Japan Journal

This book is an illustrated journal of my first visit to Japan. It chronicles all of the travel, sights, food, and fun I experienced. I flew out of San Francisco on Christmas morning 2018 for a 3 week solo adventure. I don’t know if my trip makes for compelling reading, but it’s an authentic account of my experience...

Transcript

1. This book is an illustrated journal of my first visit to japan. It chronicles all of the travel, sights, food, and fun I had. I flew out of San Francisco on Christmas morning 2018 for a 3 week solo adventure. I tried to experience as much of japan as possible, mixing up the usual “touristy” stuff with some off the beaten path experiences. I don’t know if my trip makes for compelling reading, but it’s an authentic account of my experience... © daveyeestudio 2020 www.daveyeestudio.com Japan An Illustrated Travel Journal Dave Yee
2. For the past few years, it seemed like everyone and their mother was visiting japan. Almost every week, I’d see a new posts on Facebook showing my friends, family, and even casual acquaintances having fun on their trip. It was inspiring to see all of their amazing experiences. But honestly, it was seeing all of the food everyone was eating that made me decide I had to bump Japan to the top of my travel list. After a ton of research (including some awesome recommendations from my friends), I planned out my 3 week itinerary and was ready to go! December 24, 2018 I like to travel light so I squeezed everything into one backpack! Down Jacket Electronics Lightweight shirts Lightweight boxers Hiking Boots Wool Socks Hiking pants Packing Cubes Backpack Toiletries It’s always hard to fall asleep the night before going on a trip, but this time, I was even more excited than usual. I couldn’t wait to Explore (And eat my way through) Japan!!!
3. December 25, 2018 I used a bunch of credit card points I had been saving up to book my flight on Hawaiian Airlines. Never Flown Hawaiian, but heard good things about them! My usual flying routine is to have a drink or two before a flight (Usually a Jack and Coke), throw on my noise canceling headphones, and zone out. From SF to Honolulu, I flew in Economy Class as usual. The seats were comfortable enough and I was able to catch a few hours worth of sleep even though it was a morning flight. If I’m not sleeping on a flight, I like to watch movies on other peoples screens. It’s fun watching with- out the audio to see if I can still understand what’s going on in the story. You can tell which directors are better at visual storytelling and which ones rely more heavily on their dialogue. (Sorry, but somehow the animation/storyboarding teacher in me crept into this book...) Hawaiian Airlines even served a free sandwich meal in economy! Had a couple hours layover in Honolulu. I felt pretty silly walking around the airport in a heavy coat when everyone else was dressed for the tropical weather. Honolulu San Francisco
4. December 25, 2018 Since my flight was free with my credit Card Points, I decided to pay to upgrade to business class for the 2nd leg of the flight. This meant, I got to use the Plumeria Lounge on my layover. Free food and beer! This was my first time flying anything other than Economy class. Usually, the cost is way too much, but I gotta say, upgrading this leg of the trip was totally worth it! Slippers! Seat that lies flat! Privacy Divider! Welcome Mai Tai! Multi Course Meal! Storage space!!! Ipad Entertainment system! Amazing Service! The flight from Honolulu to Tokyo was the best 9 hours I’ve ever spent in the air. I know I probably won’t get many chances to fly business class while flying so I enjoyed every moment of it. At the same time, I couldn’t wait to land in Japan!!!
5. December 26, 2018 We touched down at Tokyo Haneda International Airport around 7:30pm local time....Which is 12:30am Hawaiian time...But 2:30am Pacific time...My body was so confused on what day and time it was. But who cares! I was so excited I was finally in Japan!!!! First order of business was to get online. I was going to definitely need Google maps so I rented a pocket wifi, a small device that enable me to connect to wifi where ever I was. That thing was amazing! It was even faster than the wifi in a lot of the hotels I stayed at! It was about 9:30pm by the time I jumped on the train heading into Tokyo. The train was initially pretty empty, but After about 2 stops, the train got jam packed with commuters. It was so crowded, but weirdly dead silent! My first Truly authentic Tokyo experience!!! I jumped off the train at Shinjuku Station and Weaving my way through the crowds in the underground station. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but Each step I took got me more and more excited about being in Tokyo. I popped out of the station and that’s when it all hit me... ...The lights! ...The sounds! ...The energy! ...The people! ...I knew I was in for an amazing trip! * And Yes, I know this drawing isn’t geographically accurate, but the Kabuchiko gate looks cooler!
6. December 27, 2018 Started off my 1st full day at 3:30am. Luckily, there was a 24 hour Ichiran Ramen close to the hotel! Even though Ichi- ran is a chain, it did not disappoint as my 1st taste of ramen in Japan. I still crave it to this day!!! Next, I headed over to the Tsukiji outer market. The original market has moved, but the outer market still had a ton of seafood, restaurants, and street food! Strawberry Mochi! Tamago! After a quick nap, I headed to the Ghibli Museum! And then Ate Michelin Star Ramen at Tsuta! And then the famed Family Mart Chicken! And finally, I ended the day with a drink at the New York Bar at the top of the Park Hyatt Tokyo. It’s where the movie, Lost in Translation was filmed! It was so cool to hang out there and relax. The live band was awesome and the drinks were delicious. Great way to end my 1st full day in Japan!
7. December 28, 2018 Thanks to the jet lag, I Woke up early again. I decided to hit up some of the touristy spots before they got crowded. First I headed down to the famous Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection crossing in the world. They say around 2500 people cross at one time. But I guess I got here too early as it was pretty empty. I guess waking up early to see the sights doesn’t work if the crowds are the attraction... Checked out the Hachiko statue. Hachiko was a loyal dog who waited at the station everyday for his owner to come home from work, even after his owner died. Next, I wandered over to Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi Park. Wandering through the park was great without too many people around! Then, i checked out the famous Takeshita Street in Harajuku Again, it was early enough that I beat the crowds. Some stores were barely open. On the way back to my hotel, I stopped by the Robot Restaurant to see if they had any tickets. They had one ticket left for the show that was just starting so I jumped on it and ended up sitting front row center! The show itself was one of the craziest spectacles I’ve ever seen in my life! Cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much! I would definitely recommend it! After the show, I grabbed another bowl of ramen at Ichiran before calling it a day. Jet lag was for sure hitting me hard...
8. December 29, 2018 It was a bit eerie without many people around, but it was awesome to see the sun rise over the shrine. Woke up before dawn and headed to Sensoji Temple. Since it was still early, I headed to the Tokyo Sky Tree which was just about to open. The views were amazing on the Tembo deck. I could see Mt. Fuji!!! For Another 1000 yen, I went up another 100 meters to the Tembo Galleria. The views were even more amazing, but what stood out is the Dragon Ball Z themed gallery! For lunch, I tried Ippudo, another Japanese ramen chain. They’re also known for their delicious gyoza! After lunch, I moved to a new hotel. I tried out a capsule hotel called 9Hours for 2 nights. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. For dinner, I had an omakase sushi dinner at Kyubey Sushi. It was honestly the best sushi I’ve ever had. Everything just melted in my mouth! And the experi- ence of watching the chef prepare each piece and serve it to you was amazing!
9. December 30, 2018 I’m really getting used to traveling on Japan’s subway system. A couple of times, I got on the train going in the wrong direction, but overall navigating my way around Tokyo (with the help of Google Maps) has been a breeze! Today, I hopped around to a few different locations... Using the subway is super easy with a Suica IC Card. No need to calculate fares or buy individual tickets. The Imperial Palace... Toyosu Fish Market... Nakameguro neighborhood for delicious Pizza! In the evening, I grabbed dinner with some San Jose State, Shrunkenheadman Club* Alumni who live in Tokyo and a current student who was back in Japan for the winter break. So much fun hanging out! Plus, I drank my first Highball! * The shrunkenheadman club is the SJSU Animation/Illustration student club Dave Haruka Kenta Jonathan
10. December 31, 2018 I Checked into my hotel and found a vending machine right outside my room... ...With beer!!! After 4 days in Tokyo, I packed my bag and headed to the train station. I wanted to explore different parts of Japan on this trip so I headed to the mountains. I jumped on a Shinkansen (Bullet train) going from Tokyo to Nagano. This was my first Shinkansen ride and I was impressed! The ride was smooth, comfortable, and fast! Wish we had something like this back home... In Nagano, I immediately jumped on a bus for about an hour ride through the city and up the mountains to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. After getting off the bus, it was time for a 2km hike up an icy path. But when I got to the end of the path, I was greeted by... ...Hordes of other tourists! There were selfies being taken everywhere I looked! The hike a bit slippery, but overall, a nice, peaceful walk through the woods. I fought my way through the crowd to get to the front... ...And it was totally worth it to watch those cute little monkeys chilling in the hot springs After a bus ride back to Nagano, I hopped on another bus to the ski area of Hakuba where I was going to stay for a couple of nights. Dinner was ramen at a small mom and pop shop.
11. January 1, 2019 Next, I Hit up the Mimizuku Public Onsen (Hot Springs). First time washing in a room full of naked strangers... The next morning, I woke up early and rented some snowboarding gear. I carved my way through fresh pow- der, did some jumps, and did every other bad-ass extreme snowboard trick in the book! In reality, I stumbled my way down the mountain most of the day. At least, thats what I did in my dreams... In my defense, I hadn’t snowboarded in a few years and the rental gear wasn’t that good... ...Yeah... ...It was the gear... ...Not the fact I eat too many carbs... But it was still an awesome experience just being there and standing on the mountain looking over the snow covered valley. The onsen itself was amazing. The water was so relaxing. I could have stayed in there for hours... ...If it wasn’t for this group of loud, annoying German “Bros” who wouldn’t shut up... But overall, it was a fantastic day. I’m really glad I made the decision to leave the urban scene of Tokyo to experience a different part of Japan. And now I can say “I snowboarded in japan!”...And “I shared a bath with naked strangers”.
12. January 2, 2019 The skies dumped a ton of snow overnight. Nothing beats seeing everything covered in fresh powder and breathing in the fresh mountain air after a storm! Decided to walk the 1.5km to the bus station instead of jumping on the crowd- ed shuttle. So glad I did. The walk was so quiet and peaceful... Jumped on a bus back to Nagano so I could catch a Shinkansen to Kyoto. The bus was so crowded that people even sat in fold out seats in the aisle! After a couple of hours hanging out in Nagano, I jumped on the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Gotta love the trains in Japan. So reliable... ...Until they’re not. At one of the scheduled stops, the train lost some sort of signal which meant we were stuck there...For 3 hours... But the delay wasn’t too bad because I booked a seat in the green car (1st class) so I had a ton of space and barely anybody else around! When we finally arrived at Kanazawa station, it was amazing to see the customer service. The train employees apolo- gized for the delay and worked hard to re-book connecting trains! The quickly got me on the next train to Kyoto! One of the great things about traveling solo is that little delays and changes don’t really bother me. I usually just roll with it...
13. January 3, 2019 My first day in Kyoto, I met up with an old Apple co-worker, Josh. He was coincidentally traveling solo in japan at the same so we decided to explore the sites of Kyoto together. First stop was Arashiyama Bamboo Forest! We got there early so there was barely anybody around. It was pretty cool, very “instagramable”, but a lot smaller than I expected. We grabbed a quick bite at a small snack stand. I got fried mochi which was delicious!!! Then we climbed some stairs...A lot of stairs... The view at the top was totally worth the climb! We could see all of Kyoto! But what we really came to see were the monkeys at Iwatayama Monkey Park! We even got to feed them! A couple of them even gave us a little show before we left! Next we wandered through Nishiki Market and tried all kinds of street food! And then some Conveyor belt sushi for lunch! Ended the day with dinner at an izikaya and some highballs (whiskey and soda!!
14. January 4, 2019 The next day, I was back to exploring on my own. I headed to Fushimi Inari Shrine and spent the entire morning hiking up and down the hill. There are thousands of Torii gates on the mountain of all different sizes and a ton of shrines scattered all over the place. There were so many different paths, it was easy to get lost. For lunch, I went to Ginja Ramen Kubota. A long line outside before it opening is always a good sign! They serve Tsukemen Style Ramen, where you dip the ramen into the thick broth. It was sooooo good! I’d been doing so much walking this trip, my feet were really starting to feel the pain. I found a Foot Massage place and booked an That lady destroyed my feet, but it felt so good! I was ready to walk another gazillion miles! A snack at t Stick. And For Dinner, a roast beef bowl at Red Rock!
15. January 5, 2019 I woke up to some rainy weather, but I didn’t let that stop me from exploring! I went on a nice morning walk in the rain. A few blocks from my hotel was the Forever Museum of Contemporary Art, which exhibited the work of Yayoi Kusama. She’s an artist known for her colorful pumpkins and polka dots. Really cool exhibit! It was also neat walking around the museum in my socks on the tatami mats! Wandering around, I came across a bouldering gym! I decided to rent some shoes and spent a few hours climbing. IT was nice to use muscles other than leg muscles for a change and it was a nice break from being a tourist! Worked up quite an appetite Bouldering, but luckily, I Found an Ichiran Ramen nearby! At this point, I’m becoming an expert at customizing my order! This was my last day in Kyoto. I really enjoyed my time here and I definitely need to come back someday. It’s so pretty and has so much character!
16. January 6, 2019 I left Kyoto and headed to my next stop, Naoshima Island, an island known for its art museums! To get there, I had to take a few modes of transport... Shinkansen (with ben- to box for breakfast)! Local train decorated with cartoons! And a short ferry ride to the island! Once on Naoshima, I decided to walk from the port to the hotel where I was staying instead of taking the shuttle. It was only about 1.4 miles distance, but I missed a turn and ended up hiking the long way around, about 4 miles... Naoshima is an is island in Japan’s Seto inland sea known for it’s art museums. And exterior installation pieces. I heard about it from my old roommate, By- ron. It sounded interesting and off the beaten path so I had to check it out! They had another Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sitting on a pier! It looked so cool with the water as a backdrop! There were quite a few outdoor installation pieces. The coolest thing was how different they looked depending on the time of day and lighting. I stayed at the Bennesse House museum, which had several hotel rooms. It was cool checking out the museum after hours when no one was around! The Chichu Art Museum was amazing. The architecture and use of space created a unique experience in every room. I would love to go back someday! It also had a room with 3 Monet “water Lilies” paintings. The room was lit up with only natural light! The third museum on the island was the Lee Ufan Museum. This was small- er and not as impressive, but I was the last patron of the day so it was cool to have it all to myself!
17. January 7, 2019 After my one night in Naoshima, I headed to my next destination, Osaka. I had a bit of time waiting for my Shinkansen connection so I grabbed some breakfast at McDonald’s. I had to try the Ebi (shrimp) Burger. It was OK... Instead of buying individual Shinkansen tickets, I purchased a 2 week JR Pass which basically gave me unlimited rides on all JR trains. I did the math and it may have only saved me a couple of bucks, but the convenience and freedom was the real value of it! On my way to Osaka, I had to stop in Kobe to try real Kobe beef.. I splurged and ordered the a5 Way- gu (Highest grade). To be honest, it wasn’t as impressive as I was expecting. It was de- licious for sure, but not as mind blowing as I expected... I arrived in Osaka in the late afternoon and checked into my hotel. Didn’t have any concrete plans for the evening so I headed to the Osaka Aquarium which was just a few Train stops away. It was pretty neat, but kind of depressing at the same time. I felt some of the exhibits were too small for the creature living in them, especially for mammals like seals and sea lions. The whale sharks were cool though! For dinner, I tried another Chain restaurant, CoCo Curry. It was really good, but really spicy!
18. January 8, 2019 First full day in Osaka and the first order of business was to check out Osaka Castle. I really enjoyed the museum they had inside. It had a number of displays that taught a bit of the history of the castle and feudal Japan. Next, I headed to the Cup Noodle museum. Unfortunately, I didn’t read the fine print and learned it was closed that day when I walked up to the door :( Luckily, there was an Ippudo nearby where I could drown my sorrows in ramen :) After lunch, I headed to the Umeda Sky Building. This funky looking building has an amazing observation deck with 360 views of Osaka! In the evening, I explored the Shinsekai area. There weren’t a lot of people and it felt a bit run down and neglected. I actually really liked the gritty character of it. But the coolest thing there were the old school arcades! One had every version of street fighter all in one row! I may or may not have dropped a few bucks playing... One of the high- lights of my trip were the konbi- ni’s (convenience stores). They’re so much better than what we have in the states. The quality, selection, and service were amazing! Plus, they were the only places that had trash cans!
19. January 9, 2019 In the morning, I checked out the Toka Ebisu Festival at Imamiya Ebisu Jinja Shrine. There were a ton of people and so many stalls selling all sorts of ceremonial gifts and food! I ended up getting Takoyaki (Octopus balls) from a street vendor! Later, I headed back to the Cup Noodle Museum since they were open today! History of the various products! Momofuko Ando Statue! Create Custom Cup Noodle! In the afternoon, I met up with a couple of my students, Mai and Johnny (and a couple of their friends) who were visiting Mai’s family. We wandered around Dotonbori, the main tourist area of Osaka. There were a ton of food, sights, and people! We had a late lunch at an Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake cooked at the table! It was so delicious! We walked around some more and kept snacking all afternoon. Matcha Ice Cream Fried Cheese Dog Pablo Cheese Tart
20. January 10, 2019 I left Osaka and headed to Koyasan. Normally, there’s cable car that takes you up the moun- tain, but it was being renovated so I had to take a bus. Many of the Buddhist temples in Koyasan serve as Shukubo (temple lodgings). I stayed at Shukubo Kumagaiji. It was a pretty amazing experience! The room was traditional Japanese style. The young monks were super friendly and practiced their English by explaining how everything worked. He poured some tea and set out a snack for me. It was so cold in my room, I could see my breath! Luckily there was a Kotatsu (heated blanket table) to warm me up! After settling in, I set out to explore the area. There was a bit of snow on the ground, but the weather wasn’t too cold. Since it was off season, it was pretty empty and peaceful. Koyasan is home to a number of Unesco World Heritage sites so I made sure to check out all of them. Next, I walked around Okunoin Cemetery. It’s a huge old cemetery in the forest. The path was long and as the sun went down, it started to feel a bit creepy... When I returned to my room, the monk had set up my bed and served me dinner in my room. Dinner featured Shojin Ryori (monks’ cuisine) and was entirely vegetarian. The monk explained what everything was and how it was prepared!
21. January 11, 2019 I was woken up at 6am the next morning by the intercom announcing the morning Prayer ceremony. It was a pretty moving experience, watching the monks chant and pray. The head monk looked like he was checking his phone, but he was actually looking up translations to give instruc- tions to the audience so we could participate. There were only two guests in the temple, myself and a traveler from Brazil. After the morning ceremony, we moved to another room to watch a fire ceremony! I left Koyasan and headed to Nara. As most tourists, I fed the deer in the park... For lunch I ate at a place called Tonkatsu Ganko. I was originally supposed to spend a night in Nara, but change my plans and headed to Yokohama. One of the perks of traveling solo is changing plans on the fly! In Yokohama, I visited the Ramen Museum. It was decorated like 1950’s Tokyo and had several ramen shops for visitors to try. Chicken Ramen Spicy Miso Ramen After dinner, I headed to Chinatown. The Yokohama Chinatown is the biggest in japan. My only regret is that my belly was too full of ramen to try any of the awesome food!
22. January 12, 2019 The next day, I left Yokohama and headed to Hakone, a lake resort area. It was another day of traveling on different modes of transport... Shinkansen... Local Train... Local Bus... It was too early to check into my hotel so I left my bag in a locker at the station and started exploring. The Lockers in the stations in Japan were so convenient! First stop was the Hakone open air museum.... This place was amazing. So many creative outdoor exhibits. I really enjoyed this place and hope to come back and visit again... I continued on the “Hakone Loop”, a path that takes you to all the sights around Hakone. Again, I had got to ride on different modes of transport! Cable Car... Rope-way... Pirate Ship Ferry... I decided to splurge and stayed at Kansuiro, a traditional Japanese Ryokan. It was expensive, but totally worth it! It included a personal attendant who showed me around the ryokan, prepared tea for me, served me the traditional Kaiseki dinner, set up my bed, and served breakfast! Yakuta! Welcome Tea! In-room Public outdoor Onsen! The Ryokan was pretty empty. I think there were maybe 3 couples (plus me) in the entire hotel. It was cool wandering the old hallways at night.
23. January 13, 2019 In the morning, I headed to Tokyo for the last few days of my trip. As I watched the scenery whiz by, I realized my trip was nearing the end. Across the street from my new hotel was this cool Studio Ghibli designed giant clock! The clock is located at the headquarters of Nippon Television. Apparently, it springs to life at certain times, but I was never around at the right times... I usually don’t like to spend money on “stuff” when I travel, but I spent a few hours picking up a some things to bring home. I bought a ton of different flavored kit Kats as gifts for people (and for myself). I also splurged on a couple pairs of shoes for myself! After the shopping spree, I headed to the Tokyo Solamachi mall to check out the Macross Valkyrie display....But I wish it was from the original Macross.... There were a few other photo opportunity displays around the mall... Iron Man! Totoro Cat Bus! Pikachu! For dinner, I headed to Butagumi in Roppongi for some tonkatsu. It was by far the best tonkatsu I’ve ever eaten in my life! My only regret was ordering a standard size instead of large...
24. January 14, 2019 Today, I headed across the Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba. Quick Breakfast at Wendy’s. Then, I checked out the Team Lab “Borderless” exhibit. So many cool interactive installations (very instagramable). I highly recommend people check it out! And across the way was the History Garage, a cool exhibit of all sorts of classic and unique cars! Of course, I had to walk over to Diver City Tokyo Plaza to check out the life size Gundam Robot! I don’t know anything about Gundam, but I gotta say, a life-size robot was a pretty awesome sight! And one last trip to Ichiran for dinner before i head home tomorrow night... ...But this time I finally tried the Matcha Pudding!
25. January 15, 2019 On my way to Tokyo Station, I stopped by the Shin Godzilla Statue. Last day in Japan... At Tokyo Station, I ate breakfast at one of the shops on the famed “Ramen Street”. Last Ramen in japan... :( One of my “must Do’s” on this trip was to watch live sumo! Luckily for me, the Grand Sumo tournament in Tokyo was starting the last few days of my trip! I snatched up a ticket as soon as I could! After Breakfast, I headed to Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) and sat there almost the entire day watching the matches and exploring the arena. During the day, it was mostly lower division matches, but it was still an incredible experience watching them and all the ceremony involved. Before each division, the sumo would all walk out and form a circle. Their names would be called and people would cheer their favorites! So cool! For my last meal in Tokyo, I headed to Shin Udon, a place recommended to me by a former student. I tried going a few days ago, but the line was like 25 people deep. This time, I got lucky and only had 2 people in front of me. And I gotta say, it was life changing udon... So good!!! I decided to take a taxi to the airport instead of tak- ing the train. It was nice to see Tokyo from a different perspective...Plus I was too tired to take the train... Again, I upgraded to business class which allowed me to enjoy the JAL Sakura Lounge. It was so damn Fancy! Lots of space and seating... Windows overlooking the apron. A huge variety of deli- cious food and drinks! Free Massage chairs! And my last chance to use a Japanese toilet :( I’m going to miss Japa- nese toilets the most!
26. January 15, 2019 As I headed to my gate, I thought about everything I’d experienced these past 3 weeks. I feel like I got a good taste of japan and was able to see and do quite a bit in the time that i had here. There’s a lot about Japan I really love. Obviously, the food was amazing, but I was also impressed with how efficient and organized everything is. Getting around was super easy. And the people were amazing. Everyone I met was so eager to help! Usually when I travel, there comes a point on the trip where I look forward to heading home. But this time, I found myself sad to be leaving. I think I could have easily stayed in Japan another 3 weeks! As the plane took off for home, I found myself feeling very grateful. I know most people don’t have the opportunity (or the inclination) to travel like this and I’m extremely lucky I can do it. Traveling to another country and expe- riencing its culture really opens ones eyes to just how big and diverse the world is. It makes you appreciate the differences between cultures, but also makes you appreciate parts of your own culture a bit more. I wish everybody could experience it. I also love traveling solo. It can be scary at first, but extreme- ly liberating once you realize you can do anything you want at any time. It’s a great way to see the world. But for now, it’s time to head home... ...Until the next adventure!
27. DATES: Dec 25, 2018-jan 15, 2019 AIRLINE: Hawaiian Airlines Accomodations: Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, Tokyo 9 Hours Akasaka, Tokyo Shakespeare Hotel, Hakuba Kyoto Inn Gion, Kyoto Bennesse House, Naoshima Art Hotel Osaka Bay Tower, Osaka Syukubo Kumagaiji, Koyasan Shin Yokohama Kokusai Hotel, Yokohama Kansuiro Ryokan, Hakone Park Hotel, Tokyo Attractions: Tsukiji Fish Market Studio Ghibli Museum Robot Restaurant Shibuya Crossing Meiji Shrine Harajuku Sensoji Temple Tokyo Skytree Imperial Palace Toyosu Fish Market Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park Happo-ONE Ski Resort, Mimizuku Onsen Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Iwatayama Monkey Park Nishiki Market, Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine Forever Museum of Contemporary ArT Climbing Gym Adsummum Bennesse House Museum ChiChu Art Museum Lee Ufan Museum Osaka Aquarium Kayukan Osaka Castle Umeda Sky Building Shinsekai Imamiya Ebisu Jinja Shrine Cup Noodle Museum Dotonbori Koyasan Okunoin Cemetery Nara Park Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum Chinatown, Yokohama Hakone Hakone Open Air Museum Tokyo Solamachi Mall Team Lab Borderless History Garage (museum) Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo) Roppongi Hills Mori Tower Food: Plumeria Lounge Honolulu Ichiran Ramen Tsuta Ramen New York Bar Genki Sushi Ippudo Ramen Kyubey Sushi Seirinkan Pizza Tsurutontan Udon Highball Bar Ginja Ramen Kubota Torikara Stick Red Rock Roast Beef Shinkansen Bento Box McDonald’s Royal MopR Kobe Steak Coco Curry House Takoyaki Street Vendor Okinomiyaki Matcha Ice Cream Cheese Dog Vendor Pablo Cheese Tart Shojin Ryori (monks’ cuisine) Tonkatsu Ganko Ramen Museum, Yokohama Ryokan Kaiseki Butagumi Tonkatsu Wendy’s Shin Udon Sakura Lounge Haneda