Pondhoppin': Japan

October 2014:

Japan is such an incredible country – by far, one of our most favorite trips (I feel like I say this a lot…)! Grant’s Dad, Bob, joined us on this adventure, making it that much more special.

We all arrived in Tokyo, and off we went to seek out the best sushi we could find!

We awoke the next morning at 2:30 am, in order to make it to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. As we were stumbling out the door (not quite awake), we almost tripped over two passed out Japanese businessmen (that definitely woke us up!). At first, I thought they were dead, but then quickly realized that no, they were just passed out. Can you believe that? Apparently, this happens quite often in Tokyo – businessmen get completely wasted, and find themselves unable to make it home or check into a pod hotel (you literally sleep in a pod – these hotels were created for this reason alone)…so, they just pass out on the sidewalk! The most impressive part? One man’s iPad sat out on his chest, untouched. We couldn’t believe that no one had stolen it!

Anyways, back to the fish market. The highlight of the market is the live tuna auction that starts around 5:30 am – it’s on a first come first serve basis though, maxing out at 120 people, hence the 2:30 am wake-up call. It was well worth it though…

I think what we looked forward to most though was the sushi breakfast that followed inside the market (talk about fresh!). To most westerners, sushi at 6 am doesn’t sound too enticing, but believe me, it’s a must! To this day, this is the BEST sushi I have ever had!

After a quick mid-morning snooze, we were off to discover Mt Fuji in all its glory. To our disappointment, we couldn’t see it upon arrival, but our view over Lake Kawaguchi was still breathtaking. We strolled through our small town, taking in the fresh air and beautiful scenery – and chowing down on some delicious tempura.

That evening, Grant and I dined on hōtō, a popular dish in this region, made by stewing flat udon noodles and vegetables in miso soup. We happily slurped our way through this delicious, traditional Japanese meal.

The next morning, we awoke to a knock on our door early in the morning. As we opened the door, Bob was like a little boy on Christmas morning… "Open your curtains! Open your curtains! You won’t believe it!!!!" Our eyes widened as we stared out onto a perfectly clear view of Mt Fuji! We were VERY lucky to see it during our one night stay here. Woohoo!

Traveling further south, we arrived in Kyoto, home base for the next few days. I think there’s only one word necessary to describe Kyoto…utopia. Everything (and everyone) was perfect. It was kind of freaky, to be perfectly honest, but in a good way (if that makes any sense?).

First stop, Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) – the current gold leaf-coated reconstruction was unveiled in 1955, five years after the 14th-century original was torched by one of the temple's monks.

Next up, Nijo Castle, built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa leyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). Its palace buildings are the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan’s feudal era.

Eikando Temple – its buildings are built alongside the base of the hillside and are connected by wooden corridors. Our favorite part of this temple was the Tahoto Pagoda, which is nestled in the trees on the hillside above the temple’s other buildings, with great views of the city of Kyoto.

For dinner, we made our way to Osaka. Coming from serene Kyoto, we weren’t prepared for the crazy, comic-con like city. So fun!

The next day, we said goodbye to Bob, and Grant and I were off to Nara for the day, basically the fairytale land. Surrounding the temples of Nara were wild deer, running around everywhere! It was quite the site!

Nara Park and Todai-ji Temple (established in the 1300’s)...

Kofuku-ji Temple – five-story pagoda erected in AD 730 – at 50 meters, the second highest pagoda in Japan...

Kasuga-taisha Shrine – founded in the 8^th century. In Deer Park, deer roam freely and are believed to be sacred messengers of the Shinto gods that inhabit the shrine and surrounding mountainous terrain...