Japan 2026 – Our solo days in Tokyo

Posted on November 13, 2026 by herktrav

With the tour coming to an end, Sue and I had two extra days in Tokyo before returning home.

We were on a mission to make up for our walking debacle of yesterday. We set out to the Shibuya Train Station to take a train.

That train would take us to the Shinjuku Train Station with its over two hundred exits. Our directions were perfect and we were able to find the correct exit on the first try.

Hooray for us!

After exiting the station, we came across the iconic 3-D cat billboard.

It’s an advertisement that draws a lot of attention. However, I can’t honestly say that I remember what it was actually advertising.

The real reason for our journey was waiting at the end of the street. Perched on the eighth floor terrace of the Hotel Gramercy, surveilling the streets below was…..Godzilla!

We dared to move closer, hoping not to disturb him or incur his wrath. We were joined by many others and then…. At the top of the hour, he let out a mighty roar. His red eyes brought tremors to the people watching, his fiery breath (dimmed by the bright daylight) was terrifying. And then, he settled back in his watchful perch to await the top of the next hour.

We had done it. We not only got to see Godzilla, but we managed to maneuver our way there using the train system and conquering Shinjuku Station. And since I’m writing this, we also made it back.

We headed back to the hotel to rest up for a bit. One of us was coughing like crazy and decided to take a nap.

For dinner, we connected with two of our travel companions – Arthur and Pam. They were also staying on for a few days, though they would be leaving for the Hakone region in the morning. We had a lovely dinner together at the hotel restaurant, chatting away like old friends.

Our entire dinner was extremely good, but I had to share the special appetizer box that came with our meal. So many wonderful flavors and textures to prepare your palate for the meal.

At dinner’s end, we parted, hoping that we stay in touch.

For our last day in Tokyo, we were determined to find the Godzilla store. We set out, maps in hand and once again got ourselves lost. This time however, we came to our senses and just grabbed a taxi.

It was an embarrassingly short ride, but our taxi driver just laughed when I showed him a Google Translate message on my phone saying we tried to walk, but got lost. When he pulled up to the building, we cheered and he smiled. The happy ending was that there was someone looking for a taxi that hopped right in when we exited the vehicle.

The Godzilla store is located on the sixth floor of the Parco building. There were many other shops on the various floors, but we were focused on one target. The sixth floor was full of shops related to every character of video game or movie stardom.

And then we found him…

We made a couple of purchases and then departed. The floor was total chaos with people of all ages seeking out their favorite characters.

Having noted the route taken by the taxi driver, we started to walk back to the hotel. And yes, we made a wrong turn somewhere along the line.

This time, we found ourselves in a mass of humanity at the Shibuya Scramble crossing. When the cross walk says go, you go!

Arriving at the other side of the road (the chicken would not have made it), we went in the direction we thought was correct and came across the statue of Hachiko.

It took a couple of tries, but we eventually found a sign pointing to the Shibuya Station and then another that indicated our hotel.

Back in the hotel, Sue displayed her new pride and joy for our Christmas tree.

Cute, fuzzy and fearsome!

We had made a dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant to celebrate the end of our fabulous journey. Just the two of us looking out over the city lights, enjoying a meal and talking about our favorite things about the trip.

And that officially concluded our fabulous trip to Japan.

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Japan 2026 – Returning to Tokyo

Posted on November 13, 2026 by herktrav

Our trip was nearing its end as we made our way back to Tokyo. Our bags were gathered at our Kanazawa hotel and would be forwarded for us. For our part, it was one last ride on the bullet train.

As the Kanazawa train station is across the street, the group walked over and headed to our platform. We did stop for a few snacks before boarding. The journey was just a bit over two hours and went very quickly.

We arrived at Tokyo Station and then took taxis to the hotel. Our hotel was the Hyatt House – Shibuya. When we arrived, we were in luck as our rooms were ready for occupancy.

Our room was simple, but very nice. As with everywhere else we stayed, it was spotlessly clean and comfortable.

I was starting to feel a cold coming on, so we rested up for the afternoon to try and ward off the germs. Many of our travel companions have had the same problem, so I guess it was just my turn.

Feeling a little refreshed, we joined part of the group at a Wagyu Yakiniku restaurant and had a wonderful meal.

The meal was a meat lover’s dream. The wagyu was so tender and buttery tasting; the fact that you could grill it as much or as little as you wanted pleased everyone’s tastes.

It was quite the meal. We were all full when we finished and there were eight thumbs up on the evening.

The walk back to the hotel was very pleasant, especially surrounded by the city lights.

For our last tour day, we started out with some free time to wander. Sue and I decided to take a walk to the Godzilla Store, as the route seemed simple enough.

It wasn’t! We got ourselves lost. With judgement clouded by my head cold, we kept going – thinking we would find the street to turn on. We didn’t!

All in all, our simple walk turned into a 2.5 mile walk to nowhere. And then, we had to go back. Five miles and some time later, we arrived back at the hotel. I was tired, coughing, sore and needing a nap.

We skipped the afternoon tour of the palace gardens (it wasn’t a tragedy, as nothing is currently blooming) and rested up for the evening’s goodbye dinner.

The goodbye dinner was the coup de grâce. We traveled a good distance from our hotel to the VIN Tetsu restaurant. It was located on the 46th floor and provided outstanding views over the city.

Our meal was a spectacular multi-course affair.

It was a wonderful dinner celebrating a trip of a lifetime, but accompanied by some sadness associated with the group parting ways.

Because of the different travel schedules, this was our official goodbye to our travel companions and our superb group leader.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since this was a shorter post, I’ll try to answer a few of your questions:

We were a group of sixteen. Everyone in our group was a seasoned traveler. There were five couples and six individuals. I would place the average age at around seventy, but you’d probably win a prize at the fair as I’m terrible with ages.

The group was made up of Brits, Canadians and Americans with our tour guide being an Irishman living in Japan.

The language, which provided the majority of my pre-trip anxiety, was not as much of an issue as I thought it would be. Now granted, we were usually with our guide, but many places had English menus or someone who understood English.

I prepared a cheat sheet before we left home and had practiced a bit of Japanese. I had chosen the right words and phrases as we were able to use them often. Combined with appropriate smiles and gentle bows, we did well.

The time difference for us was fourteen hours. 10:00 am for us on Friday was 8:00 pm on Thursday back home.

When flying home Saturday, we will leave at 6:50 pm and arrive in Toronto at 4:45 pm. We will be time traveling.

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Japan 2026 – Finishing up in Kanazawa

Posted on November 12, 2026 by herktrav

We woke to a pleasant day in Kanazawa. We slept well, so we were ready for another day of exploring.

Kanazawa was an area with a strong Samurai past and today we visited a samurai house from the 1500’s and walked through a beautifully preserved neighborhood. Think ‘old houses with updated amenities’. It was just a short bus ride over from our hotel.

There is actually still a moat that surrounds the town. We made sure there weren’t any snipers with bows and arrows before crossing the bridges. You just never know…

The Samurai were known as fierce warriors, but were also providers for their family.

Quite interesting. By the way, the samurai armor weighed between 22 and 44 pounds. I’ve thus decided that I want to be a ninja instead. The outfit goes with all my other accessories and is much lighter.

Moving on, we made our way to the village. Many of the houses there are original from the 1500’s and are owned by individuals who’ve upgraded the interiors while maintaining the outer aesthetic.

Almost game time – Go Bills!

Everyone was getting a little peckish, so that meant lunchtime. We traveled to a fish market that was attached to a food court. Wandering through we were amazed by the prices for the fresh crabs – some big ones came in at 40,000¥ or around $250.

We chose to go to a Kanazawa-style Curry Shop and enjoyed it very much. To order, you push the button for your selection, insert your money and a ticket prints. You give the ticket to the server, they give you a buzzer, you find a seat and they buzz you when it’s ready.

Sue and I both had the pork and rice curry and gobbled it up. The Kanazawa style curry is a distinct, hearty regional style with a thick, dark roux (almost chocolate-colored) that is very rich and delicious. The sauce covers a bed of rice, has a crispy breaded pork cutlet on top and a side of finely shredded cabbage to cut through the richness of the sauce. It was really unique and tasty.

We next visited the area of Yasue, home to some of the premier gold leaf artisans.

No, the sign doesn’t walk.

We had some time to walk around town to explore and to people watch.

Some of the gold leaf items were beautiful, a little expensive and too large for carry-on luggage. Some folks in our group did buy some small sheets of Gold leaf for crafting purposes.

We’ve been surprised to see how many people visit sites wearing traditional clothing. It’s mostly the women, but some men also participate. We’ve noticed that there are many kimono rental shops and they seem to do a very good business.

Just a little look around town.

Our final stop for the day was at a confectioner that’s been around for four hundred years. We got a lesson in making the sweet treats and then finished off with a cup of matcha and our treats.

In the evening, we had some time to ourselves and took advantage of it by doing nothing. We weren’t hungry after our delicious Japanese curry lunch; nor were we feeling the urge to explore. It felt good to just have a bit of a rest as we had been moving all day.

Wanting some pictures, I waited until it got dark and took a quick walk across the street to the train station to take a few photos while it was lit up.

I scurried back to the hotel. Ok…..it was more of a slow saunter…to relax. It sure felt good to rest our weary legs.

Next stop – Tokyo

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Japan 2026 – Onward to Kanazawa

Posted on November 11, 2026 by herktrav

Our bus ride from the Awara Onsen to Kanazawa took us along the coastline of the Sea of Japan. The sea looked angry with large waves breaking along the shore.

The ride was actually pleasant as we passed along a lake. Then, just normal scenery you’d find anywhere.

Eventually we arrived in Kanazawa. Since we were too early to check into our hotel, we went directly to the Museum of Contemporary Arts. We started with a group photo that was our reflection in the shiny display in front of the museum.

From there, we entered and the split up to explore the museum exhibits before lunch.

The first one we viewed was an interesting “underwater” exhibit. In a room below ground, visitors can walk, ‘swim’ and interact with those above. Participative art at its best.

The pool people

Here are a few of the other exhibits we viewed:

The gallery had a café where we ate lunch. The food was very good and was one half a buffet for ‘starters’ and then an ordered main dish from a menu. One of our servers was a very cute young lady who we had a short conversation with. She asked where we were from and when we said the US, she told us that she wanted to visit New York City to see Times Square. She also asked us why we came to Japan. Our answer was because we have heard how beautiful it was and how nice the people were. Sue said: “Just like you”. She asked: “Like me?” And she seemed very happy. And it proved our statement to be true.

Upon completing our lunch, we had one more stop before heading to the hotel. We went to the beautiful Kenrokuen Gardens. It is widely thought of as Japan’s most beautiful landscape garden. We thought it was stunningly beautiful. The following photos will hopefully provide you with some insight on the garden.

We caught back up with the bus driver and made our way to the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Nikko Kanazawa and it was quite nice. The lobby area was beautifully appointed and the rooms were very comfortable.

Hotel Nikko
Our room

For dinner, we stayed in and enjoyed a very nice meal at the hotel’s buffet restaurant. We’re not talking salad bar and chicken nuggets. The buffet included a chef preparing sirloin filets cooked to your preference. Then there were entrees featuring fish, chicken and pork. Noodle dishes, vegetables, soups, fresh breads, some sushi and, of course, a selection of desserts. We feasted like kings and queens.

After the meal, we needed to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

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Japan 2026 – Moving on to Awara Onsen

Posted on November 11, 2026 by herktrav

Kyoto was fabulous, but it was time to move on. No train today -instead we went by bus. We rolled our luggage out, it was loaded onto the bus and we were off.

Our ultimate destination was a traditional ryokan, but we made two stops along the way. The weather failed to cooperate, as we had rain for a good portion of the ride. However, the rain was outside and we were warm and dry on the bus!

We made our first stop to visit the partially reconstructed ruins of Ichijodani Castle town. Some of the folks grabbed umbrellas and went for a short walk. Others, including Sue and I, stayed on board and exchanged some chitchat.

When the others returned, we surmised that we made the correct decision as there just wasn’t much to actually see in the rain. So in this case, the “Spark Notes” won by filling us in on the history of the site while staying warm and dry.

Our second stop was at the Daianzenji temple, where we met with a temple priest to learn about Zazen meditation. He actually was extremely friendly despite his expression in the photo below. It was very interesting and quite relaxing. The main focus was on regulating your breathing while clearing your mind. Excellent advice in this crazy world we live in.

When we completed our session, it was back to the bus to finish our journey to the Haiya ryokan.

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. Many, if not all of them, will typically provide access to hot spring baths fed by the local springs. In the rooms, the flooring is a tatami mat that you only walk on with socks or bare feet.

We had some time to relax before dinner, so a few people did make use of the onsen baths. I had a recommendation from my doctor to skip the bath as the water temperature is usually quite hot.

We stayed in our room and sorted through our papers and pictures until it was time to dress for dinner.

Dinner is another highlight in a ryokan. We enjoyed our dinner of fine kaiseki cuisine, which is a multi-course specially prepared meal. We had fun swapping food items with our friends to make sure we all had ‘clean plates’. The meal was a labor of love and we all agreed it was an excellent meal and a very fun evening in our traditional outfits.

While we were at dinner, the staff changed the room around and laid out the futons and covers for sleeping.

Our awesome travel mates dressed in our yukata robes.

Below are a few photos from around the ryokan. Everything is open and the decor is in subtle shades for tranquility.

The staff came outside and waved as we were leaving. We all respectfully waved back as we pulled away.

Fergal mentioned to us that the staff told him we seemed like a fun group.

Our next stop is Kanazawa…

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt. 3

Posted on November 10, 2026 by herktrav

When we last connected, our group of intrepid travelers were heading back to the hotel to rest up before dinner.

Feeling a bit refreshed, the group gathered and we headed over to the Matsunaga Waygu Yakinuku restaurant. We had an amazing multi-course dinner with the main attraction being thin slices of beef that we got to barbecue ourselves.

Each table is provided with their own grill and you can prepare your beef the way you prefer it. Every course was delicious and we all had a wonderful time. Eating and enjoying each other’s company….a magical evening in Kyoto.

Well sated, we returned to the hotel for a good night’s rest before setting out in the morning.

We started the day by splitting the group in two. Half of the group went with Fergal to the Nijo-Jo Castle, while the other half went with Take to the Kiyomizudera temple. The groups would then switch after lunch to visit the other sites.

To start, we took the subway for a few stops to get near to the entrance. From there, we took a taxi up the steep road leading to the entrance. Once inside the ‘gates’, we needed to make our way up to the main part of the temple.

The area was packed with visitors, making walking up a slow process. With so many people, we also had to stand and wait to be able to view the sites. We did get to see some wonderful sites along the way. Here are a few of them…

After walking around the Temple area for a while, the crowds were growing even larger.

So, we moved on to our next location. On the walk over, we passed through an area with people crawling through a hole in a stone.

It turns out that it is thought by passing through the opening you can leave behind a bad relationship. When you return through the hole, your relationship will be better or you’ll be ready to move on to a new relationship. Good luck to them all.

We also passed by an Art Museum in the Gion area, which is home to the Geisha community.

And just in case the urge hit upon people, we also passed by a “Love Hotel”. The rates were reasonable, but we were booked for the day already.

We wanted it to be called the “Love Shack” so we could sing the song.
Henninji Temple Entrance

We finally reached our destination, the Henninji Temple. The temple was beautiful, but our group was beginning to tire from all the walking at the first temple. However, we persevered.

After walking around the garden areas and meditation rooms, we made our way to the temple.

The highlight of the temple is the hand painted ceiling design.

The original was a small hand drawn version.

A tiring morning of walking did not leave us longing for more, so Sue and I, along with another couple, took a cab back to our hotel and opted out of the afternoon sessions.

Everything was incredible to see, but with my sore back, self preservation mode kicked in. I needed a rest from the walking.

But that wasn’t the end of the day…not by a long shot. A little rest was needed, but we were still hungry for lunch. We took our lunch money, added in some of our own and went for lunch in the hotel.

A French restaurant can help soothe any pain away.

We approached the Maître d’ and asked if we might be seated without a reservation and he warmly welcomed us in.

They had a special lunch offer that we couldn’t pass up. Complimented by some nice wine, this was just what the doctor ordered.

A smile of contentment.
Fall vegetable purée.
Scallops, puff pastry and miniature potato mousse.
Salmon, autumn vegetables with a creamy pea purée.
Waygu beef fillet with roasted autumn root vegetables.
Cinnamon ice cream with dried apple, puff pastry with custard and apple pieces with cinnamon.
Madeline, financier and jelly fruit.
Yes, it was delicious !

What a wonderful treat. We made our way back to the room to relax for a while before another treat this evening.

For our final evening in Kyoto, we went to a performance of a show called “Gear”. It was a story told through non-verbal performances. It featured a mime, break dancer, juggler, a magician and a doll that comes to life. It was an incredible show. Though photos were not allowed during the show performance, I have a ‘before’ and ‘after’ to stir your imagination.

The factory
The aftermath
The Cast

Our group walked back to the hotel together and the consensus was the show was brilliant.

A beautiful evening in Kyoto

The morning would bring new adventures as we moved on from Kyoto.

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt 2

Posted on November 10, 2026 by herktrav

After that wonderful welcoming dinner, the itinerary ramped up with visits to shrines, temples and gardens. Our regular guide and fearless leader Fergal turned the group over to two local guides who conducted the day’s tours.

Our guide was Mr. Takeshi Suzuki or Take as said to call him. He lives in Osaka and was a former schoolteacher. He has been a guide for twenty-five years and has worked with InsideJapan for fifteen years.

Our day started with a visit to Sanjusangendo.

Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist Temple that is known for its magnificent display of 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, along with 28 guardian statues. It was founded in 1164 AD and is considered a national treasure.

The temple hall that houses the statues is 120 meters longest and is Japan’s longest wooden structure. At the center of the building is a large golden statue of Kannon. Flanking that statue on each side are five hundred human-sized statues of nearly identical Kannon standing in ten rows. Along the front, you find the twenty-eight guardians, starting with Fujin and ending with Raijin.

Unfortunately, photos are not allowed, however the link will take you to a site that includes images.

Around the Sanjusangendo Temple area

Our second visit was to the Kyoto Diagoji Temple.

The Kyoto Diagoji Temple is a Buddhist temple located just outside of Kyoto. The temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage site list. Our visit included a walk along the beautiful and extensive grounds, a stop at the elegant five-story pagoda and a look inside the museum.

The pagoda

Inside the museum:

We really enjoyed the visits. The grounds at both temples were awesome and inspiring. Learning a little bit about the traditions, religion and philosophies was very interesting.

We stopped for a lunch break at a market. Everyone split up and chose what they wanted. Sue, Rana, Take and I chose an Izakaya for our meal. We all enjoyed a lunch setup that they offered, with Sue and I both having the pork cutlet with a side of ramen.

Since I was a ‘smarty pants’, replying to some simple statements in Japanese, Take asked where I learned. I showed him my ‘cheat sheet’ I use to help me along and as a former teacher, he started testing me on the words and phrases. Talk about pressure! And in case you’re wondering, I did mess up one phrase, but got a “Very Good” and a happy nod.

Our final stop of the day was at the Okazaki Shrine.

The Okazaki Shrine is located in Kyoto and is a Shinto shrine. Its prominent features are the beautiful, tranquil gardens. I won’t ruin the tranquility with words, so enjoy the walk via the pictures…

Our walk was delightful, so lush and green with water features that awaken your senses. Bridges and buildings just blend into the environment. Very beautiful!

At one point in the walk, there was the stone walkway. Travel mate Liz and I walked it; she with much more grace. For me, it was a confidence boost. A small challenge to overcome an inner fear with a positive attitude.

As an aside, we were told afterwards that there have been people on the tour who didn’t quite make it across and finished the tour with squishy footwear and wet clothes.

Overall, it was a very interesting day. We did quite a bit of walking and we were all happy to get back to the hotel to rest for a bit before dinner.

To be continued…

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Japan 2026 – Our time in Kyoto – Pt 1

Posted on November 6, 2026 by herktrav

We started our day by gathering with the group and boarding our bus to the Hiroshima train station. There was definitely an increase in the traffic on the roads – and then there was the train station, bustling with activity and commuters.

We once again traveled by bullet train. On the way to Kyoto, we stopped in the city of Himeji where we visited the Himeji Castle.

On our way to the castle, we stopped at a grocery store to buy some items for a picnic lunch.

Some simple sandwiches, fruit, yogurt and pastries were among the selections du jour. A quick jaunt down to a little park area provided us with a setting to enjoy our lunch. Once finished, we made our way to the castle.

They’ve done a beautiful job of maintaining the castle and surrounding gardens. Himeji Castle or the ‘White Heron Castle’ is one of Japan’s twelve original castles and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Himeji Castle

Some folks climbed the stairs to enjoy the views from the fifth story, while others just went up a few stories and still others just viewed it from the outside gardens. For those who know us, which group were we a part of?

It was then time to head back to the train station for the second portion of the day’s travel. We once again took the bullet train with our destination being the former Japanese capital city – Kyoto.

The trip to Kyoto was under an hour as we were traveling at an average speed of about 200 mph. It was again a smooth ride all the way.

When we arrived at Kyoto Station, there was a bus waiting to take us to our hotel. Our luggage had been pre-shipped, so it was waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived.

We stayed at the Hotel Okura and it was a wonderful hotel to use as our base. It was originally built in 1888 and presents itself very grandly.

Our room was on the corner of the 12th floor and was perfect. It was spacious, had a very nice shower and bath, a comfortable bed, a small couch and a beautiful view.

We had a bit of time to relax in the room before going out for dinner. Unfortunately, Sue was feeling a bit off and decided to stay behind and rest up for the evening.

As a special treat, we had a dinner that included a lovely performance by a Maiko and a Geisha. Along with the performance, we had a question and answer session and we were also privileged to have a photo session.

Our lovely Maiko and Geisha
That’s me in the center.

They graciously answered all of our questions. Here are just a few highlights from their responses…

The Maiko is seventeen years old and the Geisha is twenty-two.

The Maiko wears a kimono that is more colorful and “cute”. It takes her about an hour to apply her makeup and that is her real hair that she gets styled weekly. Someone helps her to get dressed and ties her obi (sash). The obi can consist of up to eight meters of fabric.

The Maiko said the hardest skill for her to learn is the dancing.

Since she now lives in the Geisha house and her training takes up much of her time, she said she does miss her family.

As for the Geisha, her kimono is less colorful symbolizing a more mature appearance. Besides the color, the sleeves are shorter as is her obi.

Her makeup is different to again look more mature, including their eye makeup and lipstick. Geishas wear wigs that cover their natural hair.

Geishas can stop or retire whenever they want. There are Geishas that are in their eighties.

Those were just a few highlights, but the conversation was very interesting.

We concluded our evening with a delicious multi-course meal.

We took taxis back to the hotel afterwards, to get some rest. The next couple of days would be a whirlwind of touring in Kyoto.

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Japan 2026 – Moving on to Hiroshima

Posted on November 5, 2026 by herktrav

Today is one of those days that shouldn’t excite us as much as it does – our first ride on the Shinkansen or Japanese Bullet Train. We’ve traveled by train plenty of times in different countries, but this is one that we’ve been looking forward to for a while. We’re feeling the need for speed!

We will be leaving from Tokyo Station and will arrive at Hiroshima Station for the second stop on our tour.

Tokyo Station

Though it looks serene from the outside, once inside it is a whole other story. The are so many different trains that run through the station that there are always crowds of people hustling to catch one. We made our way over to the Shinkansen platform, grabbed a few snacks for the ride and then headed on board.

If you’ve never heard of the Bullet train, it is Japan’s High-Speed rail network. The trains are comfortable, fast and look really cool. For our maiden voyage, we will be traveling from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The trip is 804 km and will take us about 4 hours.

Our first journey was a success. Watching the scenery changing as we zipped along made the time fly by. We still have two more train trips ahead in our schedule.

Our second trip location was Hiroshima. When you hear about the area, your first thoughts go back to that fateful day – August 6, 1945 – when the US dropped the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on the city. It made the city the first target of a nuclear weapon in the history of mankind.

Today, Hiroshima is a modern thriving city. It’s been rebuilt and its current population is four times larger than it was in 1945. People have moved on and the despair has been replaced by hope. Peace memorials stand side by side with memorials to the victims.

Our group was solemn as we quietly walked through the Peace Garden and Children’s Garden. We saw the remains of the only building that wasn’t completely destroyed by the blast, then walked along the Peace Pond over to the War Museum and finished off with the Victims’ Museum.

It was honestly a very difficult day. Wars are not fun; the leaders of the world who choose to create wars are not good people. It should be the people that start the wars that should suffer, not the innocent people trying to live a good life and bringing up the children of the future.

Here are some photos from our first day in Hiroshima:

Plaque marking the Hypocenter of the bombing.
The only building that survived.
Peace Pond
Peace Garden
Children’s Garden and monument.

I didn’t take any photos inside of the two museums – it didn’t feel right to do so. It was difficult to see the destruction and read the stories of the victims.

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After leaving the museums, we took a taxi back to the hotel to check in and relax for a while before dinner.

We stayed at the Hiroshima Hilton and we had a very nice room. There were two double beds, a small sitting area, a shower room, plus a bathroom. The bathroom came equipped with one of the modern Toto toilets, which was a treat. It also featured a beautiful view over the city.

Our dinner was at an Okonomiyaki restaurant. Okonomiyaki is a specialty of Hiroshima and their style is famous throughout Japan.

We started out with an order of Gyozas, which are fried dumplings filled with pork and leeks. They were delicious!

Sue and I then shared an Okonomiyaki made with noodles, green onions, pork, shrimp and cabbage. Those ingredients all get fried together on the huge griddle and served.

Though presented with a fork, we devoured our plate of deliciousness using chopsticks with only a couple of wayward pieces not reaching our mouths.

It was good food, good fun and good company with our table mates Gary and Deborah.

The short walk back to the hotel was done in extremely pleasant nighttime temperatures and was a great way to end our day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For our second day in Hiroshima, we took a boat ride out to Miyajima Island.

The boat ride took about 45 minutes. We traveled down the river for about 20 minutes before heading into the open sea. Along the way, we passed by oyster farms as we splashed our way through the waves and wakes from the other boats.

Miyajima Island is home to a shrine and its welcoming Floating Torii Gate. The gate is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The island is also well known for its free-roaming deer. They are tame, though they can be annoying when you have food in your hands and even more aggressive during mating season.

The island was quite busy, so it was slow moving as we walked along. Our route to the shrine took us through an area with many shops and places to eat.

Through the exuberance of our guide Fergal, we were introduced a delightful snack called a ‘Momiji manjū’.

They are a pastry, similar to a pressed croissant, but with delicious fillings such as custard cream, chocolate, apple, caramel, sweet potato or red bean paste. We’re told that some of the fillings change seasonally. They are made in the shape of a maple leaf. But you’re probably wondering…were they good?

Honestly, we tried them with the group. I had a caramel and Sue had a custard cream. We then circled back around to try them again just to make sure we could appropriately describe them to friends. So after our third one… the verdict was ‘Yum’!

So with that settled, our next stop was the Torii Gate.

Gazing out over the sea, you see the gate looking like it is floating above the water. However, we arrived at low tide, so people were actually walking out to the gate and touching it. They say timing is everything! Ours was off.

But it was still quite a sight to see.

We continued on with our walk and made it to the shrine.

It was quite odd being there during the low tide. What would normally have been tranquil waters surrounding the temple had to be replaced by your imagination during quiet contemplation of life.

No matter, it was still wonderful to see.

We continued our walk and our next stop was at a Yakitori stand where we were able to try some grilled meat skewers. Feeling unbrave, Sue and I went with the chicken skewers and they were delicious. Other choices included vegetable, squid, pork and beef, among others.

The pesky deer made an appearance and I think we all spent more time trying to avoid them than enjoying our little lunch break.

We then had some time to wander on our own. We were originally going to take the cable car up to the high point of the island, however the line was long and we couldn’t be sure we’d get back in time for our boat.

So instead, we joined a small group that had another destination in mind…the Miyajima Brewery.

Your eyes are not deceiving you…that is Sue drinking a beer.

After our refreshments, we took a nice stroll back to the port area to do some people watching. Each ferry brought with them large groups of people, including some school groups. I was glad we were heading out as things were getting busier.

We also learned that Miyajima is a sister island to Mont St. Michel in France. So we’ve now visited with both sisters and found them to be delightful.

Upon returning to the mainland, we had some time to relax before dinner. We kept it simple at a small cafe near the hotel as many folks were tired from the day’s activities.

We move on to Kyoto in the morning.

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Japan 2026 – Our tour begins: first stop Tokyo

Posted on November 3, 2026 by herktrav

Since we are staying at the same hotel that the tour uses, we had no travel to worry about today. We awoke to bright skies and were ready to start the day.

We met up with the group at 8:30 am for our private bus ride to the Taiko-Lab for our drumming session. We reached our destination just before 9:00 am and were ushered into the drum room. After a little bit of explanation, we all took our places and the fun began.

It was a little dodgy sounding at first until we all found our rhythm. Once we did, we were banging out some great sounds. Ok, it was just so-so, but at least we were in sync.

Drummers ready for action. There is no secret code in the photo.

Our instructor – Ichi – was very patient and encouraging. Personally, I assumed he had earplugs in place.

Ichi showing us how it’s supposed to sound.
We rocked it!

Well, that was both invigorating and fun.

Next we were off to visit the Meiji Shrine. It was built in the center of a man-made park to honor Emperor Meiji and his wife. Yes, the park was created by the planting of this forest of trees, bushes and flowers that were all donated from throughout Japan.

The walking paths provide a beautiful and tranquil route on your way to the temple complex.

Before heading through the Torii Gate, we made a brief stop at the donation area. Here they displayed the barrels of wine and sake that were contributed to the shrine.

The wine barrels were emptied long ago. The Sake comes annually.

Back on track, we made our way through the Torii Gate and up the path towards the shrine. Along the way were displays of chrysanthemums, which happened to be Meiji’s favorites.

As we neared the bend in the pathway, we were asked to step aside as the Monks were walking in a ceremonial ritual and coming our way.

After they passed, we continued up towards the shrine. There was a display which included a poem written by Meiji for his wife.

Finally we neared the Torii Gate that led to the shrine. Passing through, we were able to see the entryway to the very busy courtyard. There were chairs and a platform set up for a “close to beginning” ceremony celebrating the start of the new month.

There was a dance performance along with a musical performance. Both were nice and the crowd was pleased with the welcoming ritual.

Needing a place to sit for a few minutes, we found some benches in a historical display area. There were two large displays that we found interesting.

It was a delightful visit to see the shrine, but also to enjoy nature on such a beautiful day.

Welcome to Asakusa

Next on the agenda was a bit of lunch before we explored the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. The group split up based on what they were interested in eating. Two of our travel companions joined Sue and I as we were headed to an Udon noodle shop. Unfortunately, our directions were confused, so we ended up going to a Sukiyaki restaurant instead.

It turned out to be very good. Sue and I both had the sukiyaki beef bowl with rice and by some miracle, we were able to enjoy it while eating with chopsticks. I not saying that we’ll be giving away our silverware when we get back home, but we did finish every bit of lunch.

Having staved off starvation, the group gathered back together and made our way down to the temple.

We entered the road to the temple via the Kaminarimon Gate. (Aka The Thunder Gate)

The temple area was extremely crowded so it took some extra time to get to the Temple. All along the road are vendors selling merchandise, foods and crafts, which mean the crowds gather around each shop to peer in or make purchases.

As we finally approached the Temple, there was an incense burner where you could stop to purify yourself with the smoke before continuing up to the Temple.

Inside was an altar area where the monks and worshippers could engage in prayer.

For worshippers only.

Following our walk about, we headed back to the bus to be returned to the hotel.

Sue and I decided to hang back from dinner and just rest up. We needed to be up early to get our luggage down to the lobby for transport to Hiroshima in the morning.

After packing up the items we had to have, we set off to get a good nights sleep.

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