This blog has been a long time coming, sorry for the delay! Even the first draft was written almost 6 weeks after returning, a new record for me. Now that I’m back, well rested, and ready to write, let’s recap this years exiting trip.

I’ve got all the photo’s organized and collected here for your viewing pleasure.

Day 1: Traveling to Tokyo

It was the first flight to Japan in a couple of years and both me and Shannon were excited to be heading back. Thankfully, we had a smooth flight over, although neither of us got much sleep. We were in the back of the plane so we also got stuck at the back of a long, long immigration line after disembarking, but once we got through it was an easy trip from Narita to our hotel.

We had picked Akasaka Hotel Hillarys for it’s convenient location, but it turned out to be a pretty great place to stay, and I’m not just saying that because the staff complimented my Japanese. The room was stylish and clean, and a nice size for Tokyo (certainly much larger than the claustrophobic APA hotel we stayed at the previous year.)

The biggest surprise was the rooftop lounge that had free snacks and drinks for all guests. They even free beer during happy hour from 6 to 7! That’s a winner in my books, I’d definitely consider staying there again. We enjoyed a free drink on the rooftop at sunset and then, still a little weary from travel, we went out quick izakaya for dinner and I had some pretty tasty yakitori.

Day 2: Meeting up with Naoko

We got up at 8AM after about 12 hours sleep, a nice long rest to help shake off the jet lag. We decided to swing by 7-11 for a breakfast coffee and onigiri and went on a little walk around the area. We tried to tour through a nearby shrine but they didn’t allow food or drinks so we popped back to the hotel before leaving to head towards Naoko’s place.

It was a nice and toasty spring day out as we walked our way over. We ended up taking a couple detours to see a temple that was on our way, as well as a vegan organic cafe. We met up at her place and had a wonderful time getting caught up before deciding on heading out for lunch.

We went to a maid cafe in Akihabara called blue egg. I had never been to a maid cafe before so it was pretty interesting. There are dozens of them in the area but they aren’t too common in most of Japan. They had a whole system there where you can order drinks and food, as well as things from the maids like taking photos together. We had some drinks and omurice with our names and pictures on them in front of us in ketchup. It was a fun new experience.

After touring Akihabara a little bit, we went to Ginza. We bumped into a free exhibit they were running in the old Sony building that had all sorts of interesting artifacts from the history of Ginza and Sony, like old Walkmans and computers. We had a look around the main strip in Ginza for a bit before taking a taxi to the Imperial palace grounds. Inside, we took a rest in the park on the grass for a bit and chatted while enjoying the nice day out.

For dinner, we went to a tsukemen restaurant called Tsujita, which was in Yaesu. There I had some really delicious ramen noodles with a rich dipping sauce, and some onions and menma on the side. It was one of my top meals of the trip I think!

On our way back to the hotel, we took a bit of a different path. We were walking by a park that was all lit up with little twinkle lights and Shannon asked if we could check out some bird statues that were down a little trail. This is where Shannon surprised me by proposing to me! She presented me with a bracelet that had “Marry Me” engraved on the inside. I had to squint a bit to read it in the darkness and little twinkle lights, but as soon as I realized what it said, I said yes of course. It was a wonderful romantic spot for the proposal, and it was amazing to suddenly be engaged with a fiancee.

We enjoyed another nice evening on the rooftop lounge over a couple drinks before retiring for the night after that exciting day.

Day 3: Over to Okinawa

We left our hotel early in the morning to some heavy rain. It’s always tricky when you are lugging a heavy suitcase but luckily I was able to get an umbrella at the hotel reception for free! We jumped on a train and then bus to Haneda airport, headed to Naha, the capital of Okinawa. The weather broke before takeoff and we headed out into blue skies. After a smooth flight, we hopped a cab to our hotel, which was actually a normal North American size. Sweet!

We were searching for a place to go for lunch, but it was early afternoon and many restaurants in Japan close between lunch and dinner. We tried to go to a live singing bar that Google said was open but it turned out not to be the case. However, the staff there was kind enough to show us to a restaurant several blocks away that opened shortly and make a reservation for us. He pointed us to a sofa in an outdoor stairwell where we could wait, but we ended up just touring around one of the main strips. We even found a shop selling some of their famous snake liquor.

Once they opened, we went to that restaurant and enjoyed some food, including local specialties like sea grapes. They had a crazy happy hour deal with whiskey high balls for only 44 yen. We filled up our bellies then headed towards the beach on foot. We found a park with a man-made waterfall and cave that we had a nice walk around before heading to the beach where we dipped our toes in. On the way back to the hotel for a brief rest, we stopped at the top level of a big mall, hoping to find a nice view. They had a rooftop garden where we had a nice rest.

In the evening, we headed back to the bar with live Okinawa music and some local food. We started with the snake liquor, which was interesting – a little spicy. There was a duo performing some songs in a traditional style and it was a very lovely place with lots of people clapping along to the music. Made for a fun evening.

Day 4: Parasailing and Scuba Diving

We took a taxi out to a pier to go parasailing and snorkeling with a company called Sea World that we had booked a tour with. After signing a bunch of all-japanese forms and waivers, we put on some life jackets and headed out onto a boat with 6 other folks. They were all Japanese, a couple from Aichi and 4 girls who were coworkers from Osaka.

We started with the parasailing. After we got out a ways into the water, Shannon and I were first to go up. We got in the harnesses and we heard the instructions in Japanese which we mostly understood. I was a bit nervous.

We took off into the air and it was a thrilling feeling floating up in the sky like that. It was very pleasant and not at all unstable or too windy. The view of the ocean and the nearby islands was amazing, and it was a perfect clear blue day for it. We were supposedly up there for about 7 minutes but it was over before we knew it. They reeled us back down for a safe landing on the boat, and the next people went up a pair at a time. We got a ton of great pictures with the GoPro they provided for us.

We docked back with a bigger boat and got ready to go snorkeling. We got in some wet suits (a first for me) and we were able to see all sorts of beautiful and colorful fish in the reefs. I had never been snorkeling either so it was a fun experience. The water was a lot saltier than I expected! The staff took some pictures of us from underwater as well. I had to be careful not to bump into people with my eyes so focused downwards on all of the different varieties of sea life we could find.

We dried off on the boat and headed back for a quick lunch by the hotel of some Okinawa soba. Then we got cleaned up and took a little rest.

In the afternoon, we stopped by a little whiskey bar in a shopping arcade that had about 6 seats and chatted up a guy from Osaka who was filming a concert in Okinawa the following day. He previously was an editor for a magazine that published about whiskey and craft beer so we had a great conversation about drinks, sports, japan, and Canada.

We then headed to a rooftop lounge of a different hotel, closer to the shore, for dinner. It was right around sunset so it was a perfect time to enjoy the view. We had some Japanese BBQ for dinner, and ended up chatting with some guys at the table next to us who were from Holland. They told us about their travels in Japan and we shared our own experiences with them before heading back to our hotel and calling it a night.

Day 5: Okinawa World and a Concert

After a quick breakfast, including an Okinawa limited convenience store item, a spam and egg onigiri, we hopped on a bus to Okinawa world, a kind of amusement park. Our first stop was watching a snake show, where they brought out a few varieties of snake, including the famous habu (pit viper) snake that they use to make the liquor. They also had a mongoose race against a sea snake to see who is faster, and it was really cute as it speed-waded through the water.

After a buffet lunch, we watched the second show, an energetic drum performance. There were people performing in all sorts of outfits like an eastern-style dragon costume, and it was really funny and entertaining and well choreographed.

After that’s we explored a big underground cave system with tons of stalactites and stalagmites. They lit up different areas, mostly with blue lights which really set an interesting mood. It was quite a big cave, about 15 minutes to walk through, though we were taking our time. It was a very damp with all the groundwater that was causing all of the formations to come about.

After that, we checked a garden that had all sorts of tropical plants like bananas and pineapples, and there was also a glass blowing shop where they were selling all sorts of locally made trinkets and jewelry. Finally, we stopped for a quick beer from the on-site brewery before hopping a bus back to Naha.

We did some brief shopping then headed to the live concert we heard about from the cameraman yesterday. He seemed surprised and delighted to see us there. The concert was in a indie seeming movie theater. The musician was an older guy doing his 35th year reunion. Apparently he is popular locally but never hit it very big across japan. His music ranged from lively to heartfelt and it all felt very local and nostalgic. There was a big band accompanying him and they put on a great show. You can tell he’s been in front of audiences many times before. The crowd was mostly older folks who must be his fans.

After that we stopped for some food at a little restaurant where you could win a free drink if you beat one of the staff members at arm wrestling. I lost bad, he was toying with me, but it got us in the shop. There were some guys from Kumamoto there who recommended we check out their island for lots of dolphin watching. A huge strong Brazilian guy went there after us and actually won arm wrestling. We had a good time and headed back for the evening.

Day 6: Headed to Fukuoka

After going hard for a few days in Okinawa, we decided to have a lighter day. With the mid-day plane ride to Fukuoka, it was a good time to catch up on laundry and get a little rest in. We got some curry for lunch at the airport before taking off.

After getting a load of laundry done, checked in to the AirBNB. It was a little apartment type of set up that was a nice size. It had 2 beds in the main room but they were separated by a big concrete wall. For dinner, we found a yakiniku place called Baka and Aho, which had some really tasty meats.

Day 7: Exploring Fukuoka and Hakata

We started the day with an open top bus tour of the around the city and seaside of Fukuoka. I think we were pretty lucky to get the front row seats so we got the best view. There was a tour guide who shared all sorts of interesting tidbits about the city as we toured around and saw some of the highlights, like the downtown area, the harbor, the dome, and Fukuoka tower.

We grabbed a lunch at the big mall attached to the bus terminal and then head to a different mall called LaLaPort. They have a life sized Gundam there statue there which was truly impressive. Our reason for heading over there was that they were having a beer festival there with some craft brewers from across Japan. It seems like they had some stage shows, but they were all happening on a different day. It was pretty quiet but we had a fun time. We enjoyed some drinks and did a little shopping before heading back to our room for a little break.

In the evening, we went to the famous area on Hakata river where there are a long line of outdoor ramen stands. We enjoyed a fantastic bowl of ramen and some gyoza. Coming back to this area, I started to recognize some of the scenery from my trip way back in 2019. We followed that up by going to an izakaya where my friend Kenta used to work. We’ll be seeing him in a few days so it we passed along some greetings to the staff.

Day 8: Enjoying the views of Fukuoka

We hopped on a bus to head outside of town to a mountain called Aburayama. We grabbed a quick breakfast after taking the bus and then walked through a bunch of suburbs to make it to the base of the mountain trail. It was a beautiful warm day out for a mountain hike. After making our way up a couple kilometers, we got to the observation platform on the side of the mountain where we were able to enjoy a great view of the city. It seems like that area was also popular for bird watching, as there were a bunch of people with binoculars up there as well.

We stopped for some really juicy and tasty Japanese hamburgs for lunch and then headed to the Fukuoka castle ruins. There wasn’t really a castle there (it had been destroyed), and much of the grounds were converted into a park. We got to walk up some of the old structures and get another nice view of the city and surroundings. We stopped by the attached flower garden which had all sorts of varieties of peonies in full bloom.

After that we went to Fukuoka tower for even more great views of the city. It was a nice observation tower and we got to enjoy the view while sipping on a latte in the cafe. All of our inter city travel has been by bus since the trains aren’t quite as prominent as in other cities. On foot, we had 12.5km in before dinnertime. After scoping out some coin lockers at the train station for our upcoming travel day, we stopped at one of the restaurants and had a dinner or meat skewers, and the place was especially known for their chicken skins. It was perfect for enjoying with a beer.

After that we went wandering for a place to have a few drinks and spend the evening. We found this little okonomiyaki shop. It had about 7 chairs and there were a couple locals and the lady running the shop. It was great to sit down and chat with them for a couple hours, they were all very nice. The one guy was a city planner and the lady was a sports therapist or something like that. We chatted and chatted for a good long time – those are some of my favorite parts of a trip like this. We even got some free drinks from the owner when we told her we were just engaged, which was very kind of them.

Day 9: Dontaku Festival and Travel to Osaka

It was the day of our travel to Osaka, but we had a bunch of time before our 5:30PM flight so we checked out of our hotel, dumped our luggage in a locker, and went to explore the local festival that had just started. Just like all of our other travel days, it decided to rain (luckily, all of the rest of the days had great weather!) It was very busy on the streets, I’m not sure if it was because of the festival or that it was golden week, but it was packed, especially at the station.

At the Hakta Dontaku festival, we were able to find a lot food stands and there were also a lot of stage shows in different parts of the city. It seemed like this festival had a lot of dancing performances, a lot of which seemed like in a more modern style of music. Unfortunately it was raining a ton and it was a bit tricky to see some of the performances over all the umbrellas. Still, we were able to enjoy some of the stage shows as we walked around the area. After a lunch at the train station and then went to the airport to headed to Osaka.

We were running a little later than I expected with a plane delay and luggage taking a while to come out, but Shannon was kind enough to take our luggage to the hotel and check in while I went to my local bar, Beppinsan. It was a smaller crowd but I was happy to catch up with everyone. The owner was even there so it was great to catch up for the first time in a couple years!

Day 10: Meeting up with Friends and a Dolphin Swim

We were back at our usual hotel, so we started the morning the bakery we had found the previous time next to that hotel. Shannon really likes that place! We did a quick shopping run and packed my second suitcase full of snacks and goodies to take home.

We met my old tutor for okonomiyaki for lunch. It was the kind of restaurant where you make it yourself on a got griddle in front of you which is always fun to do. It was nice to catch up and treat her to some omiyage. We caught up and I was glad to hear she and her family are doing well.

In the afternoon, we met up with my friends Mori and Saeko. Saeko’s son, Kenta, is working as a trainer at a dolphin aquarium which is pretty much right next to our hotel, and Shannon and I were both treated to tickets to participate in a dolphin swim with the 4 of use in a group. We spent a little time catching up as we waited for things to start. I got to put on a wet suit for the second time this trip (and ever). Kenta and a couple other trainers lead us through the dolphin swim.

The trainers led the dolphins around and we were able to touch them on the back and bellies. They were very smooth and slippery to the touch. They had 4 dolphins and 3 huge tanks, and we were swimming with a couple of them with our group. they had the dolphins do some jumps out of the water and had us hold their fins while the dolphins were nose-up out of the water as well. We even got to grab onto their dorsal fins and ride a lap around the tank which was a real blast! I wasn’t expecting it to be that fun, but I think we all had a great time.

The four of us went out for some dinner together afterwards and enjoyed some grilled meat and seafood while catching up. Kenta was eventually able to join us after his shift ended, so we went to a second restaurant and all hung out for some extra snacks and drinks. All in all it was a really great day if meeting up with friends! These kinds of experiences are what make me always keep coming back.

Day 11: Meeting up with Mom and Jordan

Today was the day where Mom and Jordan were headed to Osaka from Tokyo. They were arriving in the afternoon, so we did a little more shopping, including a walk out to a local liquor store to grab a couple bottles to bring home, and also to the supermarket to finish grabbing snacks to fill my suitcase. We got a quick ramen lunch near the hotel and then waited for Mom and Jordan to get in.

We met up at the hotel they got checked in. I took everyone on a brief tour of my old neighborhood. They hadn’t eaten anything so we went to Katsuya for an early dinner before walking down to my bar, Beppinsan.

Mom and Shannon stuck around for a while before heading back to the hotel. I was really happy to introduce everyone to Jordan, and despite the language barrier, technology helped out and everyone was generally able to communicate. I think we all had a great time chatting with the regulars at the bar. An old work friend Dave and his partner were also coincidentally in town so I invited them over to the bar as well. We had a hell of a good time drinking, and Jordan did his brotherly duty after hearing I was engaged and proceeded to get me drinks until I could barely stand. I believe he paid and then basically carried me back to the hotel. The memories of getting back are a little blurry.

Day 12: Nara and Shin-Sekai

I woke up in the morning and I was luckily not completely hungover. I must have got some water in me!

We went to Nara in the morning to go check out the deer in the park, and to see Todaiji temple. It was a nice day and we took a taxi from the station to the park. I got deer crackers for everyone and it was hilarious seeing everyone get mobbed by deer and screaming and running away. The deer are pretty insistent when you are holding food, and they will happily nip at your clothes and chase you.

We had some burgers for lunch and then continued to Todaiji. The giant Buddha statues were impressive as always and I’m glad we could show that to Jordan for the first time.

We headed back to Osaka and went to Shin-Sekai to see some of the sights. We had a little stop at a cafe while waiting for our ticketed time before going up the Tsutenkaku tower. It had been quite a while since the last time I was there, but I don’t remember it being such a long line to finally make it up the second elevator. Once we were up, everyone enjoyed the view of the city, and Shannon, Jordan and I went up to the outdoor section as well for some photos.

We got dinner at Kura sushi. I was told by Shannon and Jordan that they needed to have sushi before leaving Japan, and the conveyor belt style is always a fun, unique experience.

Jordan and I headed back to Beppinsan, joined later by Shannon after she dropped mom off at the hotel. We had a great time and Issei even showed up. The owners wife was there and I got to meet the new part timer Moona who was from Nepal. Turns out it was her 6th shift so far and she had been in Japan for a couple years. It was a great way to close out the evening as always, and I didn’t even need to get carried back to the hotel this time.

Day 13: Namba and Visiting the Takeharas

We were originally thinking of going to Osaka castle in the morning, but the commute there and back would have been pretty long, so we just kicked around Namba for a bit. While Shannon was helping take Mom out shopping, Jordan and I went to Dotonbori, then briefly to Denden town. I wanted to pick up some anime goods or something but so we went to my usual shop. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything that stood out and we didn’t have a lot of time to dig around multiple stores, so no souvenir this time. We met back up for a big tempura lunch in Namba.

We headed on down to Issei’s place. We were picked up by Hiromi who was so happy to see us. It was great to see her reunited with mom, it had been 8 years. We drove back to their place where we chatted and exchanged gifts. Hiromi got us some lovely towels that were made locally using dyes that are made using vegetables and other locally produced things. She also gave some neat orange jam with stacked orange slices in the jar and some cakes made with a variety of local sakes. 

They took us to dinner at a very interesting restaurant. The restaurant staff brought out a cart with a selection of freshly caught fish and explained them all and the options for preparing them. It was quite an impressive display. This all of the fish names and preparations were way beyond my level of Japanese, so we left ordering to Issei’s dad, Koichiro. We ate a feast with a huge variety of different fish and seafood, including trying sea squirts. We had some drinks and I was able to bust out some jokes! Hiromi even joined me in making a few. It was a wonderful evening with Issei, his parents and the 4 of us together. A fantastic way to wrap up the trip.

One final free hour to pop into Beppinsan and I was back to the hotel to spend the final night.

Day 14: Headed Back Home

It’s a travel day back. A train to Namba, followed by a train to Shin Osaka followed by a bullet train to Shinagawa, followed by another local train, followed by a train to Narita airport, followed by 12 hours in a plane, followed by a 2 hour drive home. Another long journey! It was an exciting trip packed with lots of fun new experiences but it was good to be home.