Honeymoon to Japan- day trips to Hakone & Miyajima

HAKONE
Hakone is a small mountain resort city just 90 minutes outside of Tokyo. It's a common trip many Japanese people take over the weekend and is known for its hot springs, view of Mt. Fuji, and ryokans!  Ryokans are traditional Japanese hotels- you wear these Japanese robes, have a outdoor/private hotsprings experience, and usually eat an elaborate Kaiseki meal (traditional Japanese meal--- with a lot of little elaborate dishes).

We spent a day riding the various forms of transportation Hakone has (boat, cable car, bus, train, tram, ropecar) and in a traditional Ryokan.  We had so much fun there ---and so much fun travelling on the Shinkansen - the bullet train. A few words about the bullet train...amazing!!! There are 2 minute intervals when trains take off, 2 minutes!! They are always on time, quiet, and so incredibly fast. Below is the lunch box we had on the train...they are prepared specifically for train rides and only sold inside train stations.

 Outdoor foot spa!

Our ryokan!

MIYAJIMA
Okay... we never planned on going to Miyajima, but our friends told us it was worth it, so we made it happen! With Miyajima, we did a 4 city trip in 8 days :) We are troopers.  We rode the shinkansen to Hiroshima, took a train and then a ferry and finally made it to Miyajima. The entire island is considered a UNESCO historical site and the country has made efforts to preserve the island in its traditional form. We saw the shrine and climbed Misen mountain. Miyajima also has deer all over the island.

OF COURSE we picked the hardest trail up Misen mountain and it was a massive undertaking. We almost died...it was only 2 hours, but it was a very vertical climb. We didn't give up though, we made it and the view was worth it.  Our legs were shaking as we made our way down via cable car (thank god for the cable car). We also had no water... not a smart hiking move.  Anyway, we were glad we made it out there.

Honeymoon to Japan- Kyoto!!!

I'm so delayed in writing about our trip to Japan.  I'm procrastinating because I want to do it justice, but then I end up not writing anything at all! So far from perfect, but here it is.  Some highlights from our 2 days in Kyoto.

Here is where we went:
1) Kyoto Market Nishiki
2) Fushimi Inari Shrine
3) Main street of Gion (Geisha district)
4) Arashiyama Bamboo Grove  & Tenryuji Zen temple
5) Ryoan-ji
6) Kinkakuji (Golden temple)
7) A handful of other temples and shrines

And we stayed one night in a futuristic capsules and another in a tiny tiny hotel room as all Japanese hotel rooms are!

I really fell in love with Kyoto and the time we spent there was too short. The streets are narrow, old, and buildings lining the streets are mostly traditional. Unlike Tokyo, the city is historical and has somehow escaped the metropolis patterns of most Asian cities. There are also a million zen temples and shrines all throughout the city. Kyoto isn't as accessible at Tokyo for transportation, but had so much character and we found ourselves marveling at everything. At one point, we got on this one car, one-way train that passed through a tunnel of cherry blossom trees-- it was quaint, beautiful, and felt as if you've been transported to another time.  I would really like to go back. Some pictures from our time in Kyoto.

Finally, a picture of vending machines. Japan has soooo many vending machines - and strangely (I may have mentioned this before) but not trash bins!  We spent so much on vending machines, I think it was almost criminal, just trying every single kind of drink possible.  Kept us hydrated as we walked throughout the city and kept us engaged in Japanese culture---in some weird way.

Honeymoon to Japan - Tokyo

We finally took our honeymoon to Japan at the end of March!  

We took a 7 day trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, and Miyajima. An initially planned 3 city vacation became a 4 city vacation ---I haven't vacationed this hard since my early 20s!  And...it was so worth it! It was exhausting, exciting, new, fascinating...and made me remember why I love travel so so so much.  The anticipation, planning, and then revisiting with pictures brings so much joy as well.  When we got back, we felt we had been away for a month. 

We walked an average 15 miles a day and were relentless in trying everything.  Growing up in Korea, I always had a fascination with China and never was curious about Japan. The expensive Yen also kept me away.  But having now gone to Japan---I love it and I was excited to go with Chris whose life dream was to visit Japan. 

The Japan I visited in 5 words: clean, innovative, thoughtful, quiet, and cute! 

Here are pictures from our few days in Tokyo.

We wore costumes and drove go carts on the streets of Tokyo! I'm telling you...no pot holes! Extremely clean streets. I found myself smiling to myself as I zipped around the streets of Tokyo, waving to taxi drivers and pedestrians looking on with curiosity!  It is a fun and unique way to see the city. I dressed up at Stitch, Chris as Yoshi.

Akihabara is a part of town that is full of games-- buildings full of people playing video games - old and new. It is a weird and strange place.

On our way to Ueno Park to see the Cherry Blossoms!  Chris and I both wore AllBird shoes- my feet were sore at the end of the day, but not sore because the shoes weren't comfortable, just sore from fatigue.  For intense, long walks, I highly recommend Allbird shoes!

 It was a cloudy, rainy day that day, but it was fascinating to see how committed people are to seeing the sakura (cherry blossoms). Everyone was picnicking with fervor.  And there were actually trash cans available (There are no trash bins around Japan- you're supposed to carry your trash home).

All shrines have these types of prayers that people buy and hang in front of the shrine.

 This is the Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa, North East Tokyo.  Soooo many tourists. Chris looks pretty miserable-- jet lag is kicking in and it's raining and cold!

 Japanese people love ice cream!  Ice cream is sold everywhere~

 How cute is this Totoro Banana Chocolate Creame Puff!! It was yummy too. We stayed with my friends Mari and Mario, and their adorable baby Kai. Luckily they lived close to the Totoro cafe and it was easy to trek out there.

 Shijuku Geon!! It's one of the number park in Tokyo to see sakura and Mari's friends' mom made us a lunch to pack and enjoy the flowers.

 So many beautiful lakes and flowers around this park.

 Also, so many different types of cherry blossoms! I had no idea that there were cherry blossoms that drooped down either.