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Tokyo DisneySea
There are some impressive rides at Tokyo DisneySea, so we couldn’t pass up the chance to check them out (or, at least, Rowan wouldn’t let us pass up the chance). We got there early and lined up for fast pass tickets for one of the newest and coolest rides, Journey to the Centre of the […]
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Himeji
We took a commuter train to Himeji one morning, dropping off our bags at our hotel before walking 15 minutes up a main street to Himeji Castle, a centuries old wooden castle that’s painted white and rests on the landscape of the city like a jewel. Nicknamed the White Heron, it sits on several km […]
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Ekoin Temple
We woke up at 6am to make the 6:30am daily ceremony in the main hall of the temple, where a monk performed the daily ceremony including chanting, clashing cymbals and burning incense. There were about 20 or 30 of us sitting on the floor, watching and listening to the ceremony for about half an hour, […]
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Koyasan
The forecast called for cooler temperatures and rain, of course, for our next bit of hiking (just like the Kiso Valley) in Koyasan, a two-hour journey from Osaka. We took the Nankai Line’s Limited Express (a bit like a commuter train or long distance subway) to Hashimoto Station, then hopped on their local bus out […]
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Osaka
On our first full day in Osaka, we visited Osaka Castle, which rests on about one square km of parkland, has a five storey main tower, impressive stone ramparts, and a wide moat that you cross via a main bridge. Inside, we took the stairs up to the very top to look out from an […]
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Inari Shrine
The next day, we started early for the Inari Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most famous sites. It’s free, and the day we went, it was warm and sunny, which was perfect for walking up the hundreds of stairs through bright orange gates to the summit and back, which took us about 2 hours, including stopping […]
