Dinner in Yokohama with Alex & Miyu Pinkard 
Yokohama onsen 
Tokyo onsen w/Carrie & Jill 
Ichiran Ramen! Yummy! 
Dinner w/friends in Tokyo 
Yummy! 
Aftermath 
Fuji-San from Enoshima 
Amazing digital interactive show 
We walk in water at Team Lab Planets for one exhibit 
Fun in the garden 
Yayoi Kusama Museum 
NO can walk! 
No can walk! Haneda has these amazing wheelchairs 
Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima 
Miyajima Island 
Menbakaichidai 
John Hulaton 
Yum! 
Cliff took this while I was at the onsen.
Archive for the ‘Kyoto’ Tag
2022 November Japan Trip 4 comments
First trip to Japan since Covid 14 comments
Our first Japan trip together
Japan finally opened to tourists on Oct 11, so Cliff & I left that very day to fly to Narita via SFO. (United still does not fly to Japan from Hawaii). We arrived in Narita on Thursday, Oct 13th. We exchanged our money at the airport and got very good rates for our yen. We stayed at Ikebukuro Toyoko Inn. We rested for a while and went out to have Kaiten Sushi dinner. Everything is on sale in Japan with the dollar so strong against a weak yen.
In Tokyo we met my friends Seiichi and Sharon Banno for lunch at a very special place, the Classic House at the Akasaka Prince. Cliff took me to Shibuya Sky building overlooking the city and the Shibuya crossing. We went to Ameyokocho to shop and then to Tsukiji. Yumi Ibaramoto took us to Tsukishima Monja street. Monja is similar to okonomiyaki except no pancake batter. Then we went to Kappabashi the kitchen street where Koji (Yumi’s husband) met us and we shopped there. Next to Ueno where we shopped at Matsuzakaya Department store followed by dinner at Ume No Hana, we had a fancy yuba dinner. Yuba is liquid tofu in a square pan that is heated and when the skin forms on the surface, we take turns lifting the skin and dipping it in a sauce to eat. They also served many small fancy dishes.
In Osaka, Cliff’s good friend John Hulaton and his son Michael took us to many wonderful izakayas to eat to our hearts content. One day, we took a train ride to Arashiyama in Kyoto to meet Cliff’s friend, Rod Aratani and his wife Satomi. We enjoyed walking through the bamboo forest and had lunch with them.
We enjoyed our short quick trip to Tokyo and Osaka mostly to eat lots of delicious Japanese food!
October 2019 Trip to Koyasan & More Leave a comment
I belong to a group of ladies who learn spiritual practices from Makiko, who comes to Hawaii from Tokyo yearly to teach us. Last year, we decided to go on a journey to Koyasan in Japan with Makiko, who offered to share some highly spiritual places in that area, which is southeast of Osaka. 6 of us from Hawaii met Makiko in Osaka and embarked on our journey to Koyasan, Tenkawa and Kumano in Nara-prefecture and Wakayama-prefecture on the Kii Peninsula of Japan. Linda Uehara, Mary Ann Kobayashi, Cynthia Chi-Coi, Laurie Ide, Gloria Uyehara & me w/Makiko took a train from Osaka to Koyasan, where we stayed at Fukuchiin, a temple ryokan. We slept on futons on the tatami floor and ate vegetarian (monk) food. We experienced going to an early morning (6 am) Buddhist monk service, and observed the sunrise in the zen garden immediately after. Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism founded by Kobo Daishi aka Kukai. We participated in the annual Keshien Kanko ceremony which was very special. We walked through Okunoin, the largest cemetery in Japan with over 200,000 graves, some very ancient & covered with moss.
All aboard! ready for our train to Koyasan!
Makiko as we left our lunch restaurant in a drizzly rain. Isn’t she the cutest!
Laurie, Linda, Gloria & Mary Ann. Notice there are no tables, our monk food was way down low on those trays!
Right after our 6 am monk prayer ceremony, we turned around and saw the sunrise at the zen garden.
7 spiritual sisters enjoying the quiet morning
When we left Koyasan, Makiko hired a driver-guide, Kenji, who also studies spiritual practices and who knew of special spiritual locations which were new to Makiko. Kenji shared with us several spiritual places in the area of Koyasan, Tenkawa and Kumano. He drove us to Tenkawa & Kumano where we visited temples, shrines and more and stayed in ryokans. The reason why this is Japan’s spiritual heartland, a sacred place where the gods of Shintoism and Buddhism reside, is because the Kii Peninsula sits on a huge rock very deep (6,000 miles) beneath our earth, creating a strong magnetic field and thus a strong energy field. The mountains in the Kii peninsula are covered in dense forests with 3 pilgrimage routes from one mountain to another.
We are receiving good energy from this sacred tree.
This was a special zero energy spot, where 2 families who fought for 60 years, made peace at this spot. Zero because downward and upward energy balanced.
This is a big shrine that represents the Father of Japan.
Nachi Waterfall Shrine represents the Mother of Japan. In back row see Kenji-San our tour guide/driver extraordinaire.
After our last ryokan in Kumano, the rest of the group took the train back to Osaka, but Gloria and I embarked on our own journey along the shoreline of Kii Peninsula. First, we stopped in Kushimoto, a small village at the very southern tip of the Kii Peninsula. There, I lost my iPhone but recovered it at the police station where it was turned in, with the help of the station master, Mr. Miwa. The next day, we took the train to another small seaside village, Shirahama. At our small, old-fashioned ryokan, no one could speak English. But we managed to get around the village by bus, to see all the amazing sites there.
We are ready for our bath at our Kushimoto hotel onsen in our yukata.
Mr. Miwa, Kushimoto train master, helped me get my lost iPhone back at the police station! What a special man he is!
Spectacular Sandanbeki Rock Cliffs, Shirahama.
Then we took a longer train ride back to Osaka, and changed trains to Kyoto, where we stayed for 4 nights in a ryokan with hot springs right near the train station! Typhoon Hagibis was scheduled to hit Japan while we were in Kyoto, but luckily, it did not affect us there. We stayed in Kobe our last 2 nights, visiting the Earthquake Museum and Chinatown, as well as the shopping arcades… so many of them, seemingly unending!
In Kyoto
1000 torii at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.
Menbakaichidai, Fire Ramen in Kyoto!
Sorakuen Garden in Kobe.
Lari’s Top Ten:
10. Onsens daisuki!
9. Kushimoto village, where my lost phone was found at the police station
8. Zero energy grassy spot where we lay down on the grass
7. Shirahama seaside village
6. Spending quality time with 6 sisters, in hotel room, on train, etc.
5. Kenji and Makiko guiding us to special spiritual places
4. Walking the ancient path of the Okunoin cemetery
3. Nachi Waterfall Shrine
2. My strong emotional reactions to high energies which touched my heart
1. Learning about the Shingon Buddhist sect founded by Kobo Daishi aka Kukai
By the way: I went to a friend’s memorial service and noted that the Buddhist service was very different from the usual Hongwanji type of service. Then I found out that it was from a Shingon Temple here in Honolulu. I spoke to the bonsan and told him that I was recently in Koyasan, and he said he was born and raised there.
Gloria’s Top Ten:
1.We walked partially on an old trail that ascetic monks walk for over 100 miles from one mountain to another and experienced spiritual connections while we were there. They were curious about us as we were about them.
2.Sorakuen garden in Kobe was very beautiful with lovely flowers, the chysanthimums were as tall as we, trickling streams, the color of the leaves were unique to the garden.
3.Fushimi Inari shrine with 1000 red torii in Kyoto
4.Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto
5.Nachi waterfall shrine
6.the peaceful zen garden at Fukuchiin temple in Koyasan
7.Okunoin the huge cemetery with over 200,000 graves
8.Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine where the tree waved to us
9.We stopped at a rock and sweet spring water where Aukai stopped on his journey, and next to it is a small building where we walked up the narrow ladder upstairs to where the monks pray
10.Shirahama, where we saw Engetsu Island with a hole and did beach combing.
Makiko’s Top Ten:
1. Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Tensha (where we happened to be at the ceremony)
2. Kechien Kanjo (ceremony at Koyasan, Kongo-buji temple)
3. Kawayu Onsen (the night of Oct.5th, the water of the hot spring was extraordinary!! My skin became so fresh like a 20-something girl!)
4. The grassy place near Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Tensha
5. Greeting Kobodaishi at inside of the Okunoin (maosuleum)
6. Eating soft cream ice (you were eating shaved ice) near Kumano Hongu Taisha.
7. The first restaurant we went for a lunch in Koyasan
http://www.gomatohu.com/kadohamagomatofu.html
8. Waterfall in Kumano
9. The mountain top at Kumano, near the waterfall
10. That I could share a room with everybody♥️
Laurie’s Top Ten:
1. Kumano tunnel
2. Toto toilets
3. Kukai Mausoleum – ceremony blindfolded
4. Kukai Mausoleum – when you and Gloria felt his love
5. Kukai back of Mausoleum – at shrine where you and Gloria felt his love again
6. Kumano Hongo Shrine – where the trees waved to us
7. Onsens – mainly the last one at the Midoriya Hotel, the sulfur turned all my of Tiffany bracelets black LOL
8. Awesome vegetarian monk food
9. Roykan hard floor futons – hard and painful but happy to have experienced it
10. Zero gravity grass area – lying on the grass like happy children
Cynthia’s Top Ten
1. Makiko and Kenji-san’s earnest collaboration which resulted in an extra special journey for everyone.
2. Walking the same paths, visiting the same centuries-old structures/forests, witnessing or participating in the same services as generations of pilgrims before us.
3. Visiting sacred Okunoin cemetery and the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi; experiencing his energetic presence.
4. The synchronicities which led us to special experiences—notably visiting former living quarters of Kobo Daishi and purchasing rare and powerful “protection poster.”
5. Witnessing our varied, sometimes profound, emotional and physical reactions to places, situations, or energies—notably Lari, after she had kneeled and bowed before all of the altars in the Okunoin temple.
6. Participating in Scarnionne/group energy work to divert Super Typhoon Hagibis away from Japan.
7. Shojin ryori at Kadohama Goma Tofu Restaurant and Fujuchiin.
8. Enjoying the high quality of service, products, work ethic and artisanal skills of people and businesses in Japan.
9. Onsens.
10. Opportunity to experience and compare vibes of monastic Koya-san, countrysides, and Osaka.
2018 Springtime in Japan Leave a comment
Presenting the latest episode of
“Hawaiians in Japan”
Starring: Lari, Yumi, Yvette, Erik, Noakai, & Marlowe
March 21 to April 8, 2018
It was Yvette’s family’s turn to get treated to Japan by Mom. Last year, I treated Ryan’s family. This trip, I went ahead of Yvette’s family and stayed a couple days after they left. I flew into Osaka and took the shinkansen to Iwakuni. Yumi (my friend from Tokyo) rented a car and met me at the train station. We drove to the famous Kintai bridge and took the ropeway up the mountain to the Iwakuni Castle.
Famous Kintai Bridge in Iwakuni
Then we drove to Oshima Island crossing over the green bridge. First, we visited the Hawaii Emigration Museum where they have records of all the families who left Oshima island to settled in Hawaii. We met my relative, Hitoshi Okabatake, who took us to see the plot of land where, our grandpa Kimura lived before emigrating to Hawaii and also to see the grave where the Kimura ancestors are buried. It is amazing how he learned where the Kimura grave is located on the island, from when Kazu visited in 2016, but that’s another story. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner with the entire Okabatake family, Grandpa and Grandma, Hitoshi and Mariko, and their son Kota and Yumiko with their 3 children.
Green Bridge to Oshima Island
Hitoshi Okabatake showed me where my grandpa and his family lived, but now it’s an empty lot.
Kimura gravestone on Oshima Island
The next morning, Yumi drove us along the coast with lovely views of sea and mountain. Yumi makes me laugh because she drives so slowly that cars piled up behind us. Every so often she pulled over to let them pass! We went back to the Okabatake home and Mariko took us to pick oranges from their orange grove and Grandma took us to pick shiitake from her shiitake posts.
Grandpa supervises picking oranges.
Grandma shows Lari how to pick fresh shiitake
We took the ferry to Matsuyama on Shikoku Island. Yumi’s friend picked us up from the ferry station and took us to Matsuyama Castle where we enjoyed the sakura-cherry blossoms blooming. Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku and the capital of Ehime Prefecture. The next day, we took the tram to Dogo Onsen, which is 3000 years old. After Yumi left to catch her flight home to Tokyo, I went to a ryokan, Hotel Okudogo, outside of the city. This ryokan has several outdoor pools.
Matsuyama Castle with Yumi and her friends
After checking out from the ryokan, I took a 3-hour train ride to Takamatsu. It is a city on the northern coast of Shikoku island. I visited the Takamatsu Castle ruins and the lovely Ritsurin Garden. Then I went to Busshozan Onsen. The next day I took the Mariner 1-hour express train to Okayama. I walked around Okayama city before catching a train to Itami Station to stay with Ibaramoto grandma. We used google translate to communicate with each other. She made a wonderful dinner for me.
Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu
Mrs. Ibaramoto in Itami City, Osaka is Yumi’s mother in law
On Thursday, I went to Kansai Airport to meet Yvette, Erik, Noakai and Marlowe. They were so happy to see me as soon as they came out of customs. We took the train to Namba Station in Osaka and had difficulty finding our AirBnB apartment. It turned out to be very cramped and unsuitable for children so we moved to a hotel with a large family room that Yumi found for us. We took the subway to Osaka Castle and it was glorious with all the sakura in bloom.
Osaka Castle
On Saturday we took a train to Minoo Station and walked up to Minoo Park. It was a lovely, leisurely, nature walk along the Minoo stream. We stopped at the Insect Musuem and did not go all the way to the Minoo Falls. Instead we turned back and went to Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Minoo, which was a wonderful family facility with restaurants, game rooms, resting rooms, toddler areas, ping pong room, massage rooms and more. We stayed all afternoon into the evening enjoying all the amenities.
We visited a temple along the Minoo Stream
Marlowe and Noakai by Minoo Stream
On Sunday we traveled to Nara to visit Todaiji Temple with the deer park. The kids went through the hole in the pole. The next morning, we went to Koriyama Castle Festival. On Tuesday we took the train to Kyoto.
Before going into a temple we cleanse ourselves.
Todaiji Temple in Nara with a very large Buddha inside.
Wednesday we took the old-fashioned open air Romantic Train along the Hozugawa River with sakura blooming everywhere! Then we rode down the Hozugawa river in a flat-bottomed wooden boat all the way to Arashiyama. It was fun going over some small rapids in the river. In Arashiyama, we hired two rickshaws to take us to the Bamboo Forest. After lunch, we took a small local train to Toei Kyoto Studio and enjoyed the Trick Art museum there.
Old-fashioned Romantic train ride up along the Hozugawa River
Hozugawa boat ride was so much fun!
Rickshaw ride into the bamboo forest in Arashiyama
Samurai actors at Toei Movie Studio Park
Trick Art Museum at Toei Movie Studio Park
On their last day, we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine with 1000 red torii. That night, they took a bullet train to Osaka to stay at a hotel near the airport for their flight back to New York City.
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
I spent the next couple days in Nagoya, staying with Naoto and Yuko and their son Taisei. We all went to an onsen up in the mountains nearby, shopping and to Shiratori Teien Garden. Then I returned to Osaka to catch my flight home.
In Nagoya, Kats, Kazuyo, Naoto and Taisei took me to lunch.
Yuko and I are enjoying a cold one at the onsen.
Noey’s Top Five:
More favorites: deer, trick art museum, giant Buddha
5. Hozugawa River boat ride
4 train stations are really clean and modern and huge
3: the sakura in bloom
2: the onsens
1: the food is amazing and high quality
Yvette’s Top Four:
4. My birthday brunch buffet at a fancy hotel
3. Onsens
2. Hiking in the forests-Minoo, bamboo, Fushimi Inari
1. Going around with Lari
Marlowe’s Top Five:
5. Bullet train ride
4. The toy with the bento
3. Slurpy noodles
2. Cherry blossoms
1. Hozugawa boat ride
Eric’s Top Five:
5. Japanese toilets (came home and ordered a toto)
4. Koirala Bento Lunch-sakura special only $8
3. Giant Buddha temple at Todaiji in Nara
2. Hozugawa Boat ride
1. Onsens and massage
Japan 2015 Oct-Nov 10 comments
Presenting the latest episode of
“Hawaiians in Japan”
starring: Lari and Debi
October 26 to November 15, 2015
After Roger passed away in July, Debi offered to take his place on this trip that we had planned, our first Fall trip to Japan. We got our rail passes here before we left and made good use of them going on several shinkansen trains. I arrived a day ahead of Debi, and Yumi and Koji picked me up at the airport. I spent the day with Yumi: first we had breakfast at a fancy hotel, then to Shibuya to see Hachiko the famous dog statue, then to Harajuku where we took fun photos, ate lunch and shopped at my favorite store, Daiso (100 yen) onTakeshita Dori (walking street).
After Debi arrived, we took the train to Nikko. We visited Ayako, who works at Nikko Tokanso Ryokan where Roger and I stayed in 2013. I took the memory book that I made about Roger, and shared it with all of our friends in Japan. Ayako cried when I told her that he had died and showed her his book. She gave us tickets to go to Rinnoji Temple Garden (beautiful) and brought a platter of assorted cut fruit to our hotel.
We took a shinkansen through the mountains with many long tunnels to Niigata. We walked to Ichishima Sake Brewery, where the owner, Kenji Ichishima (Yumi’s friend) met us and showed us around his brewery, then his mother served us some fancy Japanese tea. I bought sake and some sembei, and after we shopped, Kenji drove us to the wonderful Tsukioka Onsen Murakamikan Ryokan. Debi and I enjoyed a feast for dinner and the relaxing onsen (Japanese bath, soaking in hot water pools).
The next morning after breakfast, we met Yumi and Asako at the Niigata train station, and went with them by ferry to Sado Island. Asako drove a rental car, so we were lucky to see all the sites on the island! First we rode the tarai (large bucket) boat, went to Kodo Taiko School for a one-hour taiko lesson with Sami and did some gold-panning at a tourist place. We went to Kiraku Ryokan Hotel and had a HUGE dinner and also went to onsen there. The next morning after breakfast, we went to the famous Sado Gold Mine, another tourist attraction. Sado Island has a mascot, the Toki bird (crested ibis), which is endangered. We visited the Toki bird reserve.
Debi and I left Niigata and took the shinkansen to Kanazawa. Our hotel was very convenient, right across the street from the train station. We bought an all-day bus pass and rode the bus to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, to the famous and beautiful Kenrokuen Garden and did some shopping.
We took a train to Kyoto and stayed at the Kyoto ANA Crowne Plaza hotel next to Nijo Castle. This was our favorite hotel. For 3 days, we went shopping, went to dinner with Masahiro Mori and his family, took a train to Fushimi Inari Taisha to see the thousand red torii, and went to Menbakaichidai, for Fire Ramen.. super delicious and fun!
We went to Kobe and stayed two nights, but hardly spent time in Kobe, because we took the train to Himeji Castle one day and to Arima Onsen village the next. The castle was recently opened after 5 years of renovations. Arima Onsen is a village with shops and several onsens… we did the gold onsen-very hot! and the silver onsen as well as a massage. We rode the ropeway up Mount Rokko and had lovely views of the autumn colors.
Our next stop was Osaka, where we had lunch with my friend Miho Ueo and her family, who just moved to Osaka from Sapporo. Yumi’s parents, Sosuke and Toshiko Kojima took us to Kushi Katsu dinner in the mall right next to our hotel. On to Nagoya the next day to visit with the Kurata family. The day we arrived, Naoto and Yuko with Tomoe picked us up at the train station and took us shopping, to lunch and to a Temple. That night, Naoto prepared takoyaki dinner for us. The next day, Katsumasa and Kazuyo took us around then dropped us off at the train station. They took us to Komeda Coffee for breakfast, then to a Temple and to Noritake China for a tour of their factory. The displays of the historical Noritake china patterns was wonderful.
We returned to Tokyo after Nagoya and Yumi and Koji met us at the train station, then we had soba dinner and they took Debi to the subway station to go to the airport and I took a train to Kazu’s house in Camp Zama, Sagamihara. I stayed with Kazu, Audrey and their 3 girls for a few days and we got to watch Azlyn play volleyball, went on a road trip to Takao to the Trick Art Museum, drove to Mt Fuji and saw Shiraito Falls and the lakes. One day, I walked to school with Azlyn and her friends, and I read a book to her class in her Japanese school. We had lots of delicious food and went to some onsens, which I love very much! The hotter the better!
Lari’s Top 12:
12 Himeji Castle
11 Autumn colors everywhere
10 Ichishima Brewery with owner Kenji Ichishima
9 Wonderful ryokans with delicious breakfasts and dinners
8 Shiraito Falls
7 Takao Trick Museum
6 Fushimi Inari Taisha
5 Tarai boat and taiko on Sado Island
4 Taiko lesson at Kodo Taiko studio on Sado Island
3 Fire Ramen at Menbakaichidai
2 Food! Soba, Kobe Beef, Kushikatsu, tonlkatsu, sushi, pastries, fresh fruit in season: persimmon, pear, apple, tangerine
1 Onsens and massages, especially Arima Onsen village
Yumi took me to breakfast to meet Kae Jibiki.
In Harajuku, Yumi and I went into the photo booth that puts make-up on to make us look young.
Debi and I took a train to Nikko, where we enjoyed the fall colors.
In Niigata, Kenji Ichishima showed us around his sake brewery and drove us to our ryokan.
We met Asako and Yumi and went with them to Sado Island, where we rode the tarai (bucket) boat.
Kodo taiko school on Sado Island: Debi, Asako and Yumi playing taiko.
Sami was our taiko instructor at Kodo Taiko school.
I love the onsen -hot bath soak at the Sado ryokan.
Ryokan dinner was fabulous! Too much food, we could not eat it all.
We were so lucky that Asako drove us around Sado and Yumi navigated.
Beautiful and famous Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa.
Masamichi owns Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen in Kyoto, and his ramen is super ono!
This video is taken at Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen shop in Kyoto!
We visited the famous Himeji Castle all new-looking after 5 years of renovation.
We went to Arima Onsen village where they have gold onsen, silver onsen and more. We got a massage and had lunch there.
We rode up to Mount Rokko on the Ropeway with glorious views of the fall colors.
In Osaka, we had kushikatsu dinner with Yumi and Asako’s parents, Sosuke and Toshiko Kojima.
In Nagoya, Naoto, Yuko and Tomoe Kurata took us around town to shop and have lunch.
Katsumasa and Kazuyo Kurata took us to Noritake Museum and lunch before taking us to the train station to go back to Tokyo.
Debi went home to Hawaii and I went to stay with Kazu, Audrey and 3 girls at their home in Camp Zama.
Kazu drove me, Allah and Aulia to Shiraito Falls near Mt. Fuji.
After watching Azlyn play volleyball, we all drove to Takao Trick Art Museum.
We all had fun at Takao Trick Art Museum… they have so many rooms with different optical illusions!
Before I left to catch my flight, the Hernandez and Ibaramoto families bade me farewell!
Japan with Jensen 2014 3 comments
Presenting the latest episode of
“Hawaiians in Japan”
starring: Lari and Jensen
March 17 to 31, 2014
Yumi had been asking for Jensen to come to Japan for several years, so we finally agreed to let Jensen visit with her son Kenzo. Jensen had to get his passport, so he could travel overseas for the first time. I booked Hawaiian Airlines to Osaka Kansai and we stayed in the Osaka area for two weeks. We stayed at Ibaramoto grandma’s home in Itami right next to the Itami train station, which was very convenient.
We took a day trip by train to Nara with Yumi and Audrey who came to Osaka from Tokyo by shinkansen. It was a rainy day, and our first stop by bus was to the Todaiji Temple with the deer and the large wooden Buddha in the temple. When I bought sembei to feed the deer for Jensen, the deer surrounded me immediately and started to attack me… they bit me and I yelled and tried to give the sembei to Jensen, but he refused take it, so I finally threw it on the ground and the deer stopped biting me. Then we went to the temple to see the largest wooden Buddha and walked to the back, where one of the poles has a hole the size of the Buddha’s nostril. The legend is that if you can crawl through the hole, you will have good health and wisdom. So I crawled through and nearly got stuck, and had to be pulled out. I guess I gained weight since the last time I went through it easily years ago. Jensen, Yumi and Audrey all went through it too.
The next day the four of us took an overnight bus tour to Kanazawa, stopping along the way at Shirakawa village, where it was snowing, and stayed at Wakuma Ryokan Onsen. Jensen enjoyed his first snow experience. After breakfast, we drove north to Wajima morning market, where we shopped. We had lunch at Togi where they have Ganmon rock, with an arch by the sea. Then we went to the lovely Kenrokuen garden in Kanazawa. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we saw some flowering ume, but it was too early for the sakura.
Before Yumi and Audrey went back to Tokyo, Mrs. Ibaramoto dressed Jensen, Audrey and me in beautiful kimono. When Yumi and Audrey left, Jensen and I took the shinkansen to Hiroshima. We stayed at the Hokke Club hotel near the Peace Memorial park. The first day, we took the streetcar and ferry to Miyajima Island. We got some beautiful photos of the famous red torii in the water at low tide. Then we walked around the island to the aquarium and had lunch. The next day we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial park and museum, which Jensen was very interested in. Then we caught the shinkansen back to Osaka and Kenzo came from Tokyo to Grandma Ibaramoto’s home to stay with us. He took us around the neighborhood and we went to the Osaka Aquarium, the Transportation Museum, and to the nearby onsen.
The two boys and I took the train to Kyoto and met Koji, Yumi’s hubby/Kenzo’s dad there. The four of us went to Kinkakujin (gold) pavilion, Toei Movie Studio, and Hozu River boat ride. Riding through the rapids was great fun! After the river ride, we rode a rickshaw around Arashiyama and had lunch there. Koji took us to Kyoto Fire Ramen, which was a fun experience for all of us. Then we toured Nijo Castle at night, which was beautifully lit up. We saw Kiyomizu Temple, Sanjūsangen-dō Temple with 1000 buddhas and the Steam Locomotive Museum.
We had so much delicious food! -ramen, soba, curry, okonomiyaki, Kushi Katsu, tonkatsu, manjyu, mochi, robata sushi, miso soup, tempura, oyaku dombori, omerice, and the musubis at convenience stores and train stations are so good! In Osaka, we did some shopping near Osaka station and at Shimsaibashi shopping arcade which is 1/3 mile long between Umeda Station and Namba Station.
We would like to thank Yumi, Koji and Kenzo Ibaramoto for helping us to plan our trip and joining us for fun tours in the area. Also thank you to Yumi’s parents, Sosuke and Toshiko Kojima and Koji’s mom, Mrs. Ibaramoto for their warm hospitality.
Jensen’s top twenty:
- Pokémon Center
- Toei Movie Studio
- Toto toilets are warm and have all kinds of amenities
- Sakura
- Insect Museum and Transportation Museum
- Temples/Shrines
- Aquarium (Osaka)
- Hozu River Boat Ride
- Rickshaw Ride in Arashiyama
- Nara Todaiji Temple with the Giant Wood Buddha and the pole with the hole
- Public Transportation-trains, subways, buses, etc.
- Convenience Stores: Family Mart, 7-11, Asnas, etc.
- Onsens/Public Baths
- Tamago Meshi/Sushi
- Book Off -got some used games
- Bandai Store
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial
- Shirakawa, my first time to see snow
- Curry -ate it over 10 times.
- Nara Deer, that attacked Grandma Lari
Kenzo’s top five:
- Hozu River ride
- Machiya traditional townhouse in Kyoto
- Golden temple and Nijyo-jyo in Kyoto
- Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum
- Rickshaw ride in Arashiyama
Lari’s top seven:
- Transportation Museum
- Steam Locomotive Museum
- Toei Movie Studio
- Miyajima Island, my first time there
- Onsens
- Hozu River Ride (last year it did not have as many rapids as this time)
- Fire Ramen
Pokemon Store
Kushi Katsu with Yumi, Asako & Mr. Kojima in Osaka
Grandma Ibaramoto made delicious breakfasts every morning
At Nara, Todaiji temple many deer attacked Grandma Lari, who had sembei.
Jensen going into the pole in Todaiji Temple
Pulling Jensen out from pole in Todaiji Temple
Our bus & tour director for 2-day tour to Noto Peninsula & back to Itami City
Snow at Shirakawago
Jensen’s feet are too big for ryokan slippers
Dinner at Wakuma Ryokan Onsen
Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa
Grandma Ibaramoto dressed us in kimono
Shinkansen
5-story pagoda at Miyajima
Rice paddle invented @ Miyajima
Miyajima Island at low tide
Two Japanese boys
Toei Movie Studio, Kyoto
Fire Ramen! Very hot, very delicious!
Romantic Train to Hozu Riverboat ride
Hozu Riverboat ride
Rickshaw ride, bamboo forest, Arashiyama
Japan in April 2013 1 comment
Presenting the latest episode of
“Hawaiians in Japan”
starring: Roger and Lari
April 9 to 26, 2013
View slideshow:
When my nephew, Kazu moved to Japan in March of 2012, we planned a trip for this April hoping to see cherry blossoms in full bloom and to visit Kazu and all of our friends in various cities. Now that Hawaiian Airlines goes to four Japanese cities, we used HAL and got a good fare to Haneda. This was not a tour, so we had to plan everything on our own. We got lots of planning help from Yumi Ibaramoto and Kazu/Audrey. We ordered our rail pass online, picked it up at JTB in Ala Moana and made reservations at hotels and ryokans. We used the trains extensively to get to Nikko, Nagoya, Takayama, Kyoto, Hakone, and back to Tokyo.
In Nikko, we stayed at a ryokan Nikko Tokanso and fell in love with Ayako, who is the front desk greeter, bell person, room service, concierge, and shop salesperson, all rolled into one. She works so hard doing so many different jobs and is the only one who can speak English. We woke up to snow outside our window the first morning. It was so magical, like a fairyland. That afternoon it all melted away, but then it hailed just as we were leaving for our tour of Nikko National Park, which included Kegon Falls, Ryuzu Falls and Lake Chuzenji.
In Takayama, we were there for their spring festival. Each year, they have a festival in April and another in October We were so lucky to be able to experience the Takayama Matsuri with parades, floats, and food. The 12 floats are called Yatai and are over 300 years old, each one with intricate carvings and decorations. We also visited Hida Folk Village near Takayama. It’s like Sturbridge Village or Polynesian Culture center where you see how they lived back in the olden days.
We also stayed at Katsumasa and Kazuyo Kurata’s home in Nagoya. He has a car, so we were driven all around Nagoya to gardens, temples, parties, restaurants, dinners, and to the Toyota Auto Museum. We also met their neighbors the Shimoyamas and had dinner at their son, Naoto’s home with wife Yuuko and son Taisei.
In Kyoto, we had dinner with old friends, Koichi and Chiyako Mori and their son Masahiro and wife Tomoko. Masa used to come to Hawaii and visit us in Pearl City and my parents in Hilo when he was young. Now Masa is a doctor who does brain research in Nara University. It was a very nice reunion.
Yumi and her mom, Toshiko, who lives in Osaka, met us in Kyoto and stayed with us at two different temple ryokans. Ninnaji Temple in Kyoto and Hieizan Enryakuji Temple on top of Mt, Hiei, just outside of Kyoto, overlooking Lake Biwa. Yumi arranged for us to tour the Kyoto Imperial Palace as well as the Tokyo Imperial Palace. We also rode on the Romantic Train up the Hozugawa River and rode down river on small boats that could go through the small rapids.
In Hakone, we met with friends Mikio and Masae Tada, whom we had met in Madrid years ago. We visited their home in Manazuru and had a lovely visit with them.
Kazu has a minivan and he drove us from a ryokan with onsen in Hakone to his army base home, in Sagamihara and to Enoshima island and Kamakura as well as different restaurants and onsen around his neighborhood. We missed Audrey and Aulia, who were at our house in Hawaii for a conference. I went to visit and read a book at Azlyn’s 3rd grade class at the Japanese school that she attends outside the army base housing. Then I walked to Ailah’s pre-school to visit her and met her teacher and principal.
In Tokyo, we stayed at the Shinjuku Prince hotel and met with Yumi’s husband, Koji, for dinner one evening, because he works at the Shinjuku Police station nearby. Yumi and her sister Asako took us to Akasaka Ninja Restaurant, which was an adventure in dining. We were able to shop at Pepe next to our hotel, which has 8 floors of shopping, including Uniqlo and a 100 yen shop.
The weather was chilly and cool. Too bad we missed the peak of sakura blooming, (this year the peak was in March) but we enjoyed the cherry blossoms that were still in bloom, and the beginning of azalea season. And of course, we really loved the food! There is nothing like the taste and presentation of food prepared in Japan.
Roger’s Top Ten:
10. Hida Folk Village in Takayama, where I got to ride an electric car around so I didn’t have to walk. It was da best!
9. Akasaka Ninja Restaurant where Ninjas lead you through a dark maze with steps, narrow halls dead ends and a drawbridge to get to your table. Ninjas serve with fire, sparks, and fun ways for the strange but delicious food. Thanks to Yumi and Asako for taking us there.
8. At Nikko Tokanso we woke up one morning and looked out our window to see everything covered in white snow! It was really cool-cold, in fact! We reserved a bus tour to take us to Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls, but instead, we got a private tour via taxi. Hail was drumming down on us as we left the ryokan, and the drive up to the mountain lake was snowing. Nikko is where the 3 monkeys come from: see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
7. Kazu took us to a ryokan in Hakone that was awesome. They had so many onsens: a public bath for men and women, a family bath, and a private bath just outside our room. Young couples would go bonkers, but Lari and I went oh la la too.
6. Yumi and her mom, Toshiko took us to a mountain top temple and ryokan. First we took a funicular, then a cable car-gondola to the top, and finally a bus that took us to the temple ryokan. It was a modern ryokan with a view of Lake Biwa.
5. In Takayama I had hidagyu steak that was very expensive. My 5 ounces of steak cost $64. You don’t need teeth to enjoy this steak, it’s so soft and melts in your mouth. It’s the best steak I ever ate.
4. We visited friends in Japan, which made our trip so fun. I was overwhelmed by everyone’s warm and generous hospitality.
3. Kazu took us to an onsen where we stuck our feet into a fish tank and fed the fish our toe jams. The fish nibble on our feet and it was a tingling feeling, another new and neat experience.
2. The Kyoto Imperial Palace tour was a one-hour walking tour with a beautiful English-speaking guide. It was okay but I enjoyed the Tokyo Imperial Palace tour better because we were chauffeured around for an hour, thanks to Yumi’s friend. They had a super duper bonsai collection. The bonsai are rotated into and out of the palace for the Emperor to enjoy. The royal carriages and horses used by the Emperor and dignitaries was also impressive.
1. For the most part, the weather was cold. We saw quite a lot of sakura, despite missing the full bloom. So we did get to see some up in the mountain areas of Nikko and Takayama. I did not know that Japan had so much azaleas. Probably more than those we saw in Wilmington, NC when we went to their Azalea Festival.
*My favorite thing I brought back from Japan was a phone charm for my cell phone. I got a “saru bobo” with a bell, which is the mascot of Takayama and means monkey baby.
Lari’s Top Ten:
10. Shopping at the 100 yen shops and Second Hand shops.
9. Toyota Auto Museum near Nagoya was very interesting.
8. Both the Kyoto and Tokyo Imperial Palace tours were wonderful.
7. Visiting our friends and relatives was very special and fun!
6. In Kyoto, the Hozugawa Romantic train ride and riverboat ride was so much fun!
5. Ryokans: we sat on the tatami floor at low tables to have tea and manju and slept on futons on the floor and took our bath at the onsen.
4. Takayama Matsuri was wonderful. After the Snow Festival in Sapporo, this was my second Festival, and it was fabulous. The parades, the floats (yatai) and the sakura in bloom made it very special.
3. Ayako at Nikko Tokanso stole my heart. She was simply amazing! She does everything at the ryokan with such a cheerful and friendly manner.
2. ONSEN: I love, love, love to soak in the hot and steamy pools after scrubbing myself clean and rinsing off in the wash area. I guess it’s because I grew up with furo at my house.
1. FOOD: I love all the food we ate in Japan. Everything is delicious. I think I travel to eat. Everywhere I go, I love to eat.
lariyasui 