2025 Japan photos for friends and family
Friday March 14, 2025
My last day in Tokyo. I booked a train to the airport for 1:30 PM, which takes about an hour. My flight, JAL773, departs at 5:40 PM. I'll fly into Melbourne and then on to Sydney, expecting to arrive home around 10 AM on Saturday.
Yesterday, I explored the Imperial Palace Gardens. The original castle burned down in the 1600s, leaving only the large rock foundations. I then visited Shinjuku to check out the Observation Deck at the Metropolitan Government Building before heading back to Ginza for coffee on the 13th-floor roof garden.
Dinner at the hotel was the Chef's Selection, which was superb—a wonderful way to enjoy the city's night views during my last dinner in Tokyo. Hard to pick a standout as all the dishes were sensational. The pie-wrapped foie gras was excellent, as was the parsnip soup delivered in a cappuccino cup with froth on top.
This morning I visited Senso-ji Temple, dating back to 645 AD, which I believe is the oldest in the area.
I'm just packing now and will go for a final walk before heading to the station.
It's been a great two-week holiday, filled with new experiences, plenty of walking, and lots of eating.
The last photo is the building I am staying in, Hotel Metropoliton Tokyo Marunouchi.
Thursday March 13, 2025
The train from Kyoto was excellent, completing the 450km trip to Tokyo in just 2 hours.
My hotel is at Tokyo Station, so it was only a 5-minute walk, which was fortunate because the bags are starting to get heavy. I bought a few Japanese knives and some bottles of sake to take home.
I went back to the Cigar Bar in Shibuya, which was a very relaxing hour spent with just myself and the bartender.
I stumbled upon one of the best whiskey bars I've seen, the Caol Ila Bar. They have an amazing selection of old whiskies, so I tried a few before heading to an oyster bar. The seafood here is really good.
I started the morning with breakfast at the hotel, as the views are amazing. I've reserved a window table for my final meal in Tokyo tonight.
Finally, a day without rain or snow in Tokyo. I'm heading off for a relaxed walk around the Imperial Palace.
Wednesday March 12, 2025
Leaving for Tokyo at 10:21 AM on the Shinkansen bullet train, which will take about 2 hours.
Yesterday, I had a great day at the Fushimi Sake District. I visited a sake museum where the water is so clear and they let you drink it, I enjoyed a sake tasting session and later found a local craft beer restaurant. The beers, made from the same water, were excellent.
For lunch, I ate at a traditional local restaurant where I tried eel. It was nice, but I can't say I would order it again.
Then, I went back to Kyoto and visited the Nishiki Market.
Dinner was an "Omakase" meal, where the chef prepared various foods on a grill, including beef, pork, prawn etc. my favorite, ws the asparagus.
Woke up around 5 AM, so I decided to take a taxi back to the Kiyomizu-dera area. It was certainly more peaceful and quite beautiful without all the crowds.
Next up, Tokyo for a couple of nights before heading home on Friday. I have a 6 PM overnight flight, arriving back in Australia on Saturday morning.
Tuesday March 11, 2025
After an early morning visit to the red gates, I took a train to Nara Park, which involved about 45 minutes and three train changes as I couldn’t figure out Google Maps.
The park is full of free-roaming deer that bow when you give them food. There were a lot of tourists, as you would expect, but I can only imagine the chaos during peak season. At the moment I dont really have to wait or stand in long queues.
The highlight was visiting Todai-ji Buddhist Temple, dating back to the 8th century. The statue of Buddha there is unbelievably huge, along with other statues around it carved out of wood.
I managed to figure out the train system and took the express back to Kyoto. For dinner, I enjoyed oysters and pork loin—excellent value and service.
The last photo is from my hotel room, showing the Shinkansen or bullet train tracks to the left. That is where I will board tomorrow for Tokyo.
Breakfast this morning at the hotel was quiet; nobody talks loudly or uses their phones. Talking on your phone is generally not allowed in most places here, including on the trains. Evenone is quiet except for the occasional dickhead American, but I haven't been too bothered by many.
Unlike in China or other Asian countries where you're constantly hassled and approached, and the cities are overwhelming, Japan is more respectful and relaxed—even with millions of people around.
It’s raining today, but I'm planning to explore the Sake district called Fushimi, including a visit to a brewery and museum.
Monday March 10, 2025
Yesterday, the train journey from Osaka to Kyoto was quick, taking only about 30 minutes. Since I couldn't check into the hotel, I walked to Kiyomizu-Dera, a temple and shrine with views of the city. It's surrounded by narrow streets lined with shops—a very busy tourist area.
I then explored another temple before heading to my hotel and enjoyed an excellent bowl of pork ramen.
This morning, I got up early to beat the crowds and visited the amazing red gates, known as Senbon Torii, at Fushimi Inari Shrine, which lead up to a shrine on a hill.
I'm planning a day trip to Nara from Kyoto today.
The trip is going really well!
Sunday March 9, 2025
Off to Kyoto today; the fast train only takes about 15 minutes, so it's very close.
Yesterday, I was awake early, so I walked to the Kuromon Markets. I can't believe how big the oysters, king crabs, and massive prawns are. I tried sea urchin, and it was delicious with a little seaweed and soy sauce. Then I had a wagyu stick, which melted in my mouth and was not bad value for $10.
I also had a sake tasting with three different kinds. The first was the best, reminding me more of a sweet dessert wine. Not strong, at only 15% Alcohol. I am going to try and do a sake tour in Kyoto.
I took a long walk to Osaka Castle and stopped for some famous hotcakes along the way.
The castle was huge and crowded, so I didn't bother lining up to go inside. The monkey's name was Maria.
Later, I just wandered through the shops and had an early dinner. My average walking for the last five days is over 25,000 steps.
I'll be in Kyoto in a few hours for three nights.
Saturday March 8, 2025
Arrived in Osaka after a 1.5-hour train trip from Hiroshima.
Staying in Namba, a nice area close to the famous tourist spot of Dotonbori, which is bustling with more people and tourists than I saw in Tokyo. My hotel is nice and a bit away from the crowded areas.
I visited an amazing building in Umeda with 360-degree views of the city.
Nearby, I enjoyed a Teppanyaki-style dinner. Kobe, known for its famous Kobe beef, is close by.
It was great to relax with a couple of Japanese beers and watch the meal being cooked in front of me. All the food was excellent and the steak was worth the price —one of the best meal experiences I've ever had.
Almost as good as a pie sitting next the Speyside river. Almost.
Friday March 7, 2025
I left Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train for Hiroshima. The lunch was cold, but then you pull a cord to heat it up. It was nice; I ate it all. Hiroshima has been good. I had a famous okonomiyaki pancake, made with cabbage and meats, in front of me. It was too big, and I left half of it.
I spent the morning at the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial, which was very moving and definitely worth the effort to travel all this way. My tickets are booked for the fast train to Osaka, where I'll spend a couple of nights.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Caught up with Russell yesterday in Tokyo, nice lunch in Tokyo Station. Went for a wonder this morning around a park and Meiji Shrine. Off to Hiroshima on bullet train. 800 km in 4 hours. Tokyo has been great and will be back next week.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Yesterday was a full day! I started at the fish markets for breakfast and then checked out Ginza. I also went up Tokyo Skytree for some amazing views of the city. Later, I relaxed in a cigar bar near Shibuya where they played a acouple of my favorite records.
In the evening, I tried to visit Golden Gai, famous are of little bars in alley ways, but ended up back at the hotel early because of heavy rain and snow.
Today's pretty chilly with rain and wind. I'm meeting Russell for lunch before he heads back to Sydney. Then I'll see what the weather's like.
I'm heading to Hiroshima on the bullet train tomorrow. Looking forward to it!
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Tokyo is a fantastic city. I've been getting around on the metro, which is easy to use, and I've done a lot of walking despite the cold. It even snowed yesterday!
The food is really affordable—my plate of sushi was only $14.
I visited Shibuya Sky for some city photos, but unfortunately, the outdoor viewing platform was closed due to rain. The indoor views were still good, though.
This morning, I woke up at 5:30 AM and went to the fish markets for breakfast. I tried king crab legs, which were a bit rich for the morning. I'm planning to do more sightseeing today, but it's still quite cold at about 2 degrees.
