2015 JAPAN TRIP: TOKYO, MT FUJI, KYOTO
December 3 - 11, 2015
December 3-4
NEW YORK *** TOKYO
JAPANESE FLAG
Flew Japan Airlines from JFK and landed the next day. The agent was not there to pick me up so I took the bus limousine from Narita airport to the bus terminal in Tokyo and took a taxi to the hotel. Checked in at
Okura Hotel East 21 then off to look for a restaurant nearby for dinner.
December 5
Tokyo
After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel our first stop was the
Imperial Palace park and entrance.
Next stop was at the
Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple located in
Asakusa and dedicated to Kannon (Japanese for Guanyin). A Shinto shrine is right next to the temple. Interesting little souvenir shops in the area.
in the area
Last stop in the city tour was the
Ginza, Tokyo's famous shopping area. Had lunch here before going back to the hotel.
Dinner tonight was on our own so I went to the nice sushi restaurant
Sushizanmai just in front of our hotel. Very fresh and excellent sushi!
December 6
Tokyo *** Lake Ashi *** Hakone *** Mt Fuji
Today we left Tokyo for Hakone, a town on Lake Ashi which is on a caldera. From the highway outside Yokohama we already had glimpses of Mt Fuji so we were hoping it would not be cloudy. Took the ferry and then the
Hakone Ropeway and we were rewarded with the magnificent view of the elusive majestic Mt Fuji! Also on top of the mountain was a
Shinto shrine. Bus took us to the 5th Station on Mt Fuji for a closer look of the summit. Later checked in at Hotel Tominoko at the foot of the mountain by the lake and a clear view of Mt Fuji. Went to the mineral spring bath after dinner.
December 7
Kyoto
A long drive today to Kyoto (about 6 hours including rest stops) but managed to see 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites: the
Nijō Castle, the residence of the Tokugawa shogunate and built in 1626; the
Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple now but used by Shogun Ashikaga in late 14th century; and the
Kiyomizu Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as Clearwater Temple founded in 778. Dinner tonight was 2 skewers of squid and cut fatty salmon belly and a glass of draft Kirin.
December 8
Kyoto *** Himeji *** Kyoto
Today I went on my own to visit
Himeji Castle. Took the
Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto Station to Himeji (50 minutes) in Hyogō Prefecture then walked to the castle which is considered to be the largest and most visited in Japan. In 1993 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Went up to the top of the Main Keep and also to the Bailey. Also visited
Koko-en a beautiful garden with ponds filled with huge Koi. Beautifully designed Japanese garden with waterfalls, tea houses, beautiful flowers, stone steps on the pond, etc. Had Soba lunch at a local shop before taking the Shinkansen back to Kyoto.
Tonight was the night for Kobe beef dinner in the Gion district in Kyoto. Walked through the fish market first before crossing the river to reach
Itoh Dining by Nobu, a restaurant specializing in Kobe beef dinners. Started with Campari and soda and an amuse-bouche of sleet vinegar oyster and radish salad; minestrone; followed by fresh yellowtail with white sesame and mustard sauce; grilled cod in miso sauce; then the much awaited slices of
Kobe beef with wasabi pepper sauce accompanied by an excellent Kaiken Malbec from Argentina; and for dessert, coffee and mille crepe of apple and cream cheese. For my after dinner drink I enjoyed a Hennessy. What a nice dinner!
December 9
Kyoto *** Tokyo
Took the tour bus back to Tokyo and along the way we had another glimpse of Mt Fuji. Back at the hotel, had a Pernod and then too a nap. Then a couple from our group, Maricel and Doug, called to see if I wanted to go downtown with them. So we ventured out and took the subway to
Kabukichō, the redlight district of Tokyo.
December 10
Tokyo *** New York
This morning I went to downtown Tokyo on the subway with some people from the tour group. First stop was the
Tsukiji Fish Market, then to the
Ueno shopping area, and last stop was back in the Asakusa for last minute shopping. Lunch was also back at the
Sushizanmai. At 3 pm we were taken back to Narita for our flight back home. Nice little trip to Japan.
It was a very nice little trip to Japan!
