Summer of 2024 took us to Japan. This time it was a family trip. We had just over one week in Japan and we spent it in between Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Our first few days were spent in Tokyo. In Tokyo we saw the following areas:

Kabuchiko – Shinjuku

In Shinjuku we got to see the famous Godzilla head, shop at the Don Quijote store, and wander through Omoide Yokocho alley.

TeamLab Borderless Digital Art Museum

The museum was massive with tons of different rooms each with a unique digital art experience.

Akihabara – Electric Town

We got to electric town a little late so most of the stores that sold electronics, old games, etc were closed. Luckily the massive multi-level arcades were still open, so we spent the night gaming our butts off.

Meiji Jinju Shrine

Last time I was in Tokyo I visited the famous Senso-Ji temple, which was located in the center of the city and was really busy. This time we visited Meiji Jinju shrine which was located in the center of a large park. The area was peaceful and beautiful.

Shibuya

In Shibuya we visited the famous street crossing, Nonbei Yokocho alley, and of course the Nintendo Store.

What we ate

In Tokyo we ate many things. Notable things we had were conveyer belt sushi, Ichiran Ramen, a Final Fantasy themed restaurant, and last but certainly not least a Shabu Shabu restaurant where the broth was the cutest little bears.

Osaka

After a few days in Tokyo we flew to Hong Kong for one day. In the morning we flew back to Japan. This time we flew into Osaka. We had one day in Osaka and we spent it by visiting Kuromon Market during the day and Dotombori river walk area at night. In the afternoon we spent a few hours killing time at an animal cafe. Osaka is an amazing food city and we spent the whole day in each area snacking on all the amazing street food Osaka had to offer.

Kyoto

The next morning we hopped on the train from Osaka to Kyoto. We had a few days in Kyoto and we got to see the following:

Fushimi Inari Shrine

We spent our first day in Kyoto hiking to the top of the temple complex. The path to the top is lined with thousands of beautiful Tori gates.

In the afternoon we headed to the Gion district for some food. It has been some time since I’ve had cold soba buckwheat noodles. I love them.

After lunch we headed to the Yasaka Shrine witch was located in the Gion area. From there we walked to Kiyomizu-dera Temple along the famous walking path to seeing the amazing sites along the way.

After a long day of walking in the hot hot heat we headed to our beautiful air b&b. We booked a traditional Kyo-Machiya house which had a personal onsen the garden.

After a day of rest we headed to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto. Nearby the forest you can also visit the monkey park.

Our time in Japan has come to an end. Our last mission was to take the bullet train from Kyoto back to Tokyo to catch out flight. While on the train we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji.

I have been to Japan twice now and still have only scratched the surface. My one bit of advice would be to seriously consider skipping coming during the summer. This trip the heat was unbearable, and so I felt like I could not fully enjoy myself as I would if I was more comfortable. Overall the sites were amazing and I definitely would come back. Thank you for stopping by, and as always, Saif Travels!