June 2023
It was really nice to have Mom and Chelsea come visit me in Songdo, Incheon, South Korea the day after the last day of school. We checked out my school and visited Songdo Central Park.
From Songdo, we went to Seoul and had a nice stay in a Hanook-style house in Insadong.
Changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The audio guide was really cool. You just had to press the pen to the map and it gave you the information.
We each found our Zodiac animal.
A colorful way to move a body, from the National Folk Museum of Korea.
Made a friend with a lady who loves her hens.
After a highly enjoyable few days in Korea, we headed to Japan and rode a Hello Kitty train to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan, before Tokyo, from 794 to the Meiji Restoration in 1868 which modernized (westernized) the long-isolated islands of Japan and returned power to the emperor from the military shoguns.
We stayed in a lovely traditional Japanese house complete with bamboo floors, paper walls, and comfortable beds on the floor.
We were the last guests to ever stay at Riko’s house, and she is exceptionally kind and generous, so she let us each pick things to take home with us. We each took one of these lovely green plates she used to serve us mochi when we first arrived. Mom was also gifted some lovely orange antique saki glasses.
One of the best things about Kyoto is all of the temples and shrines throughout the city and surrounding forests. This is us at Kiyomizu-dera.
Translating our fortunes, which did not cost a fortune to buy.
Kyoto is my top recommendation for a first-time visit to Japan. It is the best place for history, culture, and nature.
Water from this fountain provides a blessing for success in wealth, love and I forget, maybe health.
We had an exceptionally delicious, and to us very different, 13-course meal at Gion Kawakami. The chef was the “Captain.” He and all of his staff were sporting Shohei Ohtani pins, the Japanese baseball phenom.
We also enjoyed a serenade from this friendly man playing a Chinese bamboo flute.
This is the gate to Nijō Castle, built in 1603, it was home to many shoguns (military dictators/samurai rulers).
The Kyoto Imperial Palace is where the emperor resided before moving to Tokyo in 1869. While here, the shoguns had the power, though the emperor and family still held great cultural significance.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine, temples are Buddhist.
Cool places are often crowded places.
From Kyoto, we headed to Nagano. On the train ride up the conductor mentioned there is an ancient place of worship on the right side of the river.
Nagano is well known for its skiing, it hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, apples, and soba noodles.
The street leading to Zenkoji Temple.
Zenkoji temple is famous for housing the first Buddhist statue ever brought to Japan. You can also take a walk beneath it in complete darkness. If you can find the handle towards the end you are blessed, we were all blessed.
An afternoon Saki tasting livened up the day. Saki is a Japanese rice wine. Good Saki is served chilled and lower-quality Saki is served warm.
Delicious Oyaki, similar to a dumpling.
The real reason we went to Nagano was to see the Japanese macaques (snow monkeys). On our way there we also saw a Japanese serow and a little black bear.
A pensive macaque.
The alpha male grooming one of his partners taking care of their baby monkey.
Interacting with monkeys, especially when making eye contact, certainly reminds one they are our closest relatives.
In the winter this will be surrounded by snow and the monkeys will relax in the warm water. I was surprised to learn that this all began with a hotelier many years ago trying to drive pesky monkeys away. A more compassionate individual intervened and lured the monkeys to the warm waters. I would have thought over the thousands of years of living by the warm water the monkey would have figured it out for themselves. A Time magazine cover article a few decades ago brought the area to international fame.
Chelsea made some local friends.
From Nagano, we headed to Mt. Fuji.
We stayed in this awesome AirBnB bubble!
Quality view.
And very comfortable.
Chelsea and I started our hike at the fifth station. We did not know it was not hiking season, normally you can collect brands at the rest stops as you go up. The nice thing was we barely saw anybody else the whole day.
But we did see Grogu.
I don’t know why, but it seemed to be a thing to put a 1 yen coin into this.
To be honest, Mt. Fuji is a pretty unpleasant hike. It is just walking up and down volcanic rock, mostly switchbacks, with not much nature around you, but you can get some nice views when you stop to appreciate it.
Perhaps the best thing about hiking Mt. Fuji is that you can say you hiked Mt. Fuji. It is common during the hiking season to stay at a bunkhouse near the summit and wake up early to catch the sunrise. Chelsea and I went up and down in about 6 hours.
We liked our local train from Mt. Fuji.
Our final stop together was Ginza, Tokyo. This is Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple built in 645, it is the oldest temple in Tokyo.
We enjoyed our lunch at this cute little Swiss restaurant in the heart of one of the oldest areas of Tokyo.
We then went to The Tokyo National Museum, where they have three buildings for Asian art, Japanese art, and a current exhibition respectively.
A Buddha statue from India.
Jurō, the god of longevity (and maybe long foreheads), from Japan.
Samurai armor
Eagle Warrior from the Mexico exhibition. Do you think he looks cool?
Before leaving, Chelsea wanted to risk her life, so we tried Fugu. If it is not cut properly it can kill, or just paralyze, you. Fortunately, these guys look like they know what they are doing.
It tastes like pretty typical white fish.
Mom and Chelsea then went back home and I stayed another week in Japan with a friend. We saw an incredible artistic goldfish exhibit.
Had a fun day at Disney Tokyo.
Good to ride Splash Mountain again, this was my favorite ride from my first trip to Disneyworld as a kid.
The Tokyo Skytree has some great views, as well as shops and restaurants.
Lots of Pokemon in Japan.
Oh no! It’s Godzilla! Shinjuku is a pretty wild area of Tokyo.
Nice afternoon in Shinjuku Gyeon National Garden.
From Tokyo, we went to Osaka and checked out Osaka Castle.
Osaka is the food capital of Japan.
Made some Okonomiyaki.
And got some help.
Dotonbori, Osaka has a lot of action.
In addition to Disneyland Japan, also enjoyed Universal Studios Japan. Super Nintendo World is great.
As is Butterbeer and Harry Potter World.
I spent my final day in Japan in Nara, it is an excellent short trip from Osaka if you want to see temples and interact with nature.
Lots of deer around Nara that are very comfortable around humans.
Tōdai-ji temple has one of Japan’s largest bronze statues of Buddha.
Japan is an amazing country to visit. Friendly people, delicious food, beautiful nature, and fascinating history.
Hi Colin!
Those are great great pictures.
From what I see, you are so happy and experiencing such wonderful adventures. You have found your niche and you look like you are having so much fun in the different travels.
Love,
Dad
Hi Beans!
Dad is over here for dinner and we have had more fun looking at your pictures and reading your posts.
You are going to have to tell him the story of the two Rykos. I can’t do it justice.
Chelsea and I had such a wonderful time with you. Thank you for all of your efforts, time and talent in getting us around and very well fed, housed and entertained.
You’re the Best!!!!!
Love always from Mom and my Skechers