tokyo-hakone-kyoto | japan

japan | 11.24.2017 - 12.5.2017

day 1: Grateful to arrive. 11.24.2016 (thanksgiving day)

The stories about the air quality in Beijing are no joke. There is an obvious heaviness in the air, and a stiffness that hit your lungs. Pollution makes for a killer sunrise though.

We were greeted by Tokyo with a light snow (later heard it was freak weather… ). Not so kind of a gesture from the city since we were exhausted, ill prepared for such cold, and of course could not check into our Air BnB for two more hours. We took cover in a local ramen shop called Afuri, and“kampai - d” or cheers’ d our first Asahi beers.

When in Tokyo for thanksgiving, eat udon. Good old yelp suggested a great Udon restaurant, Tsurutontan, around the corner from our Air BnB in Rappongi. So, we gave thanks around an unconventional holiday table to our safe arrival, loved ones, and of course, the adventure.

day 2: That wicked style. 11.25.2016

At sunrise, we decided to walk from our Air BnB in Rappongi to Meiji Jingu – a 40 minute walk. On the way, we stopped by Downstairs Coffee for a cup of jo, and walked through the Aoyama district & cemetery. Streets lined with deciduous trees, the foliage was absolutely gorgeous especially in the early morning.

Meiji Jingu, a beautiful Shinto shrine, was amidst a forested green space centered in the heart of the Harajuku district. Crowds of tourists began flooding into the park so we escaped away from the shrine and enjoyed the dense forest walks. It felt like we transcended into the wilderness, and yet we were still only 20 minutes from the heart of town.

Harajuku. Every teenie bopper and middle school girls dream. Pink everything, the smell of crepes, top 40 hits, and little characters, all inundated our senses as we walked to our lunch spot for the best Tonkatsu in town (through the Omotesando district & Cat street – the Soho of Tokyo).

We finished our day sitting under the trees in Yoyogi park, watching the sun set way to early. Leaves floated to the ground and local Japanese people gathered to photograph & enjoy the change of seasons as well.

Our full day in Tokyo was rounded out with the best sushi carousel, and a classy-ass Whisky Bar called Y&M. Men greeted us in white suites, and served us fresh pear cocktails and a beef “soup” that came in an itty-bitty cup, perfect for my itty bitty hands.

day 3: shinjuku – school of fish. 11.26.2016

We headed up to the northern part of the city to Rikukien Park - supposedly one of the best spots for foliage. In theory, it would have been neat, but it was an awful tourist trap. Who knew shooting images foliage would get so competitive.

Quickly, we headed to the Shinjuku District in Shibuya, Tokyo. A crazy mix of a homogenious Vegas meets NYC. Make sure you stand to the left side of the escalator & walk down stream with the rest of the fish. Or, get trampled.

On our way to Ramen for lunch, we walked through Memory Lane or “Piss Alley”, which used to be the shady destination for drinking in the post-war era. Now, a bustling local food spot for cheap evening eats.

Very much a Japanese experience, we ordered ramen at a vending machine. The Shoyu Ramen (with fatty pork, a soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots in a delicious soy pork-based broth) was then delivered to us at the bar as soon as we were sat. The meal made for a filling lunch and dragging our feet for the rest of the afternoon.

To burn off some of that ramen, we walked through to Shinjuku park, another beautiful green space similar to that of Central Park in NYC. Each person seemed to have a different agenda – picnicking, strolling with loved ones, or simply enjoying solitude and stillness amidst the chaos of Tokyo.

For happy hour, we walked a mile from the downtown Shinjuku area to the NYC Bar, or the "Lost in Translation" bar. Sake tasting and new friends from Fresno made for entertaining conversations about our desire to travel the world. We finished up our night by meeting up with a friend named Sarah at a HUB bar, and then cruised to the Golden Gais – a network of small alleyways filled with over 200 shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries.

day 4: onsen. 11.27.2016

Hakone was a 180 degree flip from Tokyo. We very much appreciated the much slower pace. We splurged and stayed at a Ryokan – a traditional Japanese inn filled with tatami matted rooms, communal bathing, and Yukata robes to wander around the 100+ year old river front oasis.

We spent the afternoon decompressing. Sweet mochi cakes and hot green tea waited for us upon our arrival. The communal hot springs, or onsens, were not busy at all, so we could peacefully enjoy each others company in the private bath house.

We went to a small sushi shop in town right by the bus stop. Another moment when we were lost in translation. Somehow we were able to get our order in with theatrical hand gestures and the limited Japanese we knew.

day 5: mt fuji sans mt fuji 11.28.2016

The ryokan included breakfast, options between a traditional "Japanese" or "American" style breakfast. It was very apparent by the amount of food they provided for each style, which type they prefer you order.

Public transit is incredibly efficient in Japan. We took the bus to the top of the mountain and hiked our way down ( ~2 hours) to the Hakone Shrine, stopping at a few other shrines along the way.

Most of the leaves were already gone from the trail, and the roads were eerily quiet except for the occasional group of Japanese people making their rounds of prayers. Again, it was that stillness that made this potion of the trip so introspective and quiet.

We were pretty exhausted by the time we got home, so of course we took advantage of the onsen before heading back out for another round of sushi. Just couldn't get enough!

day 6: movement. 11.29.2016

The JR Rail pass is critical for long distance transit in Japan. Make sure you buy it before arriving in Japan though - it's cheaper! We stayed at beautifully, modern Air BnB right off the main transit lines which made it easy to get around Kyoto.

You would never guess that Japanese food lacks veggies... but reality check, it does. By this point in the trip my body was craving some greens, and thank goodness there was a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, called Veg Out, right down the street. I knew I loved it when I saw it, because it was situated right on top of a yoga studio. Winning!

We wandered through the streets our first afternoon in Kyoto and eventually made our way to the Ipuddo Tea House where we experienced the culture around tea in Japan. Freshly mixed Matcha tea, green Sencha, and Japanese sweet rice cakes made for a perfect "zen" afternoon tea experience that led us right to a solid nap.

Like I mentioned earlier, our Air BnB was oh so conveniently situated by the train, which made it easy to pop in and out of the down town area. After a nice long nap, we woke up to wander through the Gion District. The Gion District is notoriously know for it's Geisha culture, small cobblestone roads, and bright lights from restaurants that light up the historic streets.

We ended up at a gyoza restaurant called Chao Chao, and returned (unnecessarily) twice during our time in Kyoto. It was THAT good. A small quaint restaurant with a line out the door, Chao Chao served a variety of types of gyoza, and even with 4 different types of sauces for dipping! You dreams about a certain unique type of gyoza, they probably have it.

day 7: Walk 500 miles. 11.30.2016

Kyoto is known for its shrines. So, we dedicated almost two whole days to wandering through the city. Afterall, we originally ventured to see the beautiful scenery and folliage.

We started off at Kiyomizu-dera, aka every Japanese school field trip spot. Don't get me wrong, but was STUNNING. But, I think I'm a bit jaded by the number of peace signs and prepubescent kids were were meandering through our shots.

We continued northbound and walked through at least 5 more temples -- names I don't remember. The random shrines we came across actually ended up being my favorite because there were far less people around and you could really sit and enjoy the beauty of the architecture and space in stillness. It was not even 12:30pm and we had already walked 7 miles.

To mix things up, we decided to get Iranian Food in Japan. Sounds ridiculous, but again, was craving some diversity on our palate and it ended up being DELICIOUS. We were committed to see the Arashima Bamboo Grove and the Tenji-ji Shrine, so we jumped back on the train and headed across town to check it out for the afternoon.

The Arashima Bamboo Grove lay up against a mountain range covered with changing folliage and matcha tea ice cream spots on every corner. By 2:30pm though, the area crawled with tourist as if it was Disneyland, and we were dodging selfie sticks left and right. (Don't be fooled by the image above.... this took multiple attempts to receive a shot w/o a million tourists!)

If we were to go back and do this area again, we'd probably arrive first thing after sunrise to avoid the crowds but still enjoy all the area has to offer.

Day 8: kyoto at it's finest. 12.1.2016

After a long day of walking the day prior, we decided to try and take things easy our last day in Kyoto. We headed to the Funari-Inari Shrine first thing in the morning in hopes to avoid the crowds of yesterday.

If you are going to choose only one shrine to go to, I would 100% recommend doing the Funari-Inari shrine. It's an incredible walk. Miles of cobblestone roads lined with shrines all the way to the mountain top. As soon as you think the trail has ended, the shrines and path continue to ascend. It is truly one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, plus there are so many paths, you easily can get lost for hours.

After we spent all morning walking throgh Funari-Inari, we cruised downtown to check out the infamous Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto's pantry. We tried Okanomiyaki for the first time there - living out all my anime childhood dreams - and meandered through the marketplace gawking at all the major tranditional ingredients on display: tsukemono (Japanese pickles), fresh tofu, Kyo-yasai (Kyoto vegetables), wagashi (Japanese sweets), tea, and fresh fish and shellfish.

The walking continued on, and we found our way over to the Imperial Grounds for golden hour. Most of the time, Spencer was busy photographing this tree, but that was alright with me. It gave me a reason to sit and relax for a few.

day 09: back to the action 12.2.2016 - 12.3.2016

By the time we made it back to Tokyo, we were about ready to chill. Funny thing is that city life does not usually equate to chilling, so we filled our days with lots of walking, eating, shopping and drinking.

We spent most of our last two days around the Marouchi district by the Imperial Palace, simply wandering and going with what we felt like in that moment. A few special highlights and places below:

Hitachino Brewery for HH
Shopping at MUJI HQ
Shopping at the Tokyo Station
Stand T for HH
Tapas Regalitto for dinner and views
Nobu for dinner
Golden Hour @ the Imperial Palace

Day 11 - deuces 12.4.2016

"Traveling has made me a storyteller & wish that one day I will have made a big impact on the world to act as team & be in peace with one another just like Japan. Arigato Japan for teaching me so much."

I always feel reenergized by traveling to foreign countries, because it provides a new and heightened perspective on life. I return back with a greater sense of gratitude for the simple things, like opportunity, my bed, a routine, friends and family, or even a home cooked meal.

A land of culture, tradition, efficiency, peace and respect, Japan is truly an incredible country. I truly admire their attention to detail and thoughtfulness, both qualities I plan to use as inspiration for both my own life, my work, and with my communities.