Japan 2010 Overview

This year, between April 3rd and April 11th, I went to Japan with my sister, Tina, and her bf, Scott. Ostensibly, the trip was to go see a show for the Stars on Ice Japan Tour, as Kurt Browning (Tina's favorite skater) and several of this year's Japanese Olympic winners & World Champions were appearing in the show. Since Tina's never been to Japan before, she decided to make a week's trip out of it and invite me along.

We spent ~4 days in Kyoto and 2.5 days in Tokyo in total, right during the best time of the year to visit Japan (in my opinion) - cherry blossom blooming season. Everywhere we went in Kyoto, clouds of white, light pink, and bright rose-colored blossoms stretched over roads and canals and shed soft falls of petals every time a breeze riffled through the branches. The weather was cool (and for one day, cold and gray), sometimes on the warmish side, and sunny - altogether beautiful weather to be traveling in.

We kept a tight schedule in Kyoto and relaxed a bit more in Tokyo - Kyoto we dedicated to sightseeing temples, shrines, and other interesting historical/natural sites, whereas in Tokyo, we browsed stores and shopping districts, taking things much more slowly.

Itinerary:

• 4/3/10-4/4/10 (Sat-Sun): Seattle - Vancouver - Tōkyō
  
  
  • SEATAC airport
  
  
  • YVR (Vancouver International Airport)
  
  
  • NRT (Narita International Airport)
  
  
  • Hotel: The Prince Sakura Tower Tōkyō Hotel
  
  


• 4/5/10 (Mon) : Tokyo - Kyōto
  
  
  • Tokyo: Shinagawa Station
  
  
  • Ride on the Shinkansen
  
  
  • Kyōto: Kyōto Station
  
  
  • Hotel: New Miyako Hotel
  
  
  • Nijō Palace (Nijō-jo)
  
  
  • Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens
  
  
  • Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion)/Rokuon-ji Temple
  
  
  • Cooking lesson with Mariko's Kitchen
  
  


• 4/6/10 (Tues) : Kyōto
  
  
  • Sanjusangen-do (Rengeoin-Temple)
  
  
  • San-nen-zaka Path
  
  
  • Kiyomizu-dera Temple
  
  
  • Lunch: Houzan Restaurant
  
  
  • Ni-nen-zaka Path
  
  
  • Gion
  
  
  • Gion Corner
  
  
  • Miyako Odori performance
  
  
  
  
  • Maruyama Park
  
  
  • Chion-in Temple
  
  
  • Pontocho-dori
  
  
  • Shin-kyogoku-doki Shopping Arcade
  
  
  • Teramachi Shopping Arcade
  
  
  • Nishiki Street Market
  
  
  • Daimaru Department Store
  
  
  • Dinner: Tokiwa on Shinboshi-dori
  
  
  • Kodaiji Temple


• 4/7/10 (Wed) - Kyōto
  
  
  • Himeji
    
    
    • Himeji Castle
    
    
    • Kouko-en Garden
    
    
    • Lunch: Honke-kamadoya Bento
    
    
  
  
  • Kyōto
    
    
    • Fushimi-Inari Temple (I missed this to rest)
    
    
    • Dinner: Manzara in Gion
    
    
    • Shijō Avenue
  
  


• 4/8/10 (Thurs) - Kyōto - Tōkyō
  
  
  • Park by Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art Annex
  
  
  • Heian Shrine
  
  
  • Nanzenji
    
    
    • Sanmon
    
    
    • Eikan-do temple
    
    
    • Philosopher's Path/Lane of Philosophy
    
    
    • Ho'nen-in
    
    
    • Ginkakuji Temple ("Silver Pavilion") (I skipped this)
    
    
  
  
  • Kyoto Imperial Palace
  
  
  • Lunch: Ramen at Zanmai(something) in the Kyoto Station Ramen Alley
  
  
  • Kyoto Station
  
  
  • Itesen (shopping area below the Kyoto Station)
  
  
  • Ride on the Shinkansen
  
  
  • Tōkyō
  
  
  • Hotel: The Grand Palace (near Itabashi station)
  
  


• 4/9/10 (Fri) - Tōkyō
  
  
  • Tsukiji Market
  
  
  • Ginza area
    
    
    • Lunch: Magurozanmai
    
    
    • Kyūkyodō Stationery Store
    
    
    • Mitsukoshi Department Store
    
    
    • 100% Chocolate Café (Meiji Building)
    
    
  
  
  • Ueno
    
    
    • Ameyayokkocho Avenue (Shopping Arcade)
  
  
  • Asakusa
    
    
    • Sensoji Temple
    
    
    • Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street
    
    
    • Kappa Bashi (Kitchenware District)
    
    
    • Dinner: Ninniku(something)ya (Korean cuisine)
  
  
  • Kuranshita Station
  
  


• 4/10/10 (Sat) - Tōkyō
  
  
  • Shibuya
    
    
    • Dougen-Zaka
    
    
    • Miyamasuzaka-ue
    
    
    • Lunch: Benoit (French Cuisine)
    
    
  
  
  • Shinjuku (quick walk through)
  
  
  • Hatsudai
    
    
    • Square-Enix Store!!
    
    
  
  
  • Yoyogi Stadium - Stars on Ice show
  
  
  • Takeshita Street
  
  
  • Dinner: Sakuratei (DIY Okonomiyaki)
  
  


• 4/11/10 (Sun) - Tōkyō - Vancouver - Seattle
  
  
  • Akihabara
    
    
    • Yodobashi Akiba (electronics) department store
    
    
  
  
  • Narita Airport
  
  
  • Lunch: Sojibo
  
  
  • Vancouver International Airport
  
  
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
  
  

I would be typing the katakana/hiragana/kanji for places, since I wrote it all down, but unfortunately can't! Vista Home Basic doesn't seem to allow me multiple language input. :( Time to upgrade to Windows 7.

More detailed posts about our time in Japan to follow!

- K