05/06/2025
Our plane arrived in Tokyo at night. After getting to our hotel, we walked around the Zōjō-ji Temple and surrounding Shiba Park, then crossed the street to explore the Tokyo Tower.
05/07/2025
We toured around Japan with a guide. He took us to Meiji Jingu Shrine, the Shinjuku district, Asakusa Observatory Deck, Sensō-ji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street and finally Ameyoko Plaza.
05/08/2025
On our solo day in Tokyo, we visited the Tokyo Imperial Palace and shopped in the Ginza and Shibuya areas. This magnet was purchased at the Itoya stationery store in Ginza.
05/09/2025
We took the Metro to DisneySea. This magnet was inside a blind box for the Food & Wine Festival, but I was lucky enough to get the one I wanted.
05/10/2025
For our final day in Tokyo, we went to Team Labs and shopped on Kappabashi Street.
05/11/2025
We drove from Tokyo to Hakone. After arriving in Hakone, we took the gondola to a Mount Fuji lookout, where I purchased this magnet. It’s not common to see Fuji in spring, but we were lucky enough to see it that day! After the lookout, we took the gondola down to Lake Ashi, where we took a pirate ship across the lake. After that, we drove back to our hotel and walked around the area.
05/12/2025
We took a speed train from Hakone to Kyoto, got settled at our hotel, then walked around the Higashiyama Ward and went to a tea ceremony.
05/13/2025
With a guide, we explored Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine.
05/14/2025
With the same guide, we went to Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama. After that, we drove to Kinkaku-ji Temple, then to the Arashiyama Bamboo forest and Tenryuji Temple. We went on the Arashiyama Yakatabune Boats. Then ended the day with shopping in the Higashidaimonjicho area.
05/15/2025
We went on the Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour, which took us to Komyoin Zen Temple, Tofuku-ji Temple and Shōrin-ji Temple.
05/16/2025
Drove from Kyoto to Nara. First, a stop at Nara Park. Then we walked to the Todaiji Museum and saw the Great Buddha Hall and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Walked a bit of Mount Wakakusa, a grassy hill. Then, the Naramichi Monogatarikan museum, which is a traditional townhouse recreation. Finally, we drove from Nara to Osaka.
05/17/2025
We took another speed train from Osaka to Hiroshima, then a ferry to Miyajima Island, where we saw the Itsukushima Shrine. Ferried back to the mainland to see the Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
05/18/2025
We went to the 2025 Osaka World Expo and saw the following pavilions: Healthcare, Korea, Monaco, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and then finished the day with a visit to the World Expo store. Overall, it was a cool experience, but we experienced long lines to get into the pavilions and stores.
