Last Full Day: Osaka Castle, Where the Locals Go, Shopping, & Rooftops

I had every intention of hitting the gym this morning, but with nearly 10 miles of walking yesterday and a late bedtime my legs and feet were pretty sore this morning.  We made coffees, got ready, and made our way to breakfast.  It was quite the spread with 4 stations, including coffee bar and egg, Thai, and Japanese stations.  Then add the salad, fruit, pastries, yogurt, cheese, meats. I must admit after the last 3 days of non-buffet and the social norm of you finish what you get or offend the chef it was nice to portion my own food.  Again, this is a high rise hotel and definitely different clientele from our one in Tokyo.  It seemed to have a lot of tourists with children so the noise level was definitely higher.  Also this is the first place we have had paper napkins and no hashioki to rest our utensils on.  Andy says I have gotten spoiled.

After breakfast we were met by Sayuri-san, our guide we had in Kyoto.  It was so nice to see her smiling face.  We would take a minute to get going as she presented Andy with a gift.  A middle school textbook about Japan written in Japanese for him to practice his reading and also to learn from.  We also wanted very much to enjoy one of the hotel's top floor bars this evening but struggled with the on-line reservation system.  It was only allowing us to book a reservation if we booked a high priced Vueve champagne experience.  Uhhh...no, so instead we talked to the front desk and we are all set.

We hopped in a taxi and were off to Osaka Castle, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and a complicated history. The original castle was begun in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who envisioned an enormous fortress that would demonstrate his growing power as he worked to unify Japan. After his death, the Toyotomi family was defeated by Tokugawa forces during the Siege of Osaka in 1615, and much of the castle was destroyed as well as his son who was now a young shogun would take his own life. The Tokugawa shogun later rebuilt it on an even grander scale. Today's castle in largly a replica after it burnt down due to a lightning strike and was rebuilt and was heavily damaged during the war and again rebuilt.

Before entering the main castle, we stopped at the small museum beside it, where we learned about archaeological excavations that uncovered portions of the stone walls and moat from Hideyoshi’s original castle buried beneath the later Tokugawa construction. It was fascinating to realize that the Osaka Castle we see today sits quite literally on layers of Japanese history.

Our guide had gotten us the "fast pass" and we sped pass the day off ticket buyers and inside the castle. We took the elevator to the top and had a panoramic views of Osaka and the castle grounds. From there, we slowly wound our way back down through the museum floors. Each level revealed another piece of the castle’s story, with beautiful displays of samurai armor, swords, battle scenes, historical artifacts and models. Near the top were especially fun animated displays that brought scenes from the castle’s history to life. Something that would make the museum particularly engaging for children.

One detail we found especially interesting was the castle's enormous stone walls. Different feudal lords were responsible for sections of the Tokugawa reconstruction and you can actually see their crests engraved in their sections. Some of the largest stones were transported astonishing distances, including from islands in the Seto Inland Sea, then moved and fitted together without modern machinery. Several are enormous enough that it is hard to imagine how they managed it in the 1600s.

Once we exited the grounds had gotten quite crowded due to the holiday and we intially thought we would get a coffee there, but instead jumped in a taxi and headed for Grand Green Osaka. Located right beside Osaka Station, this massive new development is transforming what was once a rail freight yard into a modern urban neighborhood built around Umekita Park, with huge lawns, gardens, water features, walking paths, restaurants amongst contemporary buildings. It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the open green space right in the middle of one of Japan’s busiest cities.

For lunch, we headed into nearby Grand Front Osaka and up to the sixth-floor Umekita floor. Rather than everyone having to order from the same restaurant, we first found a table and noted its number. From there, we could wander among the different restaurants, each choose whatever sounded good, give them our table number when ordering, and then simply return to our seats. The food was brought directly to the table when it was ready. We were very pleased Sayuri-san over-stayed her time with us and we enjoyed glasses of wine and Andy a beer as well as some more amazing food. One dish had Andy and I laughing when it arrived and Sayuri-san had gone to the restroom so we stared at it for a few minutes as it appeared to be alive.  It was okonomiyaki, a traditional Japanese pancake of cabbage, batter, and egg cooked in a small iron skilled and the movement was bonito, dancing from the heat.

After it was time to say goodbye and a heartfelt thank you to Sayuri-san ("Sally").  Over food is where we often learned so much about others here in Japan and that was so for this lunch.  In the end we both invited the other to visit, her to Califorina and us again to Japan, but as friends and not as guide and client. 

Now we were off on a serious mission....a knife and matcha salt.  After riding the red line back from Osaka station to Namba Station we made our way to Osaka Takashimaya, which is located at Namba station, but it has over 20 exits so we went to street level found the entrance and then back down to B1 basement food floor. OK, if you have ever been to the food court at Harrods in London, well this was the same except in Japan and I would say double the size.  I gave up quickly and asked for help and was sent half way across the store and still it would take Andy and I another 15 minutes to locate it.  Success and the last two packets as well as I was able to pay with money still left on my metro card.

Next up was our knife.  We would walk less than five minutes to Tojiro Knife Gallery along Sennichimae Doguyasuji, the city’s famous kitchenware street. Tojiro’s story began in 1953 in Tsubame, Niigata, an area renowned for metalworking, when the company manufactured agricultural equipment and blades. During the slower winter months, it began making stainless-steel fruit knives, eventually developing into the internationally known knife maker it is today.We quickly told the workers we wanted an everyday knife that was stainless steel and affordable.  They pointed us to a wall and a few that would suite our needs.  We picked one that would be less than $100, but wandered up the way to a few more stores just to double check our decision and quickly returned.

After pretty tired we wandered back to our hotel and rest a bit before going to our 6PM reservation at the hotel's 32nd floor bar called Smoke and Spin.  They have incredible views and a "Magic Hour" or Happy hour from 5-7PM, but you better make a reservation because with that view and sunset it was mostly filled with reservations.

Again, this hotel is so different from others.  Tonight we stopped to ask for a 1hr delay on our check-out and were denied.  This hotel has 500+ rooms, but we couldn't slip by 1 hour.  Oh well, we will have our bags held and grab a coffee while we wait on our car for the airport.  It's time to head home.  The trip has been amazing and yes, we have already discussed what is next.

Day 9: Osaka is Different and Food

This morning we awoke early and went and did a few laps around Noji Castle across the street.  Last night we watched out our window and noted lots of runners and a little research showed this was a favorite for amongst running groups due to the large sidewalk and the nearly perfect two laps around equals 5K.  We needed this as we have another food tour this evening.  So a few laps, another wonderful breakfast, and we packed up and met our driver for a just over an hour ride to Osaka.

This was an add-on for our tour company, so between that and we are at the start of a holiday week, Silver Week, we are at a nice hotel in a great location, but it is quite large and so far not the level of service we saw in Tokyo. We had to adhere to the check-in time for the first time on our trip and the line was quite long when 3PM did roll around. But we arrived at 11AM, so we had 4 hours to burn.  Our bags were checked and we settled into the lobby to plot out our afternoon. Andy has a project built in the AI engine, Claude, for our trip so he was able to ask for ideas and it was able to reference our location and the rest of our trip and build something unique and walkable.  We also asked for another coffee salon that is a local favorite to plug into our route and we were off.

We made a stop at Namba Yasaka Shrine, best known for its enormous lion-head stage, or Ema-den, which stands 12 meters tall. With its open mouth, the lion is said to swallow evil spirits and bring good luck. It was definitely not a hidden gem on the day we visited—the shrine was packed with visitors! I had hoped to add another hand-written goshuin to my collection, but with the crowds, I instead received a pre-written paper goshuin to take with me. Not quite the same as watching the calligraphy being done in my book, but still lovely and I am now up to 11 pages.

We then visited Dotonbori during the day, which may not have had quite the neon glow the area is famous for at night, but it was still unmistakably Osaka. Loud and crowded. While exploring Osaka’s lively Dotonbori area, we stopped at LiLo Coffee for a much-needed coffee break and a few sweets. LiLo began in Osaka in 2014 and has become known for carefully roasted specialty coffees, making it a fun taste of the city’s modern coffee culture. The shop itself is tiny, and its popularity was obvious—we waited our turn squeezed into the narrow stairwell before finally making it inside. Once seated, we enjoyed our coffee drinks and sweets before heading back out into the bustle of Dotonbori. One thing to know before visiting: bring yen, as it is cash only.

       

We then wandered along the canal, took in the enormous signs including the famous Glico Running Man and spotted the quirky Ferris wheel built into the side of Osaka's Don Quijote. From there, we headed over to Kuromon Ichiba Market, Osaka’s bustling food market. After exploring the market, we decided to walk back toward our hotel, Centara Grand Osaka, and somehow found ourselves wandering through an area filled with gaming, electronics, manga and anime shops. We had stumbled into Nipponbashi Den Den Town and managed to find some Attack on Titans swag which is an anime Alec got Andy hooked on. We eventually worked our way back through Namba Parks, the huge shopping complex connected to the area beside our hotel.  And "Park" in the name does make sense as the 8th/top floor is literally all green space we can see from our hotel room.

After a rest we met our guide, Gino.  Gino was nice although his name was not really Gino.  This mechanical engineer burnt out from working in semiconductor packaging turned tour guide from China is actually named Li Tian, but for ease he picked his favorite character from a Japanese anime who happens to be Italian.  LOL! He hurried us onto the train and 6 stops to the Tenjinbashisuji / Tenma area of Osaka, specifically in Kita Ward (northern-central Osaka).  First we were definitely one of the very few foreigners.  Second this was so different from Kyoto and Tokyo.  Tables on the street, loud, lots of drinking, smoking, casual dress, and we were definitely on the older side with most patrons being I would say 20's - 30's.

Our first stop very much fit the vibe we passed through some curtains and were in Sake no Okuda. This old-school tachinomi, or standing bar, has been serving the neighborhood since 1956, making it a 70-year-old Osaka institution. There are no chairs—just stand at the counter, order a beer or sake and our guide let the owner Okuda, a young man, third generation, who personally waited on us select our food for the evening. Apparently the menu changes every day and it's all drinking food. With its huge old-fashioned noren hanging over the entrance and beer vending machines outside.  It was really loud and really lively and we enjoyed everything so quickly we forgot to get a picture of our dishes until they were empty.

Continuing our wander through Osaka's Tenma neighborhood, our next stop was Kushikatsu Izakaya Semimaru, a tiny, colorful neighborhood pub tucked just off Tenjinbashisuji. Despite its wonderfully old-school appearance—paper lanterns, handwritten menus, banners and seemingly every available inch covered with something—the restaurant actually opened in 2018. Its owner, however, brought some 30 years of culinary experience to the kitchen. The specialty here is kushikatsu, Osaka's famous battered and deep-fried skewers, but the menu also includes fresh fish, oden, doteyaki and all sorts of inexpensive izakaya dishes. We completed turned our guide loose on ordering at this one and his choices did not disappoint.

Our last stop for the evening was tucked down one of Tenma's narrow back alleys,  Asa na Yū na ni, a tiny neighborhood izakaya marked by little more than a handwritten wooden sign. Inside, a large pan of oden stretched along the counter, filled with daikon radish, tofu, fish cakes, mushrooms, meat skewers and other ingredients slowly simmering in a savory dashi broth. Oden is classic Japanese comfort food—you simply choose the pieces you want from the pot—and here it's served year-round. This time Andy and our guide enjoyed Japanese Highballs and I had a peach soda with Japanese whiskey which was quite tastey. The experience was very intimate and the owner who was the cook and server this evening loved talking baseball and Caifornia.

We finished the evening with a little rain, a quick stop for taiyaki, but we were so full we got it to go this time. Having a male guide, who was quite new at the position, only 6 months, was definitely a different experience.  It almost seemed like he was nervous, but I think his chugging beers at our first two locations loosened him up a bit and before it was all over we would be discussing his cousin who attends Purdue and much more. We did kind of laugh at the end of the evening when he said "I only pick you up, you get home on your own."  Of course we had no probem with it, but it made us laugh.

Back to my title...Osaka is different.  It doesn't adhere to a lot of the social rules we have witnessed in other cities. People walk on the left and the right. People talk on the train a bit more.  And the dress is more casual.  Andy would actually wear his first t-shirt of of the trip here.  And definitely more I will share later.  But for now off to sleep before our last full day in Japan and another tour and last miunte shopping as we saved our knife for Osaka and I am on the hunt for matcha salt for my tempura at home.

Day 8: Zen Budhism, Tea Ceremony, and a Free Afternoon & Evening

Day 8 began with breakfast again.  Today we planned to skip lunch and do a dinner as we only had one scheduled event for the day, a Tea Ceremony. But while at breakfast we did identify our bonsai artist, Masahito Kinoshita, who had done the art as a hobby for 30 years and still did a little bit for the hotel and others while working at the hotel and as he said "doing lots of jobs."  His wife apparently told him he had to slow down on the bonsai as they did not have space. Our private car was waiting at 9AM and we were off.

Our private visit at Daitokuji offered a glimpse into a side of Kyoto we never could have planned. As we walked toward the gardens, we happened upon the funeral of a monk—a poignant moment, particularly after learning that the number of monks here is dwindling. We were told there are only about 60 today, with just four currently living in the dormitory where new monks spend their first two years. From there, we wandered through the peaceful gardens and an incredible bonsai collection, including trees said to be as old as 800 years. We then entered the home of our tea teacher, who lives among the monks, for a traditional tea ceremony. We began with a sweet of a lotus jelly that we slurped off a leaf.  It was really tasty. The ceremony itself was fascinating in its precision and methodical nature. Each movement has purpose, requiring the teacher to clear his mind, focus completely on the task at hand, and be fully present in the moment. 

Our discussions with him regarding Zen Buddhism again reaffirmed if we were to be nearest to any religion it would be this as it recognizes more of a philosophy.  We spent time discussing two major concepts. Impermanence which means everything changes. Recognizing and accepting that nothing lasts forever is fundamental to Buddhist thought. And secondly simplicity and direct experience: Zen tends to emphasize experiencing something for yourself rather than relying solely on explanations, scriptures, or elaborate doctrine. After our deep conversations our questions turned to the tea and our teacher would point us to the best place to get matcha tea as well as a whisk. His matcha was so much frothier than mine as well as better and we landed on these items as needing to be of higher grade.  A thank you and walk to our car we were driven back to our hotel after nearly 3 hours of education.

We took a big break for me to catch up on the blog and Andy to research our late afternoon and evening plans.  Goals some shopping for matcha, whisk, stationary goods, and a bag to move all of our shopping to for our next move tomorrow to Osaka.  

We took the subway into the main area of town with a station literally being on our block.  Again Google Maps is perfect.  Our first stop was Ryuouen, a tiny, traditional tea shop that feels wonderfully unchanged by time and was recommended by our teacher. It was founded in 1875 and offers matcha that is officially recognized by the heads of the three major schools of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Stepping inside was a little intimidating, but one of the workers motioned us to a seat and handed us a menu followed by a cup of cold tea. With a history stretching back generations, Ryuouen is known for carefully selected Japanese teas and has a loyal following among serious tea drinkers as evidenced by only locals seated alongside us and absolutely no English spoken. But a quick photo of the menu inserted into ChatGPT and Andy having more days of Duolingo than me and we were able to order 1 tea and 2 matchas to take home.

Next we were headed to of all places a store at the base of a fancy hotel for our whisk.  My whisk at home all the tines are the same size from the handle to the ends, but a good whisk is tapered and much more fragile.  Kohchosai Kosuga was founded in 1898 and specializes in beautifully crafted bamboo goods. Historically, the company supplied the Imperial Household and imperial families. So this flagship store's placement at the base of s swanky hotel kind of makes sense.

I had been hoping to bring home some beautiful Japanese stationery, so Kyukyodo felt like the perfect stop. Founded in Kyoto in 1663, the shop has centuries of history with paper, calligraphy and incense, and today its shelves are filled with gorgeous washi paper, letter sets, envelopes and seasonal cards that feel distinctly Japanese. Even better, the original Kyoto shop is tucked along Teramachi Street, just a short walk from the bustle of Nishiki Market where our dinner was only a couple of blocks off of. And once again, despite being in the heart of Kyoto, we realized we were the only foreigners in the shop, which has become one of my favorite little recurring experiences of this trip. I left with several beautiful stationery products that will be both useful and a lovely reminder of Kyoto.

We had a bit of time still before our dinner reservation so I suggested a coffee and a sit down place so I researched what was nearby but again asking for more authentic versus a Starbucks or Tully's.  We would land at the Sanjo shop of Inoda Coffee. Founder Sischro Inoda ran a wholesale food import business before being drafted into military service. Upon returning to Kyoto after World War II he found 15 bags of coffee in his warehouse in excellent condition.  Using these beans he opened his first coffee shop. Now the shops are referred to as coffee salons. It felt more like a high-end restaurant than a shop and we were seated at a circular bar where we watched the baristas skillfully boil water and make every cup from scratch, including Andy's simple black coffee.  As this is Friday afternoon every seat quickly filled with locals grabbing a cup and a sweet to end their work week.

Dinner was Andy's choice this evening and it was a Don and Roll. Only one block out of the market it was still just enough to keep us with the locals. The concept is simple, a beautiful bowl of rice topped with incredibly fresh seafood including blue fin tuna, roe, and a fresh egg.  We chose the traditional sauce and it was served with a side of fish-based miso.  We've only done a few meals of our own choosing and again this was perfect.  But full we decided to go walk the main shopping area and then all the way back, nearly 40 minutes, to our hotel. Before I close I would like to say how incredibly safe we feel walking the streets in the large Japanese cities at night. Tonight we were never alone even in alleys...mothers biking children asleep in carriers passed by, women walking home from work alone, teens out for an evening stroll or businessmen headed home to their families.  Violent street crime and theft are comparatively uncommon. and that's due to a combination of social, institutional and practical factors.  Something America could really learn from. 

Day 7: Temples, Shrines, Pork Cutlets, and Conversations over Japanese Whiskey

We started our morning with breakfast at the hotel.  Andy went for the western breakfast and myself for the soy pancake.  Again it was quite the production with beakers of smoothies, appetzers of salad, fish, and cheese, then onto the main that included soy banana pancakes, eggs, and bacon for me and omlette and more for Andy.  Thank goodness we have tons of walking on the itenerary for today. Quickly upstairs to grab our bag we would meet our guide, Sayuri-san.  We were excited to learn she would be with us today as well as our half-day in Osaka.

We started right across the street at Nijo-jo Castle, a place that gives you a glimpse into Japan’s samurai past. Built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, Nijo Castle was the Kyoto residence of the shoguns. More than 250 years later, it would also play a role in the end of the shogunate when political power was returned to the emperor in 1867.

One of our favorite details was the castle’s famous “nightingale floors.” As you walk through Ninomaru Palace, without shoes of course, the wooden floors chirp and squeak beneath your feet. Whether they were intentionally designed as an early warning system or simply became known for their distinctive sound over time, they certainly make it nearly impossible to sneak through a shogun’s palace unnoticed!

From the world of shoguns at this World Heritage Site, we moved into a much quieter side of Kyoto at Nanzen-ji. Nanzen-ji is one of Kyoto’s most important Zen Buddhist temples, with origins dating to the 13th century. The grounds, gardens and temple buildings feel wonderfully peaceful, especially after the grandeur of Nijo Castle. It was one of those places that encouraged us to slow down, wander and simply take everything in.  We would learn later that the Zen temples are intentionally nestled in the hustle and bustle of the city as to encourage locals to visit and slow down. Literally at one point I wanted to lay and nap in one of the gardens and sure enough there was a sign forbidding it, so aparently I was not the only one who felt this way.  This is also the location where we got a glimpse into why fall is a high season as the Japanese maples are begining to turn color.  So while we will miss the vibrancy we also have about 1/4 of the crowds that will arrive starting next month. Kyoto is a city of about 1.5 million residents but see 13 million tourists a year.

And then, of course, it was time to eat - again and we headed toward Nishiki Market.  We had asked our guide to again take us to a local favorite versus where the tourists would go. Where we stopped was a place known for their Japanese pork cutlets — crispy on the outside, tender on the inside called Katsukura. Andy remarked every single cooked item we have had has been prepared to perfection. We would grind sesame seeds in a bowl and add sauces to create our dipping sauce for our cutlets.  We had a large pile of angel hair shredded cabbage with a wonderful dressing.  And by the way they walked around with a basket refilling as you needed.  Also the meal came with miso and rice. There is something particularly satisfying about a plate of tonkatsu after a morning of walking!  We opted to just peek at the market and return tomorrow with our free half day to wander and do some shoppping

So next we were off to Sanjusangen-do. The temple is famous for its extraordinarily long wooden hall filled with 1,001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The original temple dates to 1164, although the present hall was rebuilt in the 13th century after a fire. Walking into the hall and seeing row after row after row of golden figures is almost impossible to describe. No photographs are allowed inside so you simply have to stand there and take it all in. Another interesting thing about this temple is on the outside and the fact there is a hundreds of year old archery tournament that is still held here annually.

We saved one of Kyoto’s most iconic sights for last: Fushimi Inari Taisha. Dedicated to Inari, the Shinto deity associated with rice, agriculture and prosperity, the shrine is best known for the seemingly endless tunnels of brilliant vermilion torii gates climbing up Mount Inari. Many of the gates have been donated by individuals and businesses. This was our busiest location thus far with all sorts of languages and faiths converging.

By this point in the day our feet had definitely logged some miles.  For most of the day we relied on a combination of walking and taxis, which worked beautifully for getting between Kyoto’s scattered sights without spending too much time figuring out transportation. By the end of the day, however, we were ready to give our feet a break and finished our journey back by train. We popped into a convenience store and bought some cold drinks which I was able to use my IC (transit) card to pay with, then after a couple of stops we parted ways with our guide who had been wonderful so she could start her hour-long trek home by mass transit.

Back at our hotel, we ended up spending a wonderful evening chatting with the hotel manager and learning more about the hotel and Kyoto. Andy took the opportunity to sample several Japanese whiskies, while I went for a Japanese white wine. We also remarked on the 40 year old bonsai adorning the bar and would learn the artist was also our waiter at our morning breakfast.  He says it is a "hobby," but then presented me with business cards when I asked him about it the following morning.

After a day filled with shoguns, Zen gardens, pork cutlets, a thousand golden statues and thousands of red torii gates, sitting down with a glass of wine and nowhere else we needed to be felt pretty perfect. 

Day 6: Fast Trains and Food

Do we have to leave?  Is exactly how we felt waking up this morning in Hakone.  Andy got up early and headed for the public onsen and I grabbed a coffee and sat on our deck and listened to the rain. After our slow wake-up we again donned our traditional robes again and made our way down to the restaurant for our breakfast.  We were given our choice of Japanese or Western and we decided with how fancy the restaurant had been this is where we would try Japanese-style and it did not disappoint.  Again we were tucked into our private dining room and received numerous courses of sushi, salad, fruit, and fresh-made edamame tofu and much more.

At 8:30 we called for bag pick-up and promptly checked out at 9AM.  Another black van "limousine" was there waiting and we drove about 20 minutes to Odawara Station where we would board one of the famous bullet trains.  Our driver unloaded our bags and we started to find our way.  As I stood before one of the entry points a gentleman approached me and started pointing and instructing me how to feed my ticket into the machine.  I realized our driver who didn't speak English well had parked and ran into guide us to our platform.  Once on the platform we had about a 25 minute wait for our train to Kyoto.  And while we waited we were treated to the absolutely jaw-dropping visual when these trains came blowing by the station.  The top trains reach 200mph, but ours today being a little older would only got about 165mph which was plenty fast for us.

We had reserved seats on the Green "First Class" car.  Our company had even booked us in the last seats in our car which meant we had storage for luggage now only above our seat, but behind.  First class means you have seats and they do provide hand wipes, but no food.  So it's always advised you purchase something in the station to bring on with you.  We however knew after a large breakfast and a food tour this evening we would skip lunch for this day.  Settled in we were off to Kyoto we would arrive in just a little over 2 hours time.

When arriving in Kyoto I saw a young man smiling broadly and jumping up and down with a sign with our names.  This would be our driver Hiro-san.  He was incredibly warm and guided us through the station and out to his waiting car.  He answered all kinds of questions in route to our hotel and provided us with a map with his do not miss recommendations for Kyoto.  Our hotel Garraya Nijo Castle is a 25 room boutique hotel overlooking the Nijo Castle.  This palace is where the shogun era would end.  As many countries started trading with Japan there grew concern that the interest would eventually lead to a takeover so the shogun saw it in the countries best interest to give the representation of the country over to the Imperial family as they are more about peace and overall country stability.  

Upon entering the lobby we were met with a large glass wall and a Zen garden of maple trees behind it with steam comig out of the ground every few minutes creating an incredible image which was reflected off of large stone tables.  We were presented a cold tea and a sweet while the staff checked us in.  We would be presented with 3 breakfast options during this time for the next morning.  To the left of the lobby is the Michelin Star restaurant where breakfast service would be.  Escorted to our room on the top floor again it was incredibly planned with sliding doors and this time a raised platform on the windows with a couch and table with a full tea service.  The over the top for this room in addition to the castle was our bed has at least 8 large pillows.

We had some time so after sitting on the train we decided to do a walk around the castle, which is nearly 2.5 km around.  The area surrounding the castle is residential so we opted for a stop just over half way at Joy's Coffee Shop, which imports its beans from Hawaii, but roasts them onsite.  Very small we would climb some stairs to a sitting area which we are pretty sure was also where the owner lived. On our walk home we would stumble upon one of the 1600 temples, Benten-do, in Kyoto right next to our hotel.  A beautiful garden, Shensensen, with a pond and koi we would walk in the rain and I would get another page for my book. After our walk we would freshen up as we were being picked up by our guide at 4:45 for a food tour.

A little different from our previous guides this one was younger an dressed in flowy pants, had sun-bleached hair, and lots of bangles like out daughter.  We would learn that she is divorced and has traveled the world as a dive master spending a lot of time in French Polynesia.  Now it seems she does this to support her travel as she heads to Korea often to see friends as well as many other places. Her name was something like Hidayo-san, but we know this is masculine so we did not get it right.  She was very energetic and excited to talk travels once she knew about us and talk diving once she learned about Ally and her studies.  We were off in our car to the Gion area of Kyoto.  Traditional buildings along a flowing river inlets filled with lanterns and lots of groups of tourists on food tours.  Our guide said she would never want to live there due to the crowds and this was low season.

We started our evening at a kappo-style restaurant called Kappo Sanzen-in no Sato. This means it is very intimate, only 7 seats, multicourse meal artfully constructed right in front of you by the chef.  This chef had been working for 23 years and his dishes were incredibly delicious as well as beautiful.  We started with the jewelry box, literally a box you opened filled with seasonal dishes decorated with edible flowers.  Having the guide along Andy was instructed on a sake he would really enjoy.  I had a plum wine with soda water.  We were not rushed and talked with our chef.  Had we not already paid in our trip the meal would have cost us probably around $100 per person with drinks. Reservations are required.

Next we walked on foot through the streets to an obanzai-style (known as Kyoto-home style cooking) restaurant.  As our guide said thinking about it as going to Grandma's house with all your favorite dishes laid out.  Literally in front of us were pot all lining the counter and we picked 6 items and were provided rice.  Cost $12USD.  Andy would switch up to a beer and I would try another wine and soda water.  We sampled everything from squid to chicken to pickled items. We honestly went with what the chef and our guide said were their favorites or most popular.  This place had some locals at one end and we were joined by a couple of foreigners by the end of our meal.  Around for 37 years the name of this one is Tokiyo and again you should book a reservation. 

After dinner we wondered out onto one of the busier streets and our guide insisted we pick up some sweets for later and one for now. Our first stop was at Ritsumi, a traditional sweets shop. Here we purchased several items at the suggestion of our guide.  She would show us the expiration date and these would be our laters.  Next we stopped at a fish-shaped taiyaki place.  Similar to the fresh cooked filled waffles at the shrine in Tokyo these were much larger and you had a choice of bean paste, sweet potato, or custard filling.  We went for sweet potato, but our guide gave us a taste of her custard.  Both were delicious. This particular shop can have a line and is called Naruto Taiyaki Honpo.  Now stuffed we settled into a cab for the ride back to our hotel.  Tomorrow we have castles, shrines, and temples on tap for an 8-hour tour, so rest was in order.

Day 5: Landscape, History, & Culture Beyond

Day 5 we were up early for another breakfast.  The weather had turned again cloudy with sprinkles.  We had breakfast on the top floor and then it is not customary to haul you luggage around hotels.  You call baggage and schedule pick-up 15-30 minutes before check-out.  Checking out was easy and again we were met by our guide in the lobby, Yuko-san. Our guide before, Sachi-san had sent her a photo so she could recognize us.  We discussed our plans and made our way our to our private car, which was really a very nice black limo van with bottled water, reclining seats, and footrests.  We were introduced to our young driver for the day and were off on what about have been a 90-minute drive, but due to an accident was more like 2 hours to the area of Hakone National Park. The time flew by as our wonderful guide is also a sumo fan, we discussed yesterday's matches, the wrestlers, their lifestyles, and much more.  Incredibly fun and informative.

West of Tokyo this was a mountainous area due to a volcano that last erupted about 300 years ago which is considered quite recent.  We would later enjoy the one of the benefits of Japan being where 4 tectonic plates meet, which are the volcanos and active hot springs.  Hakone was beautiful.  Thick lush forests of conifer and deciduous trees.  Maples that towered above us.  Much larger than the ornamental ones I have in my yard at home.

Our first stop was Hakone Checkpoint.  A recreation of the checkpoint and how it looked during the Feudal Edo Period.  The Edo period from the early 1600's to 1868 was characterized by peace and prosperity, but at a cost as the lands were ruled by shogun and feudal lords. There was strict social order as well as isotionalist foreign policies.  So much so there were these checkpoints keeping people very restricted in movement.  We would read about a young child about age six who was moved to her uncle's in this area, but tried to escape to her parents whom she missed, but was imprisoned and killed for her attempt. From here we walked about the lake, Lake Ashi, it sat on until we got to the Cedar Avenue.  Unfortunately due to the rain we could not travel very far up it, but it was beautiful.  Nearly 500m of cedars planted along a path to protect travelers during the Edo period.  There are still some 400 tress that are over 400 years old.  To be honest it all kind of reminded us of a mini Tahoe.  Apparently it gets overrun with tourists during high season and yes, it even gets snow.

We tried to go to the local cable car "ropeway" next which apparently has a beautiful view from the top, but the weather had closed it for the afternoon.  We assured our guide we have been on plenty of cable cars and chair lifts, so we were ok.  She asked us if we would like to replace this with a pirate ship ride across the lake.  This is a hug tourist attraction.  Apparently a very wealthy investor fell in love with Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and thought this would be a wonderful addition.  We will admit there was quite a line to make the voyage, but we instead told our guide we would prefer a longer, local lunch with her and time at an open air museum that was planned for the afternoon.

We returned to the area where we started and went to one of our guide's favorite restaurants.  Her husband is a buckwheat soba fan, so this was their specialty.  The noodles were made next door.  Buckweat soba is most often served cold because they do break down more easily than udon, but fresh cooked and eaten were amazing. It was very busy so we checked in via a machine out front and received a number which woud be called when it was our turn.  "Ichi" or Number 1. So we opted for a dish of buckwheat soba in dashi and instead of having our tempura in the soup where it got soft our guide requested it on the side and we would dip it.  Again slurping is definitely encouraged, and we enjoyed it very much.  A definite stop if in the area it was called Denbei.

After lunch we returned to a shop I failed to mention we went into before entering the Checkpoint.  This shop has an art that has been practiced since the Edo period that involved creating patterns by gluing together various pieces of wood of different varieties into patterns and then it is shaved.  That shaving is then glued onto various vessels.  One of the more famous is puzzle boxes which serves as safes. These small boxes are called marquetry.  When we initially entered there was a large tour group, but after they headed for the check-out our guide spoke with one of the artisans and he gave us a private demonstration.  Amazing work.  If in the area definitely visit Hakone Maruyama. Andy who loves woodworking thanks to his maternal grandfather might have picked up a couple of pieces.

Next was our culture part of the day.  We will admit we weren't expecting much from the Hakone Open Air Museum, but we sure did underestimate this stop on our tour.  Our guide would purchase our tickets and we would go down an escalator and upon exiting our eyes were met with meticulously manicured lawns filled with incredible sculptures and works of art from all over the world.  Initially opened in 1969 the space was created for mothers to bring their children while the husbands were at work.  Fresh air and culture all in one place.  The space like its surroundings involves hills, koi-filled ponds, and a lot of works about the environment and seasons.  But their prized possession is a indoor gallery dedicated to a rotation of 319 Picasso pieces that were sold to the museum by his daughter Maya. We would spend over two hours here with a coffee and matcha ice cream stop half-way through.

Now a little after 4PM we headed to our hotel for the night, Hotel Hatsuhana.  Set against a hillside this is a hot spring retreat.  WOW! - our jaws hit the ground upon entering.  We sat in a lobby area and were introduced to the bar where tea, coffee, beer, wine, and liquors were available and included while our guide and the staff helped us get checked in via tablets right in front of the fireplace.  This is where we would say good-bye to Yuko-san.  She is an incredible guide and she as well as all the others we would highly recommend.  She helped Andy a lot with his language skills was again incredibly genuine and friendly.

    

Our bags were sent to our room in front of us and the hotel staff would take us to our room and introduce us to our accommodations including our Yukata, a traditional spa robe, along with socks and "haori" or slippers we would wear throughout the hotel including to meals and pajamas, robes, and more. The room is one of the most beautiful and well-designed we have ever been in. We had our own private onsen, mineral bath, on our deck which we enjoyed before cleaning up and heading to our dinner.  We were incredibly nervous as we knew it was a multi-course meal and just didn't know what to expect.  Upon arrival we were shown to our own private dining room.  Everyone had their own rooms.  We ordered drinks, not included, and worked our way through a 7 course meal over the next 2 hours.  Staff could see us through a couple of discreet slats in the door and would time their entrances perfectly with the next course. It was one of the most incredible meals we have had in our lives.

Upon completion we enjoyed a coffee in the lobby again before heading off to bed as we have another early morning as we move from the slow pace of looking at art and soaking in mineral tubs to the bullet train's high speed transport to Kyoto.