Japan has been on my bucket list for a long time and I was finally able to check it off this summer. The country, its people, the food, and the courtesy were everything I had expected if not more.  Here is a detailed description of our 10-day journey through Japan.

The Day is Here!!

We flew non-stop ANA flight from San Jose, California to Narita, Tokyo.

Day 1

We arrived at Narita Airport. After clearing Customs and Immigration fairly quickly, we got our baggage and took the train Keisei Skyliner to Ueno. From Ueno we took the Subway Yurakucho line to Yurakucho and then a cab to Harumi Grand Hotel.

Address:

8-1, Harumi 3-Chōme
Chuo, Tokyo
Japan 104-0053
+81 3 3533 7111

We had chosen Harumi area because it was less than a mile from Tsukiji Fish Market and my husband was very interested in watching the fish auction at 5am. However, his enthusiasm dwindled a little when he was told that he had to be there by 3.30am as only 60 tickets were issued to watch the auction. So we decided to wait and see how we felt at 2.00am before rushing there.

We settled in our room and after resting for a little while, we went for a walk in the park and along the water.  The evening and night views of the city were breathtaking.

After spending some time along the water, we ate dinner at Utabe Sushi nearby.  The restaurant was excellent with melt in the mouth sushi, cod, tuna and squid! 

Day 2

As my jet lagged self was awake and alert at 2.30am, I tried to wake my husband up, but predictably he backed out of attending the auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market and also the sushi breakfast he had promised me. So I decided not to hike it alone in the middle of the night even though Japan is probably the safest country on earth. I was more worried about getting lost than being mugged. Oh well..

So we had breakfast at Harumi Grand Hotel which was free and consisted of a mix of Japanese and Continental breakfast in a large spacious dining room.  There was a variety of breads, danishes, muffins, cereals, eggs and pancakes to breaded chicken and fries, salads, seaweed to pickles available. 

We took a cab to Sakuradamon Station and I went for a run on the trails of the Imperial Palace grounds. The grounds were gorgeous with beautiful trails and pathways. The palace is partially visible and covered by moat. There are several heavily guarded entrances to the palace.  The trail goes inside the gates of the palace and alongside the moat all around the palace.  

It was an amazing sight to see the old buildings of the palace alongside the modern skyscrapers teeming high into the sky.  

Address:

Chiyoda 内堀通り
Chiyoda, Tokyo
Japan
+81 3 3213 1111

After a nice run for me and a leisurely walk for the boys, we took a train from Sakuradamon station to Toyusu station and walked to our hotel to check out.

We took a cab to Asakusa View Hotel and checked in the hotel. The reason we had to stay in Harumi Grand Hotel for one night was because Expedia made a mistake and booked us from the 25^th when we were reaching on the 24^th.  But do be careful with the dates, as you do lose one day due to the travel time and the 16-hour time difference between Japan time and PST.

Address:

17-1, Nishiasakusa 3-Chōme
Taito, Tokyo
Japan 111-0035
+81 3 3847 1111

After checking in our bags, we walked Hinayashi-dori or street to Sensoji Shrine and Pagoda to visit.  Asakusa View Hotel is conveniently located only a couple blocks from the shrines and shopping area and also gives breathtaking views of Tokyo Skytree which is just over a mile away.  The entrance to Asakusa Station is conveniently located in the hotel premises too.

Address:

2-3-1 Asakusa
Taito-ku
Postal code:111-0032

After walking through the shrines which were fairly crowded with visitors especially tourists, we browsed through the shops surrounding the shrines. The streets around the shrine and its temples are teeming with shops for souvenirs and foods. There are several restaurants serving traditional Japanese food in the area and for the ones who want to stick to the same old same old, there is even a McDonald’s available. We stopped for lunch at New Asakusa Restaurant for some rice and fish and then treated ourselves to ice cream and shaved ice as it was hot and humid.  .

The Sensoji Shrine is a vast and beautiful area comprising of several temples and statues of Buddha.  The place is a good example of old world and new world living in existence together.  It is an amazing experience to see thousand year old shrines surrounded by skyscrapers and a high-tech network of trains and connectivity.

In the evening we took a cab to Tokyo Skytree Tower. The Tokyo Skytree is a massive steel structure that shoots up high in the sky giving a birds eye view of Tokyo. The view was special at night for sure. If you go during the day time and are lucky enough, you may get to see Mt. Fuji. Ticket price: 2030 yen for Tembo Deck at 350 meters and another 1030 yen for Tembo Galleria at 450 meters.

We came back for dinner at one of the places near the shrine called Ippudo Ramen.  There are hundreds of restaurants with food choices near the shrine. Eating places vary from only take-out to sit down places.

Day 3

Breakfast at Denny’s in Asakusa.  Once seated, the waitress won’t come to take your order at Denny’s until you hit the bell and the table number lights up.  We waited for a long time until a lady sitting at another table realized that we were tourists and asked the waitress to go to our table.  Something new to learn every day!

We took Tsukuba Express Subway train from Asakusa Station to Akihabara Station and then used the Yamanote line to Tokyo Metro Station.  At Tokyo Metro JR East center office, we registered the JR passes so that we could start using the passes and then took the JR Yokosuka-Sobu line to Kamakura.

Although we could have walked to the Kotoku-In Shrine, it was raining that day and we decided to take a taxi to Kotoku-in Daibutsu Shrine. The massive Buddha statue known as “Daibutsu” or the Great Buddha and the temple premises make for a beautiful serene location. Tickets prices were 200 yen per person and we even paid 20 yen additional fee for a ticket to go under the statue. The small climb down to the underbelly of the statue is interesting as it gives a glimpse of how the statue was built in 1252.

Address

4-2-28, Hase, Kamakura,
Kanagawa Prefecture 248-0016, Japan
Phone：0467－22－0703
Fax：0467－22－5051

After spending some time in the Kotoku-In Shrine, we hiked the Daibutsu Hiking trail for a couple miles. The booth selling charms and books in Kotoku-In Shrine next to Daibutsu statue gave us a trail map explaining the Daibutsu Hiking Trail.  After walking alongside a street for half  mile or so, the hike climbs up rapidly with wooden stairs covered in grass and moss.  We hiked for a couple miles until the Zenlaral Benzaiten Shrine before turning back and hiking back to Hase-Dera Kannon Shrine.

At the Hase-Dera Kannon temple, there is another climb to the temple and the shrines and the caves. Ticket price for Hase-Dera Kannon is 300 yen per person.

Hase-Dera Kannon is another gorgeous shrine built around 1192 AD and situated high in the mountain with stunning views of Kamakura town and the ocean. The shrine is surrounded by beautiful gardens and the caves make up for an interesting experience with figures carved on to the rocks and walls.

Address

11-2, Hase 3-chome,
Kamakura,
Kanagawa 248-0016

After spending the rest of the afternoon at Hase-Dera Kannon temple, we walked to the city and took the bus to Kamakura station.  Using our JR passes, we tracked back to Tokyo Metro using the Yokosuka-Sobu line and then using the Yamanote Line to Akihabara and back to Asakusa on Tsukuba Express.  JR passes are also valid on the Yamanote line, but you need to buy ticket to go to Asakusa.

Day 4

A beautiful day started at 6.30am with a run in the morning at Sensoji shrines and its premises through the empty streets in Asakusa.  The empty Shrine and its temples were serene and peaceful to run through.

Address:

2-3-1 Asakusa
Taito-ku
Postal code:111-0032

After a quick breakfast at 711 Holdings we were off on the train to Tokyo Metro via Akihabara from Asakusa Station. Yes you read it right! 711 in Japan is an equivalent to WaWa and offer a choice of entrees and snacks including yogurt parfaits etc.  I have one son who made it a point to go to 711 early every morning to eat Chicken Katsu which was delicious actually.

We took the Tsukuba Express from Asakusa Station to Akihabara and then Yamanote line to Tokyo. JR passes are valid on Yamanote line. From Tokyo we too the Nambiaki Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and then finally JR Nikko line to Nikko. The whole journey took us about two hours but the destination was worth it.

We bought a bus pass for 2000 yen at Nikko station for the Toshugu temples and Lake Chuzenji. The bus to go to Toshugu shrine and temples was Tobu Bus # 1B. Remember the 2000 yen ticket is just for the bus to ride through the town.  It does not include the ticket price for the shrines.

Toshugu Shrine and temples are the most beautiful shrines with intricate ornamental design and carving. Toshugu is known as the most decorated and ornate of all shrines in Japan and it was truly so. Please be advised that it is a climb to the temples. Ticket price is 1300 yen per person and a 1000 yen for the museum.

Address:

Japan, 〒321-1431 Tochigi-ken, Nikkō-shi, Sannai, 2301

Again similar to the other shrines, there was a steep climb up the steps to the top.  I didn’t count the number of steps, but there were definitely more than 150 steps for sure.  The climb down brought extraordinary views of the shrines.

After touring Toshugu Shrine, we decided to take Bus #8 to Lake Chuzenji but it was disappointing as the bus didn’t come for 1.5 hours and we ran out of time as we had tickets reserved on the Shinkansen from Utsunomiya to head back to Tokyo. We did take bus #1B to other temples and sites around Nikko which happens to be a beautiful hill town with great hikes. We also stopped by Shinkyo Bridge or Sacred Bridge and the entrance to Nikko National Park We walked around the town browsing the shops before taking the bus back to Nikko Station.

I did complain to the bus office at the station regarding the bus to Lake Chuzenji, and after making several calls etc. they did return the 1500 yen per person back as we couldn’t see Lake Chuzenji. There was a group of young men from Germany who had waited with us at the bus stop too. They had complained to the office before us but were refused a refund until I came along and demanded one.  Their group got the refund because of me and I chalk that to woman power! 

We took the JR back from Nikko to Utsunomiya and then Shinkansen to Tokyo and the Yamanote line to Shibuya to see the Shibuya Scramble.

Shibuya Scramble is a crazy place that would make Times Square New York seem like a suburb crossing. It does keep to its name of being the busiest intersection in the world with a an ocean of human kind scrambling to cross the street with a purpose obviously.  We crossed the street a couple times for the thrill with iPhone’s held high to video tape the scramble. We also took a couple photos near the Hachiko dog statue as you cannot go to Shibuya and not see the statue right outside the station. The statue commemorates the love of a Japanese Akita dog named Hachiko who waited for his owner for nine years at the intersection loyally after his owner’s death at work.

We finally returned to Asakusa taking the Ginza line exhausted and weary after a long day and ate a late sushi dinner in Asakusa.

Day 5

We ate breakfast at Denny’s and shopped for knick-knacks at the street stores outside Sensoji temple in Asakusa. I fell in love with a small shop on Hinayashi-dori run by an older Japanese man who was an artisan selling handmade dolls and samurai warriors etc. We bought a samurai headgear and sword at the small shop and bargained a deal at $200 for the headgear and sword. The man impressed thoroughly by my husband’s Japanese speaking skills even threw in a couple fans for both of us.

After shopping in Asakusa area, we took the cab to Tokyo Metro Station from Asakusa View Hotel ($25) and then caught the Hikari Super Express Shinkansen to Kyoto. We did make reservations at the JR/ Shinkansen office to reserve seats.

We arrived in Kyoto and walked a couple blocks to the rental. After settling in our rental which turned out to be a traditional Japanese home we went walking by Kyoto Station and ate in the food section of the station. Kyoto station is a huge place with an eleven story mall and Floors 1, 10 and 11 full of restaurants.

Day 6

We ate breakfast at the restaurant on Kyoto Station as the place seemed to be teeming with restaurants and café’s from Mister Donut to French Patisserie to Café Du Monde to name a few for breakfast items.

The plan for the morning was to visit the Inari Shrine which was nearby.  We took the JR Nara line to Inari which was only a couple stops away on the train from Kyoto Station. Do make sure the train is a local train as Rapid lines do not stop at Inari Station.  The Shrine is right outside the station and again a slow climb similar to other shrines. There are no tickets for Inari and admission is free.  The Shrine remains open from dawn to dusk also.

Address:

68 Yabunouchi-cho,
Fukakusa,
Fushimi-ku

The Shrine and temples are beautiful structures built in 711 AD and lined by over a 1000 pillars colored bright orange that go all the way up Mt. Inari.

The structures also have gates placed at intervals and the gates are guarded by foxes on both sides.

The hike does have some gorgeous views of a lake and mountains along the way.  The whole walk and climb tops 4 kms and please keep an 1.5-2 hours for this site.

We came back to Kyoto Station and had lunch at one of the eateries on the 11th floor restaurants at the Station and then imbibed in ice-cream at Cafe du Monde on the 2nd floor at the station.

After a short rest in our rental, we bought a day pass and took bus #104 from B3 section at Kyoto Station to Nijo-jo castle. The castle is approximately 25 min bus ride from Kyoto Station.

Address:

541 Nijo-jo-cho, Horikawa-nishi-iru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City
Tel.:075-841-0096 Fax: 075-802-6181

Access: A short walk from City Bus Stop Nijo-jo-mae (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Railway Karasuma Station), or Nijo-jo-mae Station on the Tozai Subway Line

The ticket price for the castle is 600 yen per person and you can walk the grounds and visit the inside. You will be required to take off your shoes outside to visit the rooms in the castle.  The 33 room castle is covered with 800 Tatami mats as flooring and is adorned with ornate paintings on the walls depicting everything from tigers and leopards to peacocks, pine trees, cherry blossoms, maple trees to mountains etc.

The palace is surrounded by a moat and beautiful gardens that you can walk through. It took us a couple hours to cover the palace and the grounds.

After visiting the castle, we took Bus #205 from the castle to Kyoto station. After an ice-cream and snow cone break due to the heat, we caught bus #9 from A2 to Kawaramachi and got off at Shijo Kawaramachi. We had promised the boys to take them shopping at the BAPE Exclusive store in Kyoto and we found the store a couple blocks from the bus stop in Otabachi area.

After shopping at the store and spending some serious money at the store, we walked around Kawaramachi area window shopping, people watching, also spent time on the bridge and finally deciding on dinner at Himalaya.

The restaurant was further than we expected and Google maps gave us incorrect directions. We did call the restaurant for directions and were told that it was in front of Royal Hotel. We found the Royal Hotel but couldn’t find the restaurant and had just about given up when the restaurant called us back and the owner came to pick us up. It was an interesting experience as we have never had anyone come to pick us up. The owner had actually walked half a mile to pick us up. The restaurant was empty when we got there and we were a little skeptical and assumed that the owner had come to pick us up because he was desperate for business, and there might have been some truth to it, but the food and service was excellent! By the time we left, the restaurant was packed with people waiting. We ordered chicken curry, mutton curry and naans and the chef made tandoori rotis for my son because he asked for them even though they were not on the menu. The boys finished the leftovers we brought back for breakfast the next day and that is testament to how good the food was.  It was interesting that the naans did not change texture unlike the ones made in the restaurants in the US. 

We took the bus #8 back from Kawaramachi to Kyoto station after dinner.

Day 7

We were woken up by what we thought was an explosion but it turned out to be thunder and rain. We packed up our stuff and checked out of our place by 9.30. We stored our luggage in coin lockers at Kyoto station at the Hachijo West exit. Each locker costs 600 yen and luggage can be stored for a maximum of 3 days.

We used the JR Sagano line to Saga Arashiyama which was a 15 mins train ride. We rented bikes right outside the station at Saga Arashiyama and rode our bikes through the city stopping at a couple temples before heading to the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge. The bridge is open and wide to give stunning view of the mountains and city.

Address: Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 616-0000, Japan

We parked our bikes on the other side of the bridge and then walked across and down the street to Tenryu-ji Zen temple which happens to be a World Heritage site.

Address:

68 Susukinobaba-cho, Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, 616-8385 Japan
Tel: (075) 881-1235 (8:30-17:30) Fax: (075) 864-2424

The Shrine was beautiful but we were more in awe of the gardens that has a separate ticket entrance of 500 yen per person.

After touring and walking through the gardens we exited through the gate on the other side of the gardens which dumped into the Sagano Forest trail. The Sagano Bamboo Forest is the prettiest grove of trees I have ever seen.  The tall bamboo trees line the trail on both sides making a canopy.

Address: 

Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

After walking through the walkway that goes between the bamboo forest we came back to the Main Street and ate ice cream and shopped before stopping for lunch at one of the small restaurants near the Togetsu-Kyo Bridge.

We rode our bikes back through the city back to the station and took the JR Sagano line back to Kyoto. At Kyoto Station, we retrieved our luggage from the coin lockers and checked into the platform to catch Shinkansen Hikari 515 to Shin Osaka with a change at Shin Osaka to Sakura 567 to Hiroshima city.

We arrived at Hiroshima station and took a cab to our hotel Rihga Royal Hotel a short distance away. The view from the hotel was stunning with a birds eye view of Hiroshima city.

The hotel was situated a couple blocks away from the Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome and the Peace Memorial. The river was close by too, so we went for a walk. The Hiroshima Castle was right across from the hotel and the restaurants and shopping were close by too.

The Atomic Bomb Dome is the ruins of the Exhibition Hall building over which the atomic bomb exploded.  The bomb actually exploded 160 meters over the Shima Hospital next door and Aioi Bridge, however everyone perished in the aftermath of the explosion. The building is supposed to have remained intact as the bomb exploded right above it. It was a profoundly emotional experience being in the area and we all went silent. My son and I could not hold back our tears and they kept flowing just at the thought of the immense loss of life regardless of who was right or wrong.

Hiroshima had the best food we ate on the trip with Okonomiyaki at Nagata-Ya for dinner which was right next to the bridge.

Day 8

The day started with a run early in the morning at 6.30am and I ran past the Atomic Bomb Dome and along the river and across the bridge to see the Peace Memorial, the Memorial Mound, the Peace Bell and then past the Rihga Hotel to the castle area. The feeling of sadness continued during the day time too and I couldn’t shake the feeling.

I came up to the room and then went out with my husband to do a repeat of the above. This time I didn’t run past the sites, but stayed and read every cenotaph and every plaque and post.  I rang the peace bell hoping and praying for peace on earth. The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound overwhelmed me the most and I got physically sick. Even though I had read about Hiroshima and knew what to expect, it was still a gut-wrenching experience as the feeling of melancholy still stays 72 years after it happened.

We picked up breakfast foods at 711 and then checked out of the hotel. After storing our bags with the concierge, we went shopping and more sightseeing and ate Ramen for lunch right next door to Nagata-Ya where we had eaten the night before. The Ramen was the best we have eaten in our lives.

Later in the afternoon we made our way to Hiroshima Station and booked our tickets to go to Shin Yokohama via Shin Osaka.

The first leg of the journey was on Shinkansen Sakura Superexpress 558 to Shin Osaka which took approximately 85 minutes. The second leg of the journey was on Hikari 567 to Yokohama and took approximately 2hrs and 35 minutes. We then bought Subway Blue Line to Shin Yokohama. Our hotel Prince Shin Yokohama was right next door to the train Station.

The hotel also was the location for Prince Pepe Mall with shops and restaurants. We had reached at 9.00 pm so I skipped dinner and the boys went alone. Our rooms on the 36th and 29th floor had fabulous views.

Day 9

Breakfast was free and sumptuous in the Kotchel Dining room on the 2nd floor and comprised of Japanese and Continental foods.

We had decided to take our last full day easy and for shopping and light activities. So we headed to Yokohama on the Subway Blue line to Minat Morai area.

Access: From Tokyo:
[Rail] 40 min from Tokyo to Sakuragicho Station by JR Keihin Tohoku Line.

The area has malls Queens Square and Landmark Towers and close to Yokohama Bay and Pier. Pier 21 gives a stunning view of the bay and the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

After spending sometime in that area we took the Blue line to Yokohama and then took the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line to Shibuya with a change at Shin Kawasaki. The journey to Shibuya was barely 25 mins from Yokohama.

We decided to go back to Shibuya as it was an interesting spot from the Hachiko statue to the Shibuya Scramble. We also spent time browsing the streets and small stores in Shibuya.

Our son went to the BAPE store again for the third time after Kyoto and Hiroshima, so may be he broke some kind of record.  The BAPE store in Shibuya was the largest store we had seen out of the three and we got acquainted with youth fashion trends.  The son spent all his pocket money on more shopping at the store this time and walked out of there happy as a clam.

We ate dinner at Bangkok Night and by far it will rate as the best green curry I have ever tasted. 

The journey back was a little stressful with heavy rains delaying several trains and finally after making the journey in extremely packed trains we made it back to Shin Yokohama after changing 3 trains on the Shonan-Shinjuku line and Yamanote line which now I know is extremely crowded and packed during rush hours. Prepare to be pushed shoved and packed in the train with no place to even move your arms and legs.

After coming back to our hotel room, my husband went to meet his friend so my son and I went to Don Quijote to look for souvenirs but we couldn’t find too many.  We returned to the hotel exhausted and tired and fell asleep.

Day 10

After our breakfast at the hotel, we shopped a bit in the Prince Pepe mall and Bic Camera store for Sake and other goodies.

We then took a cab to Yokohama City Air Terminus (YCAT) for the Narita Bus. The Narita bus is more convenient location abc they store the luggage themselves. Tickets were 3600 yen however they charged us 11100yen for the 4 of us. The bus is more convenient than the train as it can be stressful to carry the luggage through the train station. We left YCAT at 1.00pm and reached Narita at 2.20pm.

The price for Narita Express is 4290 yen per person and the time to reach the airport is the same which is approx 1 hr 20 mins. Upon arrival the luggage was pulled out of the bus for us and carts are free at Narita Airport.

After checking in, we ate at the Japanese eatery and were ready to head home.

A Side Note:

I consider myself to be a simple girl and not too tech-savvy, and I am fairly content as long as my basic needs are met such as food, clothing, and a clean restroom.  Well I was in for a culture shock with the toilets in Japan! I have been happy with a normal knob to flush and imagine my shock when I had to figure out what seemed to be a million buttons from the temperature to heat the toilet seat to the type of flow and power etc. etc. For god’s sake it is a toilet and not a microwave to figure out the settings.  I hope I didn’t leave behind a trail of broken pots in all the places I visited..ha ha.  I am going to deny everything and say I didn’t do it for sure!

Tips:

1. Download Hyperdia for train schedules.
2. Buy the JR Pass and there is no need to buy first class or green car passes as you will pay extra for it. Make sure to reserve seats on the Shinkansen in advance, however you can always get a seat in the unreserved cars.
3. Remember that the JR pass cannot be used for the Shinkansen Nozomi. It may be used for Sakura, Hikari, and Kodama. Kodama is the slowest of all.
4. Download Japan Connected Free Wi-Fi app when you get there. However, many cities such as Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama provide free wi-fi. Train stations running JR lines provide free wi-fi and 711 is one of the hotspots for Japan Connect Free Wi-Fi. So if you are one of those who like to be connected to internet, you won’t feel cut-off at all. 
5. No tips!! No custom of tipping in Japan and no one accepts tips.  Even when they are extremely helpful.  It was difficult for me to accept all the help and courtesy as is.
6. Every train station small or big is a place to shop and eat in Japan. The train stations have malls situated inside and you can typically walk out with anything from groceries to clothes to computers from the train station.
7. Travel light! It is tough to move around from one place to the other especially changing trains with heavy luggage.  Most trains including the Shinkansen do not have luggage racks and luggage can only be stored on overhead shelf. Luggage racks are available on Narita Express and trains going to Narita and Haneda airports only.