For our second day in Osaka, we headed to Universal Studios to check out the new Super Nintendo World theme park they opened in 2020. Since this park opened during the COVID pandemic we are some of the first foreigners to enter the park which is cool. Joe and I played the Super Mario Bros…
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We spent three days in Osaka (the second largest city in Japan) after our time in Kyoto. One day at the aquarium, one day at Universal Studios, and our last day was spent doing some shopping before we headed home. Accommodation We stayed at the Cross Hotel in Osaka, I booked this with Booking.com. I…
During one of our days in Kyoto, we ventured to the city of Nara to visit the famous deer park. It took about an hour by train to get there. I’d heard about this deer park where hundreds of deer roam freely. Joe visited here when he studied abroad in Japan 13 years ago. It…
More from our time in Kyoto. Our tour guide recommended a tea ceremony/baking class in Kyoto so we participated in that one morning. We made two Japanese sweets and some matcha tea. Nishiki Market Kansai Gaidai Unversity Joe studied abroad in this area 13 years ago at Kansai Gaidai University which is located between Kyoto…
Accommodation Our guided tour with Intrepid Travel ended this week and we are staying in Kyoto for the next 5 days to explore on our own. I booked the Good Nature Hotel for our stay on Booking.com. I love this hotel! It has nice big beds, a table/seating area to eat, a spacious bathroom with…
My favorite shrine in all of Japan would have to be Fushimi Inari. I’ve heard Joe talk about this shrine since he studied abroad here 13 years ago and now I understand what all the hype is about. It’s famous for its thousands (10,000+) torii gates that span the trails leading up Mount Inari. The…
Our next stop was Hiroshima. This city is most well known as the site where the US dropped the first atomic bomb in World War II. The Peace Memorial Museum is a must-see, my other recommendation is taking a day trip to Miyajima Island. Accommodation We had very basic accommodations for the two nights we…
Takayama is a city in the mountainous Gifu prefecture of Japan. It is well known for its historic district with wooden houses dating back to the Edo era (1603-1868) and its museums including the Hida Folk Village. I especially enjoyed strolling around the morning market and looking into all the shops. Traveling to Takayama The…
Hello from Hakone! Most people travel to this area of Japan for the hot springs and views of Mount Fuji on a clear day. Lucky for us we got to experience both! Mount Fuji is an active volcano and Japan’s highest peak. Our tour guide Michiko informed us that Japan has a very high percentage…