Remember when I said that Japan was my dream destination? Well – as my pal Gabrielle once said many times in quick sucession – dreams do come true!
Let’s travel back in time and take a look at that very trip via. the magical power of photography. We started with the food-mecca of Osaka …
… and visited the deer of Todaiji temple in Nara.
Next we enjoyed sakura (cherry blossom) season at the newly re-opened Himeji Castle …
… and took the bullet train to Hiroshima for the inspiring nearby Miyajima (where we watched a traditional wedding) and the horrible history of the Peace Memorial Park area.
Next up was Kyoto, which was full of wonderful temples and shrines – plus more beautiful sakura …
Then it was time for the intensity of Tokyo …
… for the ridiculous fun of Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant, …
… the serious business of the Tsukiji tuna auction (got up 2 am for it!), …
… the unusual experience of a Maid Cafe, …
… the insanely tall Tokyo Sky Tower (pictured: 50% of it), …
… and the unique “manga cafes”.
We also managed to get tickets to the Ghibli Museum (which I was obviously very excited about) …
… and I sang public karaoke for the streets of Harajuku before hitting the picture booths.
But did we see anything with that trademark Japanese weirdness? Well, yes, and for me this was the best example (also in Harajuku) …
Thankfully we were also smart enough to take a break from Tokyo. We visited Lake Kawaguchiko which was sadly so foggy that we never saw Mt. Fuji – though it did give us a chance to discover the giant automatic organ of Kawaguchiko Music Forest …
… and that was just a warm-up for the amazing Takaragawa Onsen (hot springs) – one of the best ways to finish up a hectic holiday ever.
Till next time, Japan!
Want more travelly stuff? I’ve heard you’re curious about USA, Malaysia, Tasmania and Brisbane. How lucky that I happen to have posts dedicated to all those very destinations?!
A Hole in the Head 
Wow…. the Condomania sign is classic! That could also lead to some really bad mixups when the husband tries scaring off a burglar with a vibrator, and the wife…… er….. ugh…. I’ll distract myself with the kitty on the plate.
Haha. Yes it’s a good thing that it’s bright pink at least. Though mistakes could still happen in the dark, I guess.
It took me quite a long time to figure out what I was looking at when I first
saw that sign.
thanks for sharing this post ! there is something about Japan that is so endearing …..the mix of the old and young …..love reading their mangas ….the pic of the deer at the Todaiji Temple is cute! by the way I would like to know the dish in the first pic is it made of chocolate.(looking at the white and brown stripes)…it looks quite delicious !
Thanks Tanvi. The dish is called Okinamiyaki. It’s actually very far from chocolate though I can see the resemblence. It’s made of mostly egg, seafood and vegies. The pattern on top is two types of sauce served in a creative way. The waitress did that bit for us at the table. Was pretty impressive!