us, the floor would creak, but it was built with gorgeous large beams. While there's no real evidence linking the temple to ninjas, the hidden doorways, passages and escape routes seem designed to protect the occupants and/or allow them time to escape in the event of attacks. I don’t begin to understand the history of the Edo Period and/or Shogun, but it seems similar to history all over the world - land and resource grabbing, and then having to defend their position. The 3rd Lord of the Mazda clan built this temple in the midst of many other temples where the soldiers would be able to stand by for battles. There was a law that structures couldn’t be more than 3 stories high, but this was cleverly constructed with 7 stories, and a tall tower that served as a place where a lookout could watch for potential enemies.

After the visit, we walked back to the bus stop for a short ride to the Omi-Cho market. We were given some free time there for shopping and lunch. Like the fish market in Tokyo, there were beautiful displays of seafood. The specialty of the area was fried eel and we decided to try it. It’s on display on ice, but then they move your pieces to the grill and heat it up. It’s not normal practice for Japanese to eat (or drink) while they’re walking, so we ate it at the booth. I had Jeff try it first, and he liked it. I psyched myself up to try a bite - the initial taste was good (sweet teriyaki sauce and crispy fish), but then as I chewed, it felt slimy to me and I had all I could do to choke down my bite! Well, at least I tried it! There was a craft beer booth nearby, and we went there and had a beer and some smoked nuts and called that lunch! As we were walking toward the meeting place, there was a paper shop with origami in the windows - not just cranes, but all sorts of things: robots, animals, and sumo wrestlers! We went in and I bought a few cards, something for my sister, and a pair of earrings made with twisted silk rope (we’d seen some in a window when we were walking this morning - a local craft specialty).

Back on a bus, our next stop was in the center of town at Kenroku-en Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park. There was free admission to the garden for seniors, 65 and above (three weeks short of free admission for me)! The park was absolutely gorgeous - it’s said to be one of the top three in all of Japan. It had lakes, creeks, waterfalls, fountains, and trees that were so well maintained it was like walking through a bonsai forest. It was also interesting to watch the gardeners at work - men trimming pine trees with what looked like a tiny scissors versus a lopper, others on their hands and knees weeding grass from the carpet of moss / low ground cover, and other men “sweeping” the creek.

The name Kenrouken means “having six elements,” which are: spaciousness, tranquility, artifice, antiquity, water sources and magnificent views. We had 90 minutes there, but I could have spent the whole day! As it was, we rushed around to see the structures, where it would have been awesome to sit on the bench and just appreciate the beauty and serenity.

The garden had been built in the Edo period (1603-1868), and at several places throughout the garden, there were displays of old photos showing people enjoying the same spot more than 100 years ago. It makes one feel a bit insignificant!

We met Mika at the bridge about 10 minutes early, and she encouraged us to walk up into the courtyard of the castle. While it’s not tall and therefore you don’t see it from around town, it was actually a massive fort-like structure. It would have been great to explore, but there just wasn’t time.

Back on the bus, this time we stopped at Higashi Chaya District where they have traditional two-story wooden houses decorated with lattice. On the first floors were shops and tea houses. Many had what looked like slats on the windows that prevented us from seeing into the houses, but Mika said people sitting inside could see out quite easily. This area is known to have about 40 working Geishas. Mika told us a bit about the geisha culture, prevalent in Kanazawa since the 17th century. She said it would be rare to see one out of the streets in daylight, but when we turned the corner, she excitedly exclaimed “there’s a geisha!” And there was, walking at a fast clip towards us with her gaze downward and face neutral. I felt a bit sorry for her as we all gawked and took photos, yet I did it anyway. Mika told us that it’s illegal to stop or touch a geisha walking down the street, as tourists were getting obnoxious, primarily in the Gion, the Geisha District of Kyoto. We’ve booked an extra excursion while we’re in Kyoto where we’ll see Maiko (apprentice geisha) performing their singing and dancing. We thought that would be our only opportunity to see one in person, so this was a neat surprise.

We continued walking down the street and stopped at a craft studio where we tried our hands at creating gold leaf painted chopsticks. First, we had a demonstration of how they take a 24k gold bar and create 10cm square sheets of gold leaf that is so thin you can see through it with a bright light (0.0001 mm thick - for reference, human hair is about 0.075 mm). You can’t touch it - they move it about with a plastic tweezers and by blowing it. The woman handed me a small scrap of it and part of it temporarily bonded to the band of my ring and another piece bonded to my fingernail.

We were led upstairs to a studio where we selected a pair of colored chopsticks and took a seat at a work station. There we had pieces of small painters’ tape to wrap a design onto our chopsticks. I heard the advice that “simple design is easiest” and went with that. JT did a more complex overlapping design. Once we placed the tape, the teacher applied a glue adhesive to the design end of our chopstick and then carefully laid a square of gold leaf on our workstation. It was hard to not touch it and to keep it from being wrinkled (turns out wrinkles didn’t matter). We rolled our chopsticks on the gold paper, then used a hard bristled brush to remove the excess. Next step was to remove the painters’ tape and reveal the design. You could see who the artisans were in the group, and I don’t count myself among them! The chopsticks were carefully packed into boxes, and we’ve been instructed to let them cure for 4 weeks and then seal them with clear polish or varnish (and hand wash of course). Afterwards, we were given coupons for 10% off in their gift shop. It was tempting to buy a large gold Buddha for my garden, but I bought a pretty lacquered box with a gold top and a black cat instead (much easier to get home on the plane).

We walked around the neighborhood a bit more and had some opportunities to shop (matcha candy and expensive lacquerware ). We walked back to the bus stop, and a bus came quickly but was too full and they told us to wait. The next bus looked full as well, but Mika encouraged us to push our way on. Most of the riders were young teenagers in their school clothes (white blouses and blue skirts/pants). Most had large satchels or backpacks and all of them had their faces in their phones. Not one moved an inch for us to squeeze past and stand in the aisle. I guess they didn’t consider as elderly either, because not one stood and offered their seat. We squeezed on and stood in the front, and somehow, the rest squeezed in behind us. It was a 15-minute ride to the station, and very few people got off at any of the stops the bus made. The experience seemed to be an exception to what we’ve experienced in Japan so far, or maybe, that’s just universally “normal” for teenagers.

It was about 5:30pm, and we’d been on the go all day. I’d wanted to do the saki tasting tonight, but we were too exhausted. As we walked from the bus stop past the entrance to the train station, the “Golden Arches” of McDonalds grabbed our attention and we stopped there for Bacon Cheeseburgers, Fries, and a chocolate shake for JT. While he was waiting for our food, I ventured into the station and bought two cans of Asahi Super Dry beer. Asahi recently bought the Octopi brewery in Waunakee and they’re going to be the distributors for Asahi beer all over North America. Back to our room, we feasted on food that is more normal for us and chased it down with cold beer.

It was a fantastic day. I really loved Kanazawa and wish we had more time here to immerse in this city.

Tuesday 7 October, 2025

We’ve been in Japan for a week now, and I’m finally feeling acclimated to the time zone change!

We had breakfast and met the group in the lobby at 8:30am for our travels to Hiroshima. We had a series of three trains: one hour from Kanazawa to Tsurugi, tight connection for a 1 hour 15-minute trip on the “Thunderbird” to Shin-Osaka where we had time for toilet and to buy lunch / snacks at the amazing and beautiful shops, then boarded the Sakura Bullet train to Hiroshima (1.5 hours) arriving just before 2pm.

I’m not sure we’ve ever done a group trip like this with so much rail travel, but I like it. The trains are fast, clean and the stations are so civilized with lanes for walking in and painted lines to queue to board the train. There are signs in English to not crowd around the train door (wonder who that’s directed to?)!

We taxied to our hotel, another ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel. There, we reclaimed our bags that arrived yesterday, checked in and quickly assembled to walk to our afternoon tour.

It was a short walk from our hotel to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, located in the heart of the city, which commemorates the tragic atomic bombings of 1945. We watched an older video, narrated in English showing footage of the aftermath and injuries of some of the survivors. Nearly a third of the population (over 100,000 people) were killed instantly. Those that survived had terrible burns from the radiation and many had their eyes burned out. The nuclear bomb was so devastatingly different than a “regular” bomb in that it just vaporized most everything within a quarter mile of the impact.  Hard to explain, but there were shadows on some sidewalks where the bodies shaded the blast, but the bodies themselves were just vaporized.  Within 5 years of the blast, another 100,000 people died of cancers and leukemia from the radiation exposure.

The museum itself was overcrowded and in my opinion, not conducive to the reverence it deserves. There were hordes of Japanese school kids there, which added to the congestion. Jeff and I were both feeling that overwhelming sadness and hopelessness that comes with learning more about our global history and comparing that to the state of the world today. We found a bench to sit and wait for the group, and we were approached by a young Japanese boy who asked in perfect English if he could talk with us. He asked what our impression of the museum was, and Jeff said it hurt his heart, and I said it made me afraid because of the ongoing conflict in the world. He asked if we’d ever been to Pearl Harbor and we said yes. He said he went last year and it was much of a learning experience for him, as his whole life he’d been taught that Japan was an innocent victim of WWII. Unfortunately, at that point someone from our group came over and said we’re leaving, so we didn’t get to continue the conversation, but I wish we’d have had more time!

Outside the museum, there is a large Peace Park along the riverbank. It’s dotted with gardens and memorials to those known to have been killed in the explosion and others who died as a result. A burning flame waits in the park to be extinguished when all nuclear weapons in the world have been destroyed.

We visited the statue of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of leukemia as a result of the bomb blast, despite folding 1,000 origami paper cranes to appeal to the deities to make her well. There are glass display booths containing thousands of paper cranes made by visitors and brought to the memorial. What looked like lei / necklaces from a distance were actually chains of tiny cranes strung together. We’d folded some paper cranes (with much help from Mika) and added ours to the collection.

We continued our reflective stroll along the river and stopped to ring the “peace bell.” One of the most remarkable things we learned today is how the people of Hiroshima turned their anger into work to abolish nuclear weapons from the earth so this can never happen again. Each year, they hold a peace summit, and we saw several people actively protesting the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Across the river, we could see the frame of the Gembaku Dome, the sole building to withstand the explosion. Mika told us of the efforts of the community to decide to keep what’s left of the building standing, so that day is never forgotten, with the hope that it will inspire people to reflect, remember, and be reminded of the power we all hold to create peace. All afternoon as I immersed myself in Peace Park, John Lennon was in my head singing “All we are saying, is give peace a chance ….”

We crossed the river into another dimension and entered a busy shopping district where we had about an hour to browse and work our way to the other end where we’d meet to walk to dinner. Jeff bought a pair of “slip on” shoes, so he’s now more prepared for temple visits!

Mika booked reservations for dinner for us to try Okonomiyaki, the “soul food of the people of Hiroshima.” She said, after WWII when they were “occupied,” and that phrase took me back for a second, but it is the way it was, I guess. In my mind, the US is the savior, not the occupier (my own historical bias) …. Anyway, there was no food as all the crops were destroyed and the Japanese economy was doing poorly after having been at war for so long. The US provided flour for the people, but they didn’t know what to do with flour, as rice had always been the staple of their diet. They learned to make noodles from the flour and also pancakes. The base of the Okonomiyaki is a pancake, and then has layers of food such as cabbage, bean sprout, meat or seafood, egg, and noodles, all cooked on a large iron griddle right in front of us. It was such a fun experience, watching the husband-and-wife team work together to create 13 different concoctions for our group, a routine they’ve done together for many years (there was a photo of them on the wall that was probably 20 years ago). It was delicious and washing it down with a cold beer was perfect.

We had about a 5-minute walk back to the hotel. We thought about joining a few from the group for a nightcap at the hotel bar but decided just to call it a night. It was a lot to take in today and we were kind of tired of talking at this point.

Wednesday 8 October 2025

After breakfast, we took a tram, a train and a boat to Itsukushima Island, popularly known as Miyajima. This is the site of one of Japan’s most beautiful and sacred temples and the 12th-century Itsukushima Shinto shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is built over the water, with a red torii or wooden gateway that appears to float at high tide.

We arrived at high tide. There was some fog and waves, so our photos aren’t as spectacular as some pictures I’ve seen, but it still was really cool!!  I thought it’d be great to be out there in a kayak to get a closer view.  Also on the way to the island, we passed many “oyster beds,” similar to what we saw last year in Portugal.

We’d heard about the deer on the island and were cautioned to not feed them. Apparently, they live in the forest in the evening, but during the day come to town to hang out with the tourists. We’d just stepped out of the ferry station when we saw the first deer! They were everywhere, and not at all skittish. In fact, they could be a bit aggressive. Mika told us to not even have a paper map in your hand - they’ll grab that and eat it!

Mika walked us through town, pointing out the local treats (maple leaf shaped donut-like treats, and oysters) and the best places to grab lunch. Then we had three hours on our own. Since it was high tide, we’d have to view the actual Itsukushima Shine after 3pm. Options were: shopping, hiking up to Mt Misen, gondola ride up the mountain, or visiting many of the others shrines and temples on the island. I wanted to hike, but it was HOT, so we opted for riding the gondola up the mountain and hiking down (we wished we our hiking poles!!).

Most amazing to me is the history of the island. The shrines and temples date back to the 16th century. The whole island was a religious site until the 20th century when it opened for tourism. It now has lodging and housing and would be a cool place to spend the night and see the lanterns along the shore lit up.

When we got down from our hike, the tide had gone out and it was possible to walk out to the torri gate of the shrine. We grabbed an ice cream cone but had to be on guard for those pesky deer while we ate it!

At 3pm, we gathered for our tour to the shrine. This morning, there were several large groups of tourists on the island, but they seem to have gone back to the mainland, and we practically had the shrine to ourselves while we toured it, which Mika says is very rare. There were two platforms / stages that were for dancing (pleases the deities) and another sort of play that’s similar to Kabuki theater, where its only performed by men in costumes and mask, always with a religious theme.

We headed back to the ferry terminal and departed about 4:30pm, then train and then tram … arriving back at the hotel just before 6pm. We were hungry, but exhausted and in need of bath/showers. We went up to our room and ordered room service - salad, burgers and a bottle of wine. Jeff took a bath/shower and the food came - fast and inexpensive (for room service) - $48! After we ate, I had a bath and won the round of backgammon for the evening. Early to bed, as we have an early departure for Kyoto tomorrow!

Thursday 9 October 2025

We had an earlier start today; meeting in the lobby at 7:30am. We had quick taxi rides to the train station and caught the 8:02am train to Himeji. There, we stashed our luggage and backpacks in lockers and had about a two-minute taxi ride to the grounds of Himeji Castle.

The two couples in our group from British Columbia have mobility issues, even though they’re full of talk about how active their lifestyles are with skiing, golf and diving. Personally, I think they’re talking about the good old days! It’s a challenge for the guide to accommodate those of us that like to move, and those that can’t (or maybe won’t). Lately, she’s been giving us split options, which is tough for her, I think. Touring this castle was about 2 miles of walking, and seven flights of steep stairs, so she offered that those that didn’t want to do that could just tour the garden instead.

The World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular and best-preserved castle. The castle was completed in the early 17th century and features an elegant white facade with multiple wooden roofs. The castle’s central keep is over 45 meters high, one of the tallest wooden keeps ever built in Japan. The brilliant white plaster walls have earned it the nickname “The White Heron,” and it is a very unique and magnificent structure. Because the castle was never besieged, bombed, or burned, more of the buildings have survived to present-day than at any other Japanese castle.

The foundation itself is amazing. We learned it took eight years to build up the stone foundation, and a year to build the structure, which is amazing given the size of some of the post-and-beam construction. It was designed for warfare, with over 1000 gun-and-arrow slits lining the castle walls. It was a challenge to walk to the top using the narrow and steep staircases, but we found ourselves a little disappointed with the lack of displays inside. No weaponry, costumes or furniture to depict how the ruling classes lived during Japan’s feudal period.

It was another warm day today, and we didn’t really linger too much outside the castle. We were up and down well before our appointed meeting time at the intersection where the taxis dropped us, so we checked in with Mika and got permission to stroll the 10 blocks back to the train station. We grabbed lunch at Starbucks and had a great seat watching people walking to and from the station from inside an air-conditioned building. We met up with the group, collected our bags from the locker, and we were on our next train bound for Kyoto - our destination for the next 5 nights (three more with this tour, and two with the next)!

Kyoto served as Japan’s imperial capital for more than a thousand years. There are said to be 2,000 temples, shrines, palaces, museums and traditional gardens in Kyoto. The population of Kyoto is 1.5 million, and it feels like there are a million tourists here as well. It’s a bit of a shock to my system to be back in the madness, I much prefer the small villages and the countryside.

We took taxis to the hotel, where there wasn’t time to check in, just drop our other bags with those that were there waiting for us, and climb back into different taxis for the 15-minute ride to Gion, Kyoto’s renowned geisha district. We drove down a maze of tiny little one-way streets, and we were dropped off on a street jam-packed with tourists, many of them wearing kimonos and taking selfies.

We went into a tea house, and upstairs for the “Maiko Experience” Mika had booked for us (all but Paul and Sam opted for it). It was really interesting, and I’m glad we did it. A Maiko is an apprentice Geisha (or Geiko in Kyoto). They’re 13-19 years old, and study for at least 5 years before becoming a Geiko. She did a dance for us, very graceful and expressive with delicate hand gestures, and then the host described for us the process of getting the hair and makeup so perfect, her kimono, and the meaning behind how a Maiko dresses (youthful appearance) versus a Geiko (sophisticated elegance). We then had the opportunity to ask her questions, while he interpreted the questions and her answers. She saw a film when she was 13, and that prompted her to want to become a Geisha. That meant leaving her home and family north of Tokyo and finding a Geisha House in Kyoto to take her on as an apprentice. She said at first her family was nervous, but now they’re proud of her. She’s 18 and has been at this for 4 years. I asked if she could ever go out in public dressed as a teenager and if she has a cellphone, and the answer was no. They’re always in the hairstyle, makeup and kimono of a Maiko when they go out. They communicate with their families by writing letters - it’s a 100% commitment to the lifestyle. We had an opportunity to pose with her for photos, and then she did another dance for us.

Back out on the streets - we had about an hour for shopping (even I am getting tired of the shopping breaks!). I bought some incense and a bracelet, but mainly we just dodged the crowds and people watched.

As a group, we walked through the lantern-lined streets of Gion. Mika led us into the Yasaka Shrine, which is a huge area that was traditionally supported by the Geisha trade. On the edge of the temple, the street was lined with vendors selling trinkets, food and drink - seemed a little odd since we were still within the shrine grounds! We went out the side and down a huge stair which opened out to Kyoto-Kawaramachi Street - and just about 2km to our hotel, almost straight down the street (the streets of Kyoto are very straight - modeled after some ancient street in China). Even the river seems to run straight!!

Mika led us down a side street where the tea houses where Geikos / Geisha entertain. It was close to 6pm, and she said this is the best time to see them. There were large signs posted to not harrass the Geikos and no photography in the whole area. She led us down an alley to a back street, but there was a NO TRESSPASSING sign posted there now, which she said is new. She said the Okiya (traditional houses where Geisha/Maiko live) are located there. We went back to the Main Street, and saw a Maiko rushing along. She walked fast and used her hand to motion people out of her way. We stopped in a linen store, and then walked back along another back street, where we saw another Maiko and a Geiko (we’ve now been trained to tell the difference). As we turned to go back to the first street, a very elegant older Geisha walked past us. Her kimono was more plain as was her hairstyle. Her shoes were more practical, but what I don’t have is the words to describe her presence - it was like she floated by us, not ignoring us, but not the same stressed hurried manner that the younger ladies we’ve seen have been emanating. It was a really cool experience.

We got on a bus, although walking might have been faster. The streets were crowded, mainly with tourists. We got off the bus and walked about three blocks to our hotel, checking in just before 7pm. We were exhausted and hungry. Jeff and I decided to walk back to the grocery store we’d just passed, and there we bought salads, grilled chicken, cheese, crackers and chocolate cookies. We brought it back to our room and enjoyed that while we finished the wine from the previous evening and got settled into our tiny room. This one appears to have bigger beds, so we have one for our suitcases and one we can both sleep in. Hardly any floor space at all - definitely not enough for yoga!!

Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Kyoto Shijo

Friday 10 October 2025

We nearly slept until our 7am alarm this morning! We got up and quickly got ready and went down to breakfast. We sat by Paul and Sam, and unfortunately, Paul has come down with a cold. It had to happen to someone in this group being exposed to as many people as we have on buses, trains and subways! I hope our immunity holds.

The plan for the day was train to Nara for the day, but that itinerary is identical to the things we’ll see with our next group tour next Wednesday, so we talked with Mika and we’re going to skip that part of the tour and take the afternoon to rest, do some laundry, and maybe have a massage!

We set out with the group at 8:40am and walked a few blocks to the subway, which we rode two stops to the train station. We went with the group to the JR rail where they boarded the train to Nara, and we boarded the local train in the direction of Nara, just across the platform. It was packed full, but we squeezed into the last car. It was just two short stops to the Fushimi Inari Shrine.

This shrine is noted for the thousands of torii gates that follow a path up Mt Inari. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and prosperity. The torii gates have been donated by individuals and businesses to express prayers for success and appreciation for good harvests. Besides the gates, there seemed to be hundreds of altars, ranging from very large to very small. I’d read that it’s best to visit very early in the day, but it was about 10am when we were there. It was sad to me that it’s a sacred site and I think people should be reverent, but they’re weren’t. Besides being loud, many were clogging up progress up the mountain by stopping to pose perfect photos - and then with their faces in their phones probably trying to see what kind of reactions they’re getting to their Instagram accounts. I tried to breathe through it and not let it affect my mojo. As we climbed higher, there were fewer people to deal with, and it was an enjoyable morning.

We were about 5km (3 miles) from our hotel at that point. We got back on the train and rode the two stops to the main station. There we scoped out the hotel where we’ll meet our gang and the next trip leaders on Sunday. It seems to be a really nice hotel, right at the train station. We decided to walk from there, and we were hungry, so we stopped at a Burger King, waiting about 30 minutes for our food, which was super spicy chicken - maybe not the best decision we made today.

It was an enjoyable walk back towards our hotel. We stopped into the courtyard of Higashi-Honganji Temple – it was absolutely massive, and gorgeous. A lot like the massive temple we saw last week in Tokyo, but without any people!

We googled “massage” and found a place close to our hotel that had availability this afternoon. We went back to our room, showered, did laundry then headed back for our appointments. They only had time for 30 minutes massage each, so we didn’t get completely relaxed, but it was a good start. I had 30 minutes working on my feet and calves - where I needed it the most!

I’d made dinner reservations at DAIJO, a French restaurant close to the hotel that was recommended by Mika. Monica and Julie went there last night and had a fabulous experience there.

We heard from Gary that he’s arrived in Tokyo, and saw Dan’s post on Facebook that they’re having a great experience hiking in a national park and staying in a Ryokan and eating beautifully prepared and presented meals. Looking forward to connecting with them all on Sunday!

Saturday 11 October 2025

Last full day of this tour. We were breakfasted up and in the lobby to meet the group at 8:30am. We walked a few blocks and took a bus for 4 stops, then picked up the northbound subway for 4 stops. Along the way, Mika gave us a little more background on Kyoto:

Kyoto was the capital city for over 1000 years - the capital is wherever the emperor lives. Kyoto was modeled after the Chinese Tang dynasty capital, Chang’an. With the mountains and the river, the location met the exacting feng shui requirements.

Samurai were members of the warrior class who served as retainers to lord in Japan prior to the Meiji era. Samurai existed from the late 12th century until their abolition in the late 1870s. In 1853, the United States forced Japan to open its bordered to foreign trade. The Japanese abandoned feudalism for capitalism, so that they could industrialize and build a modern army. The adoption of modern firearms rendered the traditional weapons of the samurai obsolete. Japan had no more need for a specialized warrior caste. By 1876, the special rights and privileges of the samurai had all been abolished.

Zen Buddhism spread among the samurai in the 13th century and helped shape their standards of conduct, particularly in overcoming the fear of death and killing.

From the subway, it was a short walk to a Buddhist temple complex. We walked through three gates, which has a significance:

Gate of emptiness (you are nothing, absence of inherent existence)

Gate of formlessness (absence of characteristics)

Gate of no-wish (you want for nothing, absence of wishes or aspirations)

At one of the halls, we were met by people from a nearby Samurai studio. Mika said you can go to their place for the samurai lesson and show, but she likes to arrange for them to come to the temple, which made it a more authentic experience for us. The coolest part was we seemed to be the only people within the temple complex, and I think it’s rare to find that kind of serenity in a city of this size!

A few days ago, we recorded our sizes and made selections for the style of our samurai outfit: loose decorative pants and a kimono that was wound tightly around our middle section. We needed a lot of help to get them on correctly, and they were so beautiful and quite comfortable.

The instructors led us through the basics of samurai etiquette and the way to unsheathe and re-sheathe the sword safely. I didn’t touch the edge or the tip of the sword so I don’t know how sharp they actually were. I was a little nervous being in the crowded room with a few of our trip mates that weren’t really paying attention, but all was well. They also gave us Japanese fans, and taught us some of the moves that are used in “kembu,” where the fans are used to tell a story (rain, wind, water, etc). Mostly, we just posed for photos.

After we changed out of our outfits, the instructors performed kembu, an ancient art form that honours the culture of the Japanese warrior class, the samurai. It’s said that in feudal times, samurai would perform these traditional routines to build courage and improve concentration, thereby expressing the spirit of the warrior. While the moves with the swords were crisp and theatrical, the song they performed with the fans was wonderful - I could see the story they were telling. It was even more expressive than the dance the Maiko did with the fan the other day!  Unfortunately, they requested we didn’t record it.

When we left the temple, we walked through some quiet neighborhoods and it was good to get a feeling of how some locals lived. All had beautiful plants and flowers in the front of their house - ornamentation seems to be very important. We got back on the subway and emerged in a very busy shopping mall. We were given 45 minutes to grab lunch in the food court, where it was chaos - noon on a Saturday. Not just loud kids, but a new store had opened and was evidently paying these two young women to yell about it and had out balloons. Not a relaxing lunch.

Back on the subway, then a bus and a short walk to Diatokuji, a complex of 22 temples. Mika couldn’t really explain to us why so many different temples are on the same complex, but she said, “important monks could build their own.” Also, there are 13 denominations of Buddhism and each of those had many subdivisions, so it might be that a priest forms his own denomination as builds his own temple. Who knows? Regardless, the Philosophy is the same: “You don’t reach enlightenment in this world.”

Five Precepts of Buddahims:

Don’t lie

Don’t kill

Don’t steal

Don’t engage in sexual misconduct

Don’t get drunk

We visited Daisen-in, a Zen temple that was supported by the samurai. It dates back 1507 and is on the historic register. We took off our shoes and were led to a pavilion with tatami mats, open sides, and meditation cushions set up along the edges. I felt at peace there and looked forward to our meditation session. We’d been greeted by a young woman who taught us how to sit for meditation, and said it’d be led by the priest that was sitting in the corner when we arrived (Mika called him a monk, but the young lady called him a priest - will need to get some clarification on the difference). They demonstrated how if you’re feeling fidgety and need assistance getting back into the meditation, you hold your hand up in prayer and he comes over and you bend over your legs and he whacks you 4 times with a large flat stick - 2 times on each shoulder blade. Jeff requested it early, and probably about 15 minutes in I was feeling tension in my shoulders, so I gave the monk the signal and he gave me 4 whacks - it was actually amazing, and helped me reset and get back into the meditation session. I’m not going to lie though; I was relieved when he rang the bell signaling the end of the session - one leg was starting to get tingly.

After meditation, they set up tables and had us practice calligraphy, with varying results. We wrote out the sutras, and our name and a wish. I wished for peace.

Then the young woman led us on a tour of the garden and the main hall of the 500-year-old temple! I was surprised to learn about the symbolism of the rocks. The number of rocks related to our desires, the gardens were dry, but the small stones represented water. It was so amazing - I could have spent the day there. In the Main Hall, she read us the translation of some poetry written by the head priest, who is now 97 years old. His son, the second priest is in his 30s and we were led through meditation by the young priest, the grandson (that’s the difference between monks and priests - priests can marry and have children). The translation of the poem goes like this:

Be long tempered, not short

Be peaceful in your mind, your heart round

Don’t get upset, lie down your belly. Don’t get it upright

Let the other people be great, respect others

Make yourself small, be humble, or be moderate.

We finished with a traditional bowl of matcha tea at this historic temple where they said the tea ceremony was developed into its current form by famous tea master, Rikyu. Many years ago, Jeff and I did a tea ceremony in San Francisco at a Chinese Tea House - this was much less formal but had meaning in a very different way. We were given what they said was a sweet treat - bean paste rolled into a little log and dusted with cinnamon. It was yummy, but not sweet to me, and paired well with the warm Matcha.

Next, we got back on the bus for our last stop: Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion, named for the temple’s top two floors that are covered in gold leaf. The temple is surrounded by trees and sits on a reflective pond, making this must-see in Kyoto.  It’s a perfect place for photos, which means we were back into the throng of crowds, everyone pushing for the perfect photo. The sun was getting low in the sky (it was after 4pm), which didn’t make for the best photos, but it lit the place up like it was electric! There was an organized one-way path through the gardens, which were beautiful – a series of ponds, creeks and stone. We completed the loop in time to get ice cream from the vending machine while we waited for the others. It sure was a different set of aesthetics, comparing the golden pavilion to the meditation temple!

Bus and then subway, and a few blocks back to the hotel. We cleaned up and by 6:45pm we were headed to our last group dinner at Okonomiyaki Manmaru No Tsuki, a place Mika called an Italian-Japanese fusion. She’d pre-ordered for us, which made it easier. It was a nice evening, talking about the highlights of the trip - of which there were so many! She was the perfect leader for us, and I feel that we were given such an amazing introduction to Japan - from big cities to small villages. Temples, shrines and gorgeous gardens. A variety of food, most too exotic for my tastes. Now, on to the second half of this adventure!!

Sunday 12 October 2025 

We had a leisurely morning, then left our hotel in a taxi for the short ride to the Hotel Granvia Kyoto, at the main train station. We were in the check-in line when we saw Kent and Lynn who’d arrived late last night, and soon we were joined by Gary and Dan & Tam.

No one had a real plan for what to do today, so Tam mentioned going to a Craft and Art Fair at a museum. We took the subway two stops to the same station near our last hotel, and walked a few blocks but she led us to a building that was a hospital? Somehow, Dan then took over and led us a few blocks in a different direction, where we came to the craft fair. We browsed the booths, but no one bought anything,

Next, we walked to Nishiki Market, hoping to find a place where the 7 of us could sit for lunch. We had to walk a few blocks to find a place, but then found a place with sushi, tempura shrimp, and cold beer. Nice place to get off our feet, converse and catch up.

After that, I suggested we keep walking north to the Imperial Palace and gardens. We did that, and found a nice wooded area with wide paths, but there were high gates around all the structures, and no real gardens with water features and beautiful trees. There was a subway stop on the corner so we headed there - 4 stops back to the train station and our hotel. It was after 3pm then, so Jeff and I were able to check in and get settled.

We ventured out again just after 6pm to meet the gang, plus the 5 others and our two guides in the lobby for introductions and dinner.

Our guides are Akko and Akemi, both ladies about Mika’s age, and with similar stories (lived abroad with their husband’s careers, two grown children, doing this now as a hobby to show off their country to visitors). Also, in our group we have another couple: Daniella and Reed from NYC, two friends: Melinda from FL and Lauren from GA, and from California: Tasia. It’ll be a good group!

We had a little orientation, then headed out to a nearby restaurant for dinner: Shabu Shabu, which I think is a style of eating: thinly sliced vegetables and meat (pork and beef), that we cooked in a pot right in front of us. We had a gelled vegetable appetizer and really yummy mushroom soup as appetizers while our vegetables were cooking. Again, the most beautiful presentation and dishes! Our soup was in this little teapot, and the lid became the bowl that we’d drink it from. So cool. The staff were patient and friendly and made the evening even more special.

Monday 13 October 2025 

This hotel is the most glamorous that we’ve been in so far in Japan. We have a good size room and a large bed! There is enough floor space for our large suitcases, and a big closet as well!!

We slept well, waking around 6am. Since it’s a big hotel, we figured breakfast would be crowded (and it was), so we went there early and made it to the 8am meet up just in time!

I’d worn my Chaco sandals to breakfast, intending to change into my Keen low hikers before going out for the day, but forgot! And then, there wasn’t time as we had a train to catch!

Today is a national holiday in Japan, Sports Day, so Akko said she expects the sites to be even more crowded for Kyoto is a destination for Japanese tourists as well!

We rode the subway a few stops, then transferred to a local train that took us to Arashiyama, which historically had been a high end area for emperors and aristocracy. It is a beautiful area in northwest Kyoto known for spring cherry blossoms, dramatic autumn foliage, and forested mountains. It’s best known for the bamboo groves, which are even more amazing in person than in the photos! The only deterrent, of course, were the crowds.

After a walk through the groves, we met again as a group and toured the grounds of the Tenryu-ji Temple. The temple is the head of the Tenryu-ji branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, established in 1339 by shogun Ashikaga Takauji. They had a beautiful garden, with a large pond surrounded by trees that were starting to show some beautiful fall foliage, and surrounded by green mountains. The landscape garden is one of the oldest in all of Japan, retaining the same form as when it was designed by Musi Soseki in the fourteenth century. Known as the Sogenchi Garden, it was designated a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. It was a perfect place to hang out on a bench and enjoy the morning - I feel so centered when I’m in nature.

We learned a traditional Japanese garden is a reproduction of Mother Nature:  small pond = ocean, rocks = islands, small hill = Mt Fuji. The Shinto religion is based upon nature worship. They have strong feelings of admiration and respect for nature, as well as fear of natural disasters.

Three auspicious plants in Japan:

Bamboo = energy

Pine tree = longevity

Plum tree = new life (flowery bloom in Spring)

We walked a few blocks to a train station, which was to be our meeting place at noon. Earlier in the day, we popped into a 7-11 and bought sandwiches, fruit and snacks for lunch. Our group of 7 walked over the beautiful Togetsu-kyo Bridge (which was reconstructed in 1934 and appears to be made of wood, but it’s not) over the Katsura River. It was kind of misting off and on during the morning, not enough to need an umbrella, but enough that I got my hat out of my bag. We found a sheltered pavilion where we ate our lunch and watched families walking and cyclists going by along the river.

We spilt up, and some went to do tasting at the shops, and JT, Gary and I looked for an alternative route back to the meeting point, which didn’t work out! We barely made it back on time (which like our last tour, on time is late!). We boarded an adorable one car “trolly” and rode that for about 10 minutes to another part of town, and then about a 5-minute walk to Ryoanji Temple to tour its famous rock garden.

The garden is a large but simple rectangle with 15 rocks, and white gravel. The garden is maintained every morning by the monks, and it was raked in pristine rows. It is thought to have been created by a respected Zen monk, Tokuho Zenketsu, at the end of the Muromachi Period (around 1500). There were two rows of bench seats overlooking the garden, and I was happy to find people sitting there reverently, reflecting on the beauty of the surroundings. Unlike the Daisen-ji temple we’d visited a few days ago, there was no one to tell us what the rocks symbolized. Instead, we were encouraged to find our own meaning. The rocks were grouped into 5 larger groups with multiple rocks surrounded by grass, and two large rocks on their own. I thought about it representing earth with 7 continents, and the white rocks were the seas connecting us all. I hoped for peace as we’re all interconnected in so many ways.

We left the temple, put our shoes back on and strolled around the grounds, sitting on a bench for a bit overlooking the pond. The group was headed to the Golden Pavilion next, so I suggested to JT that we skip that shuffle through the crowd and find our way back to the hotel. I switched my phone off airplane mode and spent the $12 for the AT&T International Plan for the day so we could navigate on our own. Akko was okay with our plan, so with the help of Google maps, we set out on our own. We wound through neighborhoods with walled courtyards and plants and flowers - I remarked to JT that it was a lot like the villages we walked through in Portugal and Spain last year on our Camino - we could have been anywhere in the world!! Then we walked about 2km along a busy street, past shops and temples. The streets were busy with women cycling along the sidewalks, most with a kid or two in the carrier on their bike and others rushing to bus stops. It was just short of 3 miles when we arrived at the Green Subway line - stop #6. By now, we’d figured out what direction to get on to ride to stop #11 which is the train station. We arrived back at the hotel about 3:30pm, long showers and a good rest until we met the gang at 6pm in the lobby for dinner.

We took the subway, 2 stops green, one stop red, to the busy downtown area and had dinner at a “Natural Western” restaurant in a beautiful hotel. Dinner had been pre-ordered with many courses: caprese salad, soup, tempura vegetables, chicken and potatoes, and peach ice cream for dessert. It was a great dinner, but took too long as we were all nearly falling asleep before desert came. We were back at the hotel, falling into bed just before 10pm.

Tuesday 14 October 2025 

We packed up our duffel bags for the next two nights, and sent our larger bags via courier where we’ll see them when we check in on Thursday!

We took a ten minute bullet train to Osaka-S, then a seven stop subway under Osaka, then a 90-minute train to Nankai where we took the funicular scenic Nankai railway to Mount Koya, then a 10 minute bus ride to the temple where we’ll be staying tonight - arriving about 12:15pm - WHEW!!

Mount Koya, is a bowl-shaped valley filled with stands of cedar trees in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. It’s not a single mountain - it’s 8 peaks surrounding a meadow which is 6km east to west and 3km north to south. From the air, they say it looks like a lotus flower. It is considered one of the most sacred places in Japan.

Since the 9th century, when the priest Kukai (also known as Kobo Daishi which translates to Great Máster of the Universe) founded the first temple and the Shingon esoteric sect of Buddhism, Mount Koya has been a place of religious devotion and ceremony.

Kukai was born in 774 in Sanuki Province. He was ordained at the age of 20, and at the age of 31 he studied Esoteric Buddhism in Tang China - which is apparently something words can’t describe, it’s more something that is felt. It’s communicated through incantations and drawings.

Today there are more than 100 monasteries in this area, many of which have shukubo (temple lodgings). The total population is 3500 total, including 600 monks. It also has a university where men can train to become monks.

Akko led us on a guided walk through the vast Okuno-in cemetery, with more than twenty thousand graves and memorials to feudal lords and other past luminaries. Words can’t really describe the experience. There was a stone bridge where we bowed with respect as we crossed into the cemetery. The contrast of the hundreds of years old cedar trees and thousands of stone markers and memorials, many of which are hundreds of years old, was breathtaking.

Many of the graves are topped by five stone pagodas, with each stone representing one of the elements: earth, water, fire, wind and air.

There were a few Buddha statues, many jizo statues and lots of Kobo Daishi statues … it took me a bit to be able to differentiate them!

Like we’ve seen at other shrines and the family alters at other places, flowers, candles and incense are offered as tributes. In Mt Hoya, parasol pine branches are generally offered instead of flowers.

Egg shaped stones mark the graves of monks, but we didn’t see that many of them among the thousands of other memorials.

I was surprised to see what appeared to be Torii gates, but Akko explained that “Buddhist to Shinto synchronicity” is reflected throughout the cemetery, so that explains some of the other confusion I’ve felt over the past two weeks trying to figure out which is a temple and which is a shrine! The Shinto belief is that every natural object has a spirit, so how could that not be present in a forest as beautiful as this!!!

We walked about a mile and a half before we came to a spot with purification stations and a spot to purchase candles and incense (and a restroom). From there, a path that led over two bridges to the mausoleum where Kobo Daishi is interned (although there are those that believe he is still alive). It was astonishing to hear that monks deliver two meals a day to him, and that has occurred for OVER ONE THOUSAND YEARS!!

We were able to go underneath that temple, and there were thousands of little Kobo Daishi statues marked with a number of each donor that has contributed to the temple. Religious institutions around the world are probably more alike than they are different!

We walked out of the cemetery along a different route, where we could see the road and there were fewer and much smaller trees. In that area, there were large corporate shrines - not necessarily where anyone is interred, but more of a corporate statement of support. Akko pointed out the Nissan shrine (her husband worked for Nissan), which had a statue of two men who are not buried there, but were killed in a workplace accident, and therefore are memorialized there.

We cut out to the road and hoped on a bus for the short ride to Kongobu-ji temple. Kongobu-ji Temple is the “general name for the entirety of Koyasan, named by Kobo Daishi Kukai based on the Sutra ‘Kongobu-roukaku-Isai-yogi-guo’.” Honestly, I really have no idea what that means. I just copied it from the brochure!

We had about ten minutes before our reservation, so Akko gave us a brief history of Japan:

6th-12th Century: Emperor / Aristocracy (Centralization)

Kamakura Revolution

12th-19th Century: Shogun / Samurai (Feudalism / Absolutism)

Meiji Revolution

19th Century to Present: Emperor / Bureaucracy (Modernism)

Kongobu-ji was an amazing collection of buildings, and is the head temple of 3600 Koyasan branch temples and 10 million members. The original building was lost in a fire, and the present building was built in 1863 from the original design. There are buckets on the top and a ladder is part of the design - all for the purpose of fighting fire (but I think it’d be a total loss). We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the main hall, but the paintings on the sliding doors were out of this world - cranes, willow trees in all seasons, flowers and flowering shrubs with translated words. The one that I recall the best was of cherry blossoms, and something about the contrast of the solid roots that hold the tree for years versus the fragile bloom of the flower that only lasts for days. There is also a series of rooms with painted screens depicting Kobo Daishi’s sojourn in Tang Dynasty China.

Then of course, the rock garden. This one was massive and wound around buildings. It’s the largest in Japan at 2349 square meters and is composed of 140 rocks of red granite from the island of Shikoku and white sand from Kyoto. The design is said to depict a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds to depict Okuden.

The tour exited through the kitchen, where there was a massive hearth and three large basins which would cook enough rice to serve 2000 people. There was what looked like a large raised buffet table, and we were told that was how they stored the food to keep it from the mice!

After our tour, we had about 45 minutes before we could check into our temple lodgings, so we walked through town, poking in a few shops (I bought a pair of Japanese toe socks with flowers on them for Gary to bring home to Rose).

We checked into our Shukubo (pilgrims' lodgings run by the monks). It was pretty similar to the family Inn (Ryokan) we’d stayed in last week in Tsumago. We have futon mats to sleep on, a view of their gorgeous gardens from our private seating area, yukata (kimono) to wear and slippers for our feet. We settled in, then were served dinner at 5:30pm, with the option to purchase beer or saki. Dinner was Buddhist vegetarian cuisine called “shojin-ryori.” I expected some kind of vegetarian bowl, but instead it was a beautifully presented multi-course meal with vegetables (roasted, tempura and pickled), soup, mushrooms cooked in a hot put, a couple of kinds of tofu, and of course rice. For dessert, we had one grape (they’re expensive here) and persimmon, which I don’t think I’d ever had, but I liked! It was plenty to fill me up with lots of food still left on my tray.

After dinner, we headed to our separate bathrooms - also similar to the inn last week. There

was an outer area to undress, an inner area with 5 shower heads and a large hot tub. I showered and then soaked about ten minutes in the tub. Felt fantastic, and 45 minutes later I was still trying to cool off!

Wednesday 15 October 2025 

As soon as I found some ear plugs, it was a good night’s sleep on my futon with the rice pillow! As we were gathered at the communal sink this morning, Dan commented that this is as close to camping as one can get.

We gathered at 6:20am and we were ushered into the temple area. We lined up in short chairs, where we could see into the altar area. There was a strong smell of incense, almost overwhelming. After about ten minutes, the head priest came in and said “good morning!” Then in Japanese, he invited us to light incense if we were moved to do so. He sat at the altar and began chanting / singing for about 30 minutes, with an occasional ringing of a chime. Some of his chants reminded me of Native American ceremonies I’ve seen. His voice was deep and resonating and I could feel it inside my body. It was a very moving experience.

Afterwards, we were allowed to walk behind the altar, where there were hundreds of little gold statues, which I assume are a tribute to donors. Also, large old books or logs of some sort, candles and fresh fruit. A lot of gold! The whole altar area had so much ornamentation - it’s hard to describe and we couldn’t take photos.

Afterwards, we gathered for breakfast: miso soup, rice, fermented vegetables, etc. I missed the boiled egg, yogurt and chocolate croissant I’ve been eating lately.

We packed up and went to the Danjo Garan (temple complex), where Kobo Daishi started his teaching when he returned to Japan. There was a large Pagoda and main hall. The pagoda is  “Treasure House” style, reconstructed in the 1930s. Traditionally, a pagoda is where Buddha’s ashes are stored. Akko said she believes there are ashes stored here, but I wondered how that’s possible when the place has burned down many times over the past one thousand years?!

We paid the ¥500 each to go inside the pagoda, where the pillars were painted in Buddhist art in three dimensions and there were large Buddha statues covered in gold leaf. Inside the pagoda, “Messages from Missionaries of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism” were posted on the walls.  Here are the translations:

*Look to the sky and your heart will lighten.

*Live in the moment

*Awareness is the key to enlightenment.

*Know the source in your heart that is gratitude.

*If your heart is the sun, then everything you meet is a treasure.

*Embrace with compassion.

*With hands joined in prayer, the Buddha and the self become one.

*We live life together with all sentient beings.

Akko led us to the pine tree, where legend has it Kobo Daishi threw his “vajura” from China, and wherever it would land, he’d build a temple there. I wondered how the tree could still exist a thousand years later, and Akko said it was probably a descendant of the original tree. Perhaps I’m too literal sometimes?

Within the monastery complex, there was a Shinto shrine that would have been placed to provide protection to the complex. At the entrance were two Korean lions, one with mouth open (ahh) and one closed (ooo), representing the Sanskrit language and the whole universe.

There was also a massive Torii gate at the side entrance with large statues with frightening eyes - probably defending the temple!

We walked around a bit, then gathered outside the temple at the bus stop. Everyone was reaching for their snack bags even though it was only 10am.

We took the bus to the funicular station, and the 11:03 funicular down to the train station. Akko had lunch delivered to the station for us to eat on the train.

We sat down and dug into our bento boxes. We were hungry and I ate most of it, then napped the remainder of that ride, just over an hour.

We had a quick transfer to another train, and about 30 minutes on a regional train to Nara. I was still hungry and craving protein, so I ate my bag of nuts. We shared a seat with Gary and discussed religion and this morning’s service in the temple, among other things. It’s really such a blessing to have these travel buddies where we can just easily be ourselves, without having to go through all the “get to know you” conversations.

Nara was established in 710 AD as Japan's capital, and is home to the famous Nara park, where the semi-tame deer roam. Our last tour was scheduled for a day trip here, which we opted out of. Now that we’ve been here, we know we made the right choice as we sure didn’t have to do these things twice.

We dropped our overnight bags at the hotel, if I’d been smart, I’d have left my backpack too as it was heavy (I had more in my pack today as I was trying to lighten the load of our combined duffel bag). I got extra exercise lugging the backpack the six miles we walked today, including up a massive hill.

We took the train to the park and then walked through the deer and the frenzied crowd (mainly kids, feeding the deer crackers they had for sale in the stores). Being that it is October, it is mating season for the deer, which made it even more interesting. The males were bleating out a pitiful croaking noise, not that much different from a bugling elk. Making even more of a spectacle, some male deer would take advantage of an unsuspecting female who was trying to eat a cracker and mount her - that would really set the kids off!

We walked through the madness to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, a Shinto shrine established in the 8th century. Stone lanterns line the path to the entrance, and inside hundreds of bronze lanterns hang from the building. I imagine it is spectacular when they’re all lit, which Akko said happens just twice a year. The lanterns had fragile looking paper on the window, printed with a name. Akko thought it was about ¥1M to sponsor one of the stone lanterns, and about ¥100,000 for a bronze lantern. There was a hallway that was encased in dark robes, where you could get a feeling for what the lit lanterns would look like. That, and a cool 300 year old tree were the highlights of that shrine. We’re starting to feel a little temple / shrined out! Or it might just be we’re ready to be around fewer people - it will be good to head to the mountains again tomorrow for the next four days.

Next, we bought tickets and entered the gate to hike up Mount Wakakusa for a view of the city. The hike is in three stages, the first was a series of steps that really got our heart rates going! Mostly, the skies were overcast and there was a nice breeze, so that made it doable. It felt great to use the legs and get the heart pumping, and between the hike up and down, it felt that we used all our muscle groups!

Once we were down, it was about a 45-minute walk back to the train station, which is where our hotel for the night is, Piazza Hotel Nara. Dinner was on our own tonight, so we walked through the bustling section of town and Akko pointed out dining and shopping options for us. We arrived at the hotel just before 6pm, JT and I were both exhausted. We checked into our room, dropped our stuff and went to the grocery store in the train station where we bought sandwiches, fruit and Japanese whisky.

Back to the room, we devoured our sandwiches, then took turns with bath / shower, and enjoyed some whisky with the rest of our chocolate while he beat me in our nightly backgammon match. I think JT was asleep before 8:30pm, I read for a bit before I crashed.

Thursday 16 October, 2025 

We were up before my 6am alarm. I opened the shades and saw a group of older people on the plaza below, gathered for stretching and maybe Tai Chi. I copied some of their moves while I stretched out too.

We gathered for breakfast at 7am, a really nice buffet of Japanese and Western dishes. The coolest thing was a “build your own Eggs Benedict bar” with a tray of toasted English muffins, a tray of ham, a bowl of poached eggs, and a bowl of Hollandaise sauce. I had that, plus some yogurt and granola and a latte from the machine.

We met in the lobby at 8am for an excursion before leaving town. We boarded the bus and got off at the same park as yesterday with all the deer. Lots of school kids again, so the same frenzy with people feeding the deer. One thing I forgot to mention is, when some people approach the deer with food in a calmer manner, the deer often appear to bow as if they’re politely asking for food. Sometimes, when you’re just passing by, they also appear to bow, which made me inclined to bow back to them - almost like communicating with them!

This morning’s visit was to Todaiji temple. Originally built in the 7th century, it was rebuilt in the 13th century temple, taking 2.5 million people to build it. It is the biggest gate in Japan.

The main hall is known as “big Buddha’s house,” and is said to be the largest totally wooden structure in the world.

The Big Buddha is cast out of bronze and represents Siddhartha Gautama - born to wealthy Indian family in 500 BC, who is said to have attained enlightenment. Here are a few facts about Buddha statues:

Dot on forehead radiates wisdom

Raised hand - don’t worry

Open palm - I accept you

Influence from Greek culture - added mustache.

Sitting on lotus flower

There are 4 categories of Buddha statues:

Buddha: always seated - attained enlightenment

Boddhisatva - working towards enlightenment, will be more adorned as material things still have an influence

Myo-o - looks like angry fighter, Esoteric Buddhism

Ten - guardian guards

Started in India, Buddhism split into two groups

1. Southern Route - Sri Lanka - purpose is enlightenment

2. Northern Route (Nepal, China, Japan) - purpose is to save people

3. 
   

We walked back to the bus stop, then bus back to the train station, collected our bags and caught the 11:30am train back to Kyoto.

Lunch at the Kyoto train station was on the Tenth floor at a buffet, with a salad bar and Japanese food. I made a yummy rice and fermented vegetable concoction, and enjoyed some bread and tofu donuts for dessert. That was before someone discovered the soft serve ice cream, I had that too!

We caught the 14:08 bullet train to Nagano - about 30 minutes. I was able to use the WiFi to update yesterday’s blog, and do Wordle and Suduko. I thought I’d want to nap, but I also had a cappuccino at lunch!

We lucked out with the weather again today. It rained overnight, and both times when we got on the train it started raining harder, but we didn’t have to employ rain gear at all.

In Nagano, we caught the Limited Express train to the Kiso Valley. There was a one-hour delay from the original departure due to a train-person incident somewhere on the line, which they say is a rare occurrence. We sat on the train for about 45 minutes and departed about 3:45pm. It was already feeling like a long day today because the only walking we’ve done is between the trains!

We’ll be in the Kiso Valley for the next 4 days, hiking the beautiful portions of the Nakasendo Trail. Meaning 'road through the mountains', the Nakasendo has villages known as 'post towns' located along its route. Many of these have been preserved through the effort of the local residents, and it's a treat to enjoy the hospitality of villagers who have converted their traditional 'machiya' houses into inns. It’ll be the break we need from crowds and shuffling through crowded shrines and temples with other tourists.

We got off the train in Nakatsugawa about 5pm, and hoped on a shuttle bus to our hotel, about a 15-minute drive. We checked into our hotel, selected our yukatas for the night from a beautiful selection, then quickly got settled and changed for a 6pm dinner. Dinner was 11 courses, and I was full by the 3rd course. I passed on the trout sashimi course. It was really good, but too much - and too long, over two and a half hours!!

After dinner, Jeff and Dan played a couple games of pool on a massive table in the game room, while Tam and I hit the woman’s communal shower and hot tub. Besides the hot tub, there was a cold plunge pool - I spent a minute in there before the final shower rinse. After I was lotioned up and getting back into my yukata, Tam poked her head into the changing room and announced there was also a sauna in there. I was too lazy to head back in, but that would have felt fantastic too.

This is a nice hotel, and the communal area felt a lot more spa-like than what we’d experienced at the temple. The rooms are good size and seem to be quiet. We’ve been reunited with our suitcases, and they’ll travel by van to our next lodging for a few days, which will be nice!

Hotel Hanasarasa, Magome

Friday 17 October 2025 

Up at 6am, some in-room yoga and we were at breakfast by 7am. Breakfast was the traditional Japanese breakfast, and I’ve got to say, I’m ready to move on from Japanese food - especially fish, rice and miso soup at breakfast. Just give me a banana, some peanut butter, yogurt and fruit!

At 8:30am, we loaded our suitcases onto a small bus, and then ourselves and backpacks - it was a tight squeeze!

We drove about 10 minutes, and were dropped at the small town of Magome, a post town on the Nakasendo route where we started our hike. Before we hiked, Akko gave us some background information on the area:

The trail was 530 km through the mountains (Naka = mountains, sen = through, do = route).

Each Samurai lord was assigned land to oversee (300 Lords). Every other year they had to travel to Edo (Tokyo), and they would travel the Nakasendo with an entourage of up to 1000 members. The route seems quiet today, but was very busy in those days. Once a princess traveled from Kyoto to Edo with 20,000 people in her entourage!

The Lords stayed at buildings called the the Honjin, which was also the hub for the relay of the messages. Waki-honjin, was the subaccomodation for the lesser people.

An author named Toson Shimojaki - wrote “Before the Dawn.” Lived at the end of the Samirui period, and wrote about the Nakasendo Route. The site of his former house is now a museum.

Commoners could travel as “pilgrims.” Shogun was very careful to prevent a revolt, so there were many checkpoints to ensure the pilgrims weren’t carrying weapons.

“Juko” means post town, and it’s added to the end of the name.

There was another trade route called the Tokaido route, which went along the coast but it’s now a bullet train route.

After the Meiji period, the Post Towns fell out of use. In the 1970’s the government gave the funds to preserve some of the Post Towns and return them to their historic appearance.

After our chat, we were given 45 minutes to explore the village of Magome. We passed a coffee shop, so Jeff and I walked back there and I had a decaf latte, JT had a hot chocolate and we split a very yummy chocolate croissant!

A local named Tommy joined our group to hike with us for the next few days, and Akemi is taking a few days off. We’ll see her again in three days. Tommy was knowledgeable about the trail and the area and was interesting to talk to. He has a few different gigs going, including a coffee import business. He had a set of hiking poles that he offered to lend us, and Jeff and I each took one pole for the downhill section which was very helpful.  We had  decided not to bring our poles and we were missing them on the downhill sections especially.

We gathered at a viewpoint on the edge of town and Akko had us pose with the Mt Sobek flag. It was very windy there, and her Mt Sobek hat blew off and down the cliff! Some high school age boys were there, and they chased after it for her, while another took the photo for our group.

We set off and it was good to be hiking! The path was beautiful, winding past houses with large gardens, lots of up and down. It reminded me a bit of doing the Camino last year, as every now and then there would be a hut serving tea or a small shack selling snacks. We walked over Magome Pass (2,625’). The trail rose gently and passed through another small village before reaching Magome Pass, and then descended on a mixed paved and dirt trail through forest to Tsumago-juku, where Jeff and were about 10 days ago on our previous tour. This small village has many restored machiya houses lining the main street, and there are small shops selling local crafts as well as snacks such as goheimochi, rice paste covered in miso and nut-based sauce.

We walked past the place we stayed about 10 days ago, and into the village of Tsumago arriving about 1pm. Akko had arranged for us to have lunch at the office of the travel agent who had arranged this part of our trip, Oku Japan. She wanted us to have the local “buckwheat pancake” and there isn’t a big enough place in town to seat our group. We were greeted and ushered to the porch where there we found pizza boxes with our pancake inside - kind of like a calzone/quesadilla. It was yummy!!

After sightseeing in Tsumago, we had a 45-minute bus ride to our accommodation, arriving about 4pm. It was nice to have the time to organize our stuff for the last time until our final packing in Tokyo on Tuesday night. Tomorrow our large suitcases will travel to Tokyo and we’ll operate out of our backpacks and duffel bags.

We have a nice room - it’s very big, with several little side rooms and the bathroom is subdivided so there is a little room with a toilet and a little room with a sunken wooded tub. JT said the tub was great, but I opted for the communal mineral hot tub soak after dinner.

We donned our yukata and went to meet the group for dinner at 6pm. Dinner was again too much food, but much of it was laid out for us, and the staff were more efficient so it wasn’t as drawn out as last night. We had Shaba Shaba again, veggies and ham that we cooked in broth in our individual hot pots. Most disgusting, but beautifully presented, was trout on a stick that had been roasted over charcoal. I didn’t try it. As I said earlier, I’m ready to move on from Japanese food, but we’ve got a few more days of it ahead of us.

After dinner, Tam and I went down to the communal showers / bath. It was even nicer than last nights, but no sauna. There was a large indoor hot tub and it was HOT, and a medium size outdoor tub with privacy screens.

Accommodation: Hotel Keigetsu, Tsumago (Hirugami Onsen)

Activity: 6 miles hiking with 1,070’ elevation gain & 1,400’ elevation loss

Saturday 18 October 2025

 I was up before my 6am alarm, time for yoga and finishing up my packing. Breakfast was at 7:30am, same deal as yesterday, too much food and two different kinds of fish … nothing I was really interested in eating, but I think we have just two more mornings of this. I feel bad about leaving so much food uneaten.

By 8:45am we were loaded on the bus and on the road, about a forty-five minute ride to Nagiso. The route took us through heavily forested mountains, with lots of hairpin turns. It would have been a difficult trip for anyone that suffers from motion sickness, but there were none of those people in our group. In fact, except for some weird dietary requirements, it’s a pretty low maintenance group. One woman is an easy going vegetarian, but our NYC couple, not so much. She has an allergy to oily fish, so makes a big deal out of what kind of fish is in every meal and that’s tough as yesterday we had some kind of generic “fish cake” for example. He has an allergy to sulfites, and yesterday he didn’t get mushrooms on his pancake and was told that was because mushrooms can contain sulfites, and instead of graciously accepting that, he got bent out of shape. Other than that, they’re all good people, and everyone is in good shape to be doing the hiking we’re doing. Some may even be disappointed we’re not hiking more.

Today we hiked the Yogawa Route, which bypasses the traditional Nakasendo route, up to the Yogawa Nenouetoge Pass. The traditional route follows the Kiso River, which often flooded the trail, so this bypass was created.

We climbed just under 2000’, and 7.85 miles - it felt great to get the heart pumping! It was another warm day, and we didn’t walk far before people were pealing off layers and others were wishing they’d worn shorts!

Akko kept a pretty good pace, and stopped for breaks about every hour or so. At 3 miles, we had a packs off snack break. I have a disposable poncho in my pack and pulled that out for us to sit on while we were stopped as it was a bit damp and I like to sit down when I can! I ate yesterday’s scone-like cookie and some nuts during the break.

We walked through several small developments; I wouldn’t call them villages - more like collections of houses and garden plots. We’d stopped by a rice paddy and Akko was explaining something to us, when a friendly man came out of his house and started breaking branches from his fruit tree and handing them to us. They were Japanese figs - small, but yummy.

Just before we’d started hiking, a woman from a local store delivered bagged lunches to us. I was relieved to find sandwiches - ciabatta bread, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and a pesto-like sauce - very yummy and a nice break from bento boxes, plus an apple and a banana. We’d stopped for lunch at a house that had a patio with chairs, a toilet, and a fridge/freezer with drinks and ice cream and an honor system payment structure. There were two Australian couples there and we chatted with them while we ate our lunch. They’re on a seven-day self-guided excursion where an outfitter arranged housing and luggage transport for them and they’re using an app to navigate about 20k (13 miles) each day.

A light rain started while we were stopped for lunch. Always tough when you’re hiking on a hot day as our rain jackets are too hot! I put my disposable poncho on for a bit but even that was warm. It wasn’t raining that hard, so I made do mostly with just my hat.

We enjoyed walking along empty country lanes and paths that weave their way beside rice fields and the gardens of village houses. We saw rice paddies in all stages - some had been harvested and drained, some were a few weeks away from harvest, and once we passed by where two men were binding the harvested rice into bundles and hanging it upside down over racks to dry.

Water is everywhere in the mountains, and it seems a water management system is in place as we’ll occasionally see where rivers have a series of concrete dams, and diversion canals which are likely for flooding the rice paddies. We were almost never out of the sound of rushing water, which I always love. But speaking of sound, bear bells. Ugh. There are posted signs warning of bears, and mounted bear bells to ring along the trail. Also, Tommy and Akko both had loud bells attached to their packs and Akko had a can of bear spray. I thought that was all “overkill” as we’re a loud enough group, but I just googled “bear attacks in Japan” and see that there have been 6 deaths and over 100 injuries due to bear attack in Japan, so maybe some precaution isn’t such a bad idea?!

We arrived at the top of the pass Nenoue Toge, where the trail turns into paved road, and it was a relief to find our bus there, and about 2:45pm we headed out on the bus with our duffel bag on board. We drove about an hour to Kiso Fukushima, which is where Tommy lives and is the largest Post Town.

We checked into Urana guest house and were greeted by the owner who was dressed in an elegant kimono and had a very polished air about her. We have an absolutely gorgeous room, and appear to be the only ones in our group that have beds! The others were told their futons would be set up when we’re at dinner.

We got settled and most of us went back out with Tommy for a walking tour.

The town is built on three terraces due to the narrow valley. We walked a bit, and then came to Tommy’s coffee shop. He opened it up and brewed some coffee for Tam and Lynn. He said he’d roast some beans tonight for anyone to buy.

Dan & Tam and Jeff and I went with Tommy to do a Saki tasting (Gary, Lynn and Kent were there but didn't taste), and tour of their local Saki brewery. It was fascinating to see, and we learned things about the degrees of “polished rice” and how that affects the saki taste and cost. We bought a bottle of our favorite to bring home to share with our family.

We walked back to the inn, with just a few minutes to change into our yukatas and toe socks and be ready for dinner. Tonight’s dinner was fantastic - the setting is so gorgeous, and the offerings were presented so elegantly. I was especially brave and ate the cricket and trout sashimi tonight.

After dinner I headed to the community bath with Tam, while Jeff took a shower and had a soak in the tub in our room. Perfect after the wet / slightly chilled end to our day and it felt great to soak our muscles after our hike with a quintessential Japanese onsen experience!

Accommodation: Urara Tsutaya (Kiso Fukushima)

Activity: 5-6 hours/8 miles of hiking with 2129’ ascent and 750’ descent

Sunday 19 October 2025 

Another elegantly presented breakfast, this time with a soft egg, but alas, without a piece of toast I just couldn’t eat it!  We left our overnight bags to be transported to our hotel tonight and caught the 8:50am train for a 15-minute ride to Yabuhara.

The scenery from the train was gorgeous. Steep, tree covered hills, mountains poking out of the clouds, beautiful rivers rushing down the mountains. In some spots, there was pretty fall foliage. Rather than going over the hills, the train went through many tunnels.

In Yabuhara, we took a quick walk to a cultural center. There were amazing displays of old artifacts and stuffed animals, including the bears we’ve been on the lookout for: small black bears with a white spot on their chest. Among the artifacts was a drawing of the procession like what would have transported the princess from Kyoto to Tokyo - it looked like the guys would have been carrying a small cabin - not just a carriage!!

This area is apparently renowned for combs, made out of wood with the tiny little teeth sawed by hand. We had a demonstration given by a young man who had been in the musical instrument making industry, but in the last few years has been training in comb making. Most impressive to me was the way he polished the wood using a bone and a piece of shell.

Just before 11am, we were finally ready to hike! I was starving (ok, maybe I was just hungry, not having eaten enough protein this morning)! We hiked through the village but uphill (reminded me a lot of our Portuguese Camino), then finally into a forest. We stopped at an overlook and Akko handed cookies she bought in the village. They were yummy, but I could have eaten a whole package!! We climbed a bit further, then were given a choice to climb some steep stairs to come to the backside of the Torii gate or go around a more gradual climb to the front. Most of our group opted for the steep stairs of course.

At the top, there were some really amazing old statues and for a minute, we had a brief glimpse of Mt XXX, the mountain Tommy had been telling us about for days, but what had been encased in the clouds.

We continued the climb to Torii Pass, which was unremarkable - no view, no memorial. On the way down, we rested in a spot that had been an old tea house, and is now a hikers rest spot. Akko said this valley is scary and reported to be haunted by the more than 500 Samurai warriors that were killed here. She said she’d be afraid to be here at night!

On the way down, I tried to enjoy the scenery and the clean, moist air, knowing our time in the mountains is drawing to an end. It was interesting to compare what is similar to hikes we’ve had elsewhere in the world to what we’d found in Japan. What is different here: availability of drinkable water at pretty regular intervals, as well as toilets (although instead of the pit toilets we find in the wilderness, these were what we call “squatty potties”). Also different here, the periodic statue or memorial with tributes of candles, plants and coins placed at the base.

We arrived in Narai-juku about 1:30pm. The total hike was 4.75 miles, 1082 ft of elevation.

Narai looked like what we’ve come to know as a typical Post Town - older buildings with shops on the street level. We stopped at Soba Noodle Shop where reservations had been made for our lunch. We were served plates of buckwheat noodles, and had pots of broth with vegetables and few small pieces of chicken already cooking. We had these cute little baskets and were instructed to scoop some noodles and immerse them into the liquid just for a little bit (they were precooked). It was yummy, but a bit difficult to eat with chopsticks. We’d previously been told that slurping was not just okay, it was actually encouraged to show you are satisfied with the meal!

With full bellies, we collected our shoes and went back out to the street. It was just a few doors down to our Ryokan for tonight at Iseya, which is a 200 year old Waki-Honji, former accommodation for the sub-Lords, and was typical of the merchant houses that line the village's Main Street.

We collected our duffel bags and were shown to our rooms. Next, the “wife of the owner” performed a Tea Ceremony for us. I’m not sure why Akko kept referring to her as the “wife of the owner,” as she seemed to be doing a lot of the work!!

The Tea Ceremony, Sado - represents hospitality of the house and the beauty of the Japanese culture. Each movement had grace and style, and each movement was made with a purpose and reverence. Akko translated and gave us commentary. We learned that to make good tea, a clear and kind mind and pure heart is necessary. She said loves making the tea ceremony as it gives her peace and quiet to reset her mind. The first step was a Purification step, wiping down everything with a red cloth. The tea whisk, is made of bamboo.  She added some cold water to ensure water was not too hot. The tea we were served comes from a 15th generation tea shop in Kyoto. Like the tea we’d been served in Kyoto, we were given a “sweet treat,” a bean paste that was colored and shaped into a maple leaf. Their palate must be so different than our Westernized palate, as Akko said if it’s too sweet, you don’t have to eat it … while most of us were thinking, “bean paste too sweet?!” It was an elegant ceremony and we were so touched that she wanted to extend that hospitality to us.

Afterwards, Akko led some of us on an optional hike through the restored Post Town - like the others, it was long and narrow with sharp curves at both ends so invaders would be slowed down before they could potentially attack. Some of us cut off the tour and started poking around in some of the shops. I tried on the largest wooden flip-flops in one of the stores, but they didn’t compare to the comfort of my Birkenstocks!

Back to the Inn, this one had small, shared bath spaces for just two people at a time. The one closest to our room was open, so we quickly grabbed it and enjoyed showers and the relaxing mineral bath before dinner.

Group dinner was at 6pm, and was a beautiful production with good food and lots of choices. Much of it was already on the table, and I counted 15 courses. I tried the salmon sashimi, then passed the rest on to JT, and also tried the deep fried trout. My favorite was the fried chicken - but lots of grease and I ended up taking most of the batter off the chicken. Jeff and I’d each ordered a red wine and not understanding 300ml, we ended up with two medium size bottles again (I guess a regular bottle of wine is 750ml but I didn’t think about that at the time). We drank one bottle with dinner, then took the other up to our room and drank most of it while we played 10 backgammon games - split the matches.

Monday 20 October 2025 

A nice quiet night at our last Japanese Inn. I slept well on the futon. Normally I love a heavy comforter when I sleep, but this one was almost suffocating! It took a while to get positioned just right.

Jeff hit the beam with his head last night and is sporting two gashes on the top of his head but isn’t actively bleeding so he didn’t need stitches.

We slept until our 6am alarm and then lazily got up and ready for 7:30am breakfast. We were delighted to find they served us what they called “English Breakfast!” Scrambled eggs, ham and sausage, toast with butter and jam, and yogurt with Japanese kiwi fruit. There was also a pasta salad and miso soup - still too much food, but it felt good to have a satisfying breakfast.

It was cool and rainy last night, this morning it is in the 50’s and damp. We walked about 1.5 miles to the small village of Hirasawa for our introduction to Lacquerware.

The Lacquerware production started here over 200 ago, and there are 700 people working in nearly 100 workshops producing products. Lacquer is made from the sap of lacquer trees. Clay is mixed for the final coating, as well as red coloring from plants. The dishes are waterproof and somewhat fireproof, although care is needed to handwash and not fill with water that is too hot.

We were greeted by a Fourth generation craftsman at his shop. With Akko interpreting, he told us in the Samurai era, the tax was imposed by the width of the house, therefore the buildings are narrow but long, with the shop in front, the garden in the middle and the workshop in the back. He led us into the garden, and it was as magical as some that we’ve seen at temples in the past two weeks. There were gorgeous lanterns, and the trees were all manicured so beautifully. I’m motivated to go home and start trimming my junipers and arborvitaes, but somehow, I think I’d just massacre them!

The workshop was crowded and cluttered. It felt like a fire hazard, and I had an unusual wave of claustrophobia wash over me. But his description of the process of creating lacquerware was very interesting. The wooded pieces are created elsewhere; his shop does the lacquerware.

It takes about a month to complete the process, applying lacquer, drying, polishing and repeating. Most importantly, it had to be completely dust free, so the workshop is separate from the drying space (we didn’t see that as it’s upstairs).

One lacquer tree can yield just 200ml sap, just one time. It takes 15 years for the tree to grow enough to yield sap. They import some lacquer from China but always use Japanese lacquer in the final stages.

The patterns are mostly kept simple here, not so much gold and pearl inlay. However, the piece I fell in love with has a pattern made with pieces of seashell that look like white birch trees, and he told me it’s the last piece he has that was made by his mentor. As I was paying for it, he said his mentor is looking down and is happy. I’ll take great care of it!!

We only were able to poke into a few other shops as we had to meet at the train station at 11:15am for an 11:30am local train to Shiojiri. On our way into Shiojiri, we saw the first vineyards we’d seen so far, and signs for wine tasting. We had an hour until our next train, and Akemi had pre-ordered lunch for us at a restaurant in the train station. Jeff and I both chose option #3, Sobo noodles with tempura shrimp and vegetables, which was yummy and filling. I still went into the snack shop and loaded up on nuts and chocolate for our 2.5-hour train ride to Tokyo.

I read a bit, posted yesterday’s blog and then napped quite soundly on the train - before I knew it, we were scrambling to get off the train at the Shinjuko station. From there, we rode 10 stops on the Tokyo light rail to our stop in Tamachi (same stop as when we were here originally). Then a 10-minute walk and we were at our hotel, arriving about 4:30pm.

We checked in and were glad to find our suitcases already in our room. We spent some time pulling out two outfits and merging the bags for the last time. Two nights here, then we’ll be on our way home with suitcases full of dirty clothes!

Melinda and Lauren had researched attending the Kabuki Theater and invited us to go with them. Of the list of things I’d wanted to see in Japan, that was the only thing left over. We bought tickets this morning for the 6:45pm showing, which was the third of three acts. In the month of October, they’re performing Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) a historical play in three acts. Act Three was a story about a warrior and his lover. The theater, scenery and costumes / makeup were extraordinary. We were unable to take photos during the performance, unfortunately. We paid the extra ¥1500 to have little tablets with English translation of the words and story, which was helpful. The word Kabuki translates to “song, dance and acting skill” and it has a 400+ year history of Japanese tradition.

After the show, we crossed the street to an “Italian” restaurant, where we had pasta, salads, bread and wine. Nice ending to a fun evening. Taxi ride back to the hotel, followed by whisky and backgammon.

Accommodation: Celestine Tokyo Shiba

Tuesday 21 October 2025 

After a great night’s sleep, we had a leisurely buffet breakfast (glad to be back to eggs, croissants, yogurt and fruit) and met the gang in the lobby just before 9am for our last full day in Japan. We walked a few blocks to the subway and took that to Otemachi Station. The Otemachi District is the center of banking and insurance industry in Japan.

We walked a few blocks to the Imperial Palace, and site of the former Shogun’s Castle. The original moat and stone walls are still there, but the property is vast so even though you can stroll the large gardens, you don’t get anywhere near even seeing the Imperial Palace. The contrast of the Imperial Palace's large grounds, deep moat, and historic buildings with downtown Tokyo's modern office buildings reflects Japan's twin identities of modernity and tradition.

The Castle was made of wood, and is all gone - only the stone base remains. There was also a building where retired Shoguns lived which is now the site of the Imperial Garden East

The original castle was built for Shogun Tokagawa Yoshinobu, the first shogun of the third dynasty, and is famously known as “The Last Shogun.” He remains one of the most popular historical figures in Japan. The Takagawa family emblem, three leaves of Hollyhocks is seen in many places. After the Meiji Restoration, he was forced into retirement, and the site was designated the Imperial Palace and the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.

The current Emperor, Naruhito, and his family live in the palace, but only the gardens (which are the size of Central Park in NYC) are open to the public.

He is the 126th Emperor. His wife, Masako, was a commoner - worked in diplomatic service and speaks many language. After they married, she went through a tough transition and depression. They have one daughter, Princess Aiko. There has been discussion in the government about changing the tradition and allowing a woman to be Emperor, but the next Emperor will likely be the nephew of the current Emperor.  Like in the UK, the royal family has no political power, they’re primarily ambassadorial. The major difference is in Japan, the family does not own property. There are only two chances for the public to see the Emperor and his family: January 1st and February 23rd (his birthday).

It is a beautiful “strolling around” garden, in contrast to dry gardens of the temples. City dwellers visit to feel the connection to nature on a small scale.

Pond = ocean

Hill = mountain

Stones = beach

The contrast to the bustling city outside the walls made it feel quite similar to Central Park in NYC. There are many Ginko trees on the property- only female tree have nuts, which have many medicinal properties.

We walked about a mile to Nihonbashi bridge, which is the start/end of the Nakasendo Trail. It was originally made of wood 400 years ago. Currently, the 20th generation bridge stands and was built in 1911 in European style. For the 1964 Olympics, a controversial highway bridge was built above it (along with many of the trains and subways).

In the middle of the bridge is “Kilian,” an animal that appears only in a peaceful world (also a popular beer in Japan).

We went back on the subway and got out in the Nihonbashi area, the elegant Ginza shopping district. Akko said it is the most expensive real estate in all of Tokyo. She led us on a short guided tour, then we had time for shopping and lunch on our own. She pointed out a store with paper made from Mulberry bushes, which she said was very strong and different than western paper. We didn’t get a chance to go inside though - wish I would have but we ran out of time there. We went into the Mitsukoshi Department Store (supposedly a sister store to Harrods’ in London). In the basement were elegant food vendors offering any kind of cuisine you could think of, other than cheeseburgers. We picked up a few selections and took them up to the garden on the 9th floor to enjoy our lunch. JT and I did a quick stop at Starbucks before we met the group. The day was overcast and cool, no rain, but it was very moist and I wished I’d had my smart wool base layer under my sweater, but a latte helped warm me up.

Back in the subway, this time we emerged at the Meiji Shrine. Since we’d already seen that, Jeff and I walked and window shopped along the Omotesando while the others went into the shrine. We were enjoying watching people as we were waiting for the group when a young Japanese man came up to us and told us he liked our style. It was a fun moment.

The group came out of the shrine, and we continued walking together through Harajuku so they could experience “kawaii” and the madness of the pet cafes and shops geared toward teenage girls (fuzzy bras and platform shoes)! We walked a bit along the tree-lined Omotesando, and cut down side streets to the bustling entertainment area of Shibuya. On our way there, we passed a funky area called “Miyashita Park.” It had outdoor restaurants where Akko said businessmen gather and get rowdy after work, some high-end stores and apparently there is a skateboard park on the roof. She said this was a large homeless encampment at one time, and they built a place to house the homeless and renovated this into a cool park. It was also the only place in all of Japan that we saw graffiti.

We crossed the street with a thousand other people at the Shiguya multi-intersection crosswalk. There was a television station set up where we crossed doing interviews with random people and Akko told us Japan had just elected its first woman Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. We’ll have to see how that plays out with relationships with the US.

We took the JR train back to our station and the short walk to our hotel and had a couple of hours before meeting for our last dinner together. I used the time to organize my suitcase and then took a long bath.

We met in the lobby at 6:30pm, then took the subway two stops to the restaurant where we had our multi-course farewell dinner. Like a few other dinners, it went long with too much time between courses, but there was great conversation and sharing of what we all liked best about the trip. And, as usual, Dan wrote us a poem. With his permission, I’ve transcribed it here, but it loses some impact with the inside jokes, and also reading it doesn’t impart the artistic pauses and facial expressions as he is reading it live to the group!

Kon’nichiwa From Japan 

WOW

Honor, Respect, Acceptance

On this trip, no tents

Ancient traditions permeate

Volcanos, earthquakes wait

Traditional abounds, politeness surrounds

Culturally meek, an unmanned boutique

From sword to smart phones,

And cute tiny homes,

The utmost in manners they say,

Not once did you guide us astray

Hai

Kobodashi and Big Buddha,

Eternally they sit,

Modernization by Meiji,

It was a perfect fit.

Hai

Food, edible art, exceedingly gooed

I didn’t want to be rude, or ruin the mood,

So I ate all the food.

Tofu, maybe barbecued?

But dude, food was great

Magnitude

Saki, fresh brewed

Such polite attitude

Gratitude

Hai

Akko precision,

she’s always aware

On every decision,

ready for bear!

Operationally flawless,

at the end of the day,

Mastery of knowledge,

It’s frankly just her way.

Fifteen in all,

New friends we made.

Everlasting,

When memories fade.

Lauren, Akko, Mel and Reed

Shared daily an expansive feed.

Tommy, Daniela, Tasia, Akemi,

Wow so much oishi sashimi

From the bottom of our hearts,

We join you in striving for peace (strikes Buddha posture)

Kudasai and Arigato,

Now home we must go.

Hiker #7

Wednesday 22 October 2025 

A low-key travel day. We slept late, I did a meditation / yoga session and then we went to a later breakfast, where we saw everyone but Gary (probably was up early) and Dan & Tam who left early this morning to travel back to Madison. After breakfast, I took a shower and finished packing while JT relaxed. By 11:30am we were gathered in the lobby for a final good-bye, then Gary, Tasia, JT and I were picked up by a Green Tomato van and shuttled to the airport, arriving early for our 4:10pm departure.

We said goodbye to Tasia again, then checked our bags (mine with a “HEAVY” tag and a laugh from the counter agent), and easily cleared security and customs. We found our way to the 5th floor Delta Lounge, where they graciously checked us in early (we were more than 3 hours before our flight) and allowed Gary to come in as our guest. There we watched the planes and were glad to be out of the rain and in a quiet space with yummy American food.

On the plane, I watched the movie “Hachi:  A Dog’s Tale,” a tearjerker that is an Americanized story of a dog named Hachi that waited outside the Shiguya (Tokyo) train station each evening for his master to return from work.  There is a statue commemorating Hachi outside the train station. 

It was an amazing trip, but we’re glad to be headed home.

It’ll take a while for the trip to settle in for me, but the impressions that stick out in my mind are:

• The kindness of the people - they graciously bow to one another, and it genuinely seems that it’s their pleasure to serve.

• Even the large cities don’t have a chaotic feeling. The clean and timely transportation systems: trains, subways, buses and cabs with lace seat covers and white gloved drivers.

• The connection to nature, where they cherish their green spaces and believe they have a spiritual connection to nature.

• The development and history of their Shinto and Buddhist practices, and their seemingly ability to subscribe to the loving parts of those practices without being overly religious.

• Their unique history of Shoguns, Ninjas and Samurai’s

• The hospitality of the various families running the Inns and Ryokans where we stayed, and the way they wanted to share with us all that is wonderful about Japan.

• The food - even though some was too exotic to me, it was always fresh and beautifully presented.

• The trains – gorgeous, clean stations with amazing shops.  They’re punctual and pretty easy to figure out.  The Bullet Trains were exceptionally fast and smooth.