Trip report: Osaka, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Sendai 4/22 – 5/4

I feel like I was in Japan for a month. Japan was a wonderful experience for me. This was my 2nd visit (previous in 2018), and I was slightly concerned I’d find it less interesting, but I was mistaken. I’m hopeful you can use my research and experience for your trip(with google map links). I’m a self-proclaimed foodie. Japan is FULL of amazing food, so go experience it. Google reviews of restaurants are harsher than in the US, so a 3.x review, might still have amazing food. Waiting in a line is typically worth it.

# Osaka

I stayed at [Moxy Hotel Honmachi](https://goo.gl/maps/9YqPEZewHjsw95DXA). This was my favorite hotel in Japan. Proper amenities for a travel including on site laundromat(reasonable priced), a lively 24 hour lounge and bar with reasonable priced drinks. 2 blocks from subway station.

Kuromon Fish Market – I really enjoyed my time at the market. It was slightly touristy, but it was fun to see the amazing variety of seafood in Japan. I stopped at a stand selling tuna, I picked out the piece of tuna I wanted from a cooler, then a chef made it into sashimi and sushi right in front of me. I think the prices are a bit higher, but I enjoyed the whole experience. [Kurogin Tuna Store](https://goo.gl/maps/Ssg8DJQHJrENTUkC6)

I also had a skewer of Kobe Beef which was fantastic, although too expensive.

And Strawberries: Mochi, Candy covered, and plain. Yum yum yum.

[Dotonbori](https://goo.gl/maps/dbPMyt1AKshZifAw9) \- I really enjoyed it here, especially at night. There are lots of lights and felt very Japanese. One of the nights I was there, there was a girl band singing in front of the Glico Man sign, which was fun to watch/listen. I enjoyed walking through the side streets looking for food and drinks. There are many restaurants to pick from, and the prices were generally reasonable. The Takoyaki was amazing.

[teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka](https://goo.gl/maps/A7t8Ey5ZVdUWzATh7). – A reddit post mentioned this place, and I really enjoyed it a lot. Especially after a few days in Osaka dealing with people. It’s in the gardens, has nice music playing pretty much everywhere, and the light show is beautiful. I really enjoyed this place.

**Shopping:**

I like shopping in Japan, there is so much unusual tech, gadgets, crafts, and with a lot more variety than anything in the US. You can bump into shopping streets nearly everywhere you go, including an enormous mall at the Osaka-Umeda train station, which is where Nintendo and Pokémon are. The Nintendo store was really busy when I went, and it made the experience challenging. I bought some stuff, and enjoyed it, but expect to wait, and wait, and wait. The Pokémon store required a wait of at least an hour to get in, and then probably as long to check out, and after the Nintendo store, I was out of patience, and found some dinner.

[Nakazachico area](https://goo.gl/maps/kTyp6DyE8AEFNdFH9) was a nice treat. I really enjoyed walking the alleyways filled with small shops and cafes.

**Food:**

[Hi,KI](https://goo.gl/maps/Cagnn8vzTd8VXqGr7) \- Fish broth ramen. OMG. I’m sad I only had one chance to eat here once. It was a random shop I walked by and stopped in because I was hungry. One of my favorite meals in Osaka.

[楽之助](https://goo.gl/maps/Ed61tgYiyAdgsSdGA)(Rakunosuke)- Szechwan food. Owner was fun, spoke some English. Local crowd, most of whom go there to smoke, drink, and chat with owner. Great service and excellent food. I had the house special, Mapo, which was a tofu dish served in a hot pot. You get to choose the spice level. I ordered sushi too, which was swimming in a tank 2 minutes before it was served to me. An excellent experience.

# Hiroshima

I stayed at [Mielparque Hiroshima](https://goo.gl/maps/gXpGV8zYxv9mJpHy5). It was acceptable, but kind of old fashioned. My room smelled of stale cigarettes. I’d stay elsewhere if you have the option.

Hiroshima is a great town. I was there for only 24 hours, and saw excellent but limited things.

[Atomic dome](https://goo.gl/maps/Ctks8K1CsU4dZVYXA) and [Peace Park and Museum](https://goo.gl/maps/RD9tdLX9zGGz5Phk9). – These are powerful and beautiful places, and I enjoyed them a lot. I spent about 2 hours total here. I did not read every exhibit at the museum, but very much enjoyed the experience.

I also took the [high speed ferry](https://goo.gl/maps/CP1F2hibCXwtn48U9) from Peace Park to Miyajimacho.

[Miyajimacho](https://goo.gl/maps/kbQ1H2Y4dqGvp5Ut6) is very touristy and very beautiful. I avoided the shops and nearby shrine, and I took the ropeways(gondolas) up to the top of the mountain and climbed to the summit. About 45 minutes of a reasonably challenging hike from the top of the ropeway to the summit. The views were amazing. I passed some very old and beautiful Buddhist shrines/temples. If I had more time, I would have hiked all the way down to the port from the summit of the mountain.

One of my best food experiences ever in my life was in Hiroshima was at [Tsuru Sushi](https://goo.gl/maps/QVWoeU4WfxDR5kxF8), a small sushi joint run by a 75 year old couple. It was a fantastic experience, and I’d highly recommend. The sushi was great. The experience was better. I felt like I was transported back to the restaurant as it existed 50 years ago and felt like I was Anthony Bourdain. I will never forget this experience, and am so grateful to have had it. The menu is basically 3 prices, and a list of beer and saki(hot or cold). I got the 2500 yen meal and added a few cold sakes, which was more than enough food.

# Tokyo

Wow I love Tokyo.

I stayed at[Shibuya Excel Tokyu](https://goo.gl/maps/Fk5ev2qgWC3ML8gy5). It was close location to Shibuya station and had a nice view. The downside was the cost. Although I had a positive experience, I’d recommend a less expensive place. Golden Week increased the price as well.

**Food:**

I enjoyed the food at the places I listed here. Please don’t consider this to be a be-all/end-all list, rather, just some places a self-proclaimed foodie loved. There is so much food in Tokyo, go experience it.

[Oreryu Shio-ramen Shibuya-main store](https://goo.gl/maps/nmp8BScfsVEgG2kh9) – the special is ramen with fried chicken. You choose the broth type, miso or tonkatsu, with or without spicy, and the firmness of the noodles.

[Fuungi](https://goo.gl/maps/VSPiwGwQvJP1fEnS9) – I got the special Tsukamen(dipping noodles), which included marinated egg, seaweed and pork. You can choose from regular or large portion of noodles (at no extra charge). This was fantastic. I waited in line for about 20 minutes, which was worth it.

[Sei Zan](https://goo.gl/maps/XvFmgWhVCGb6EhtXA) \- No English menus, but I think you just need to order the chefs special. Use google translate. It was fantastic! About $125/person with drinks. The sushi was curated, ordered from lightest flavor to strongest. The rice was pre-seasoned with soy sauce and other seasonings, which I understand is a very old method of preparing sushi. No soy sauce was provided, everything was seasoned perfectly. They open at 17:00. Go early and get a spot at the bar.

[Uogashi Nihon-Ichi](https://goo.gl/maps/KkXxUmaieJa5nfMs8) – Stand up sushi Bar. This place is pretty fun. It’s small, and there are 2 or 3 sushi chefs working behind a small counter. You can point to what you want on the menu, and in seconds, the chef prepares the sushi and places it on a banana leaf in front of you.

[Gyukatsu Motomura Harajuku](https://goo.gl/maps/7TjaG9nVP1dVGW8Z6) – Beef katsu. I waited in line for about 30 minutes and it was worth it. They serve Beef Katsu, which is a deep fried beef cutlet, served very rare. The outside is crisp, but the steak is basically raw. There is a tiny grill at the table, and you finish the steak as you like, adding rock salt, and/or using one of 3 dipping sauces. I was so happy with this meal. J

**Other Stuff I did:**

[Takadanobaba Mikado Game Center](https://goo.gl/maps/ZQAsfb39VfNMwnXZ9) – I had a lot of fun here. Tons of old video games! I played Michael Jackson Thriller, hahaha, street fighter, racing games, among other things. Lots of retro video games. They were doing a street fighter tournament streamed on twitch when I was there.

[Super Potato](https://goo.gl/maps/5vuYZvxK9n8oAvn17) – This was a fun walk down memory lane, with an absurd number of retro video games from 80’s, 90’s, 00’s.

[G-Cans (Underground Temple)](https://goo.gl/maps/EyFFvqqXpSihRVLG9) \- This place an underground reservoir for the pumping station. A big system of tunnels is used to divert flood waters into the reservoir where it is then pumped into the Edo river. It’s a MASSIVE system which has been effective at preventing flooding since 2006. The tour goes down 30m+ into a man made cavern, used to regulate pumping stored water into the Edo River. Don’t’ go on Monday, as the tour is more limited, and it will be closed during any flooding. I’m an engineer and was fascinated with this place.. An interpreter is needed, as there is no English tour, although, my interpreter wasn’t able to describe the technical items being described very well. But it didn’t matter. They have an English brochure, and I was absolutely fascinated with the experience. 60 minute tour, and it takes about 45 minutes each way from Shibuya. A cab is recommended to get from train station to site, as it is about a 2-3 mile walk.

[Odibya](https://goo.gl/maps/bUdzPZL6u2DnZe677) \- I was in Odaiba on Constitution day, part of golden week, and there were several festivals going on, which were so much fun!! The first I stopped at was a German Oktoberfest! There was a Japanese band playing the Chicken Dance, Prost, Neil Diamond, Queen and more. They were serving beer in glasses filled with mandarin oranges and other fruit. And people were eating sausages and sauerkraut with chopsticks. It was full of intoxicated Japanese having a great time. Although it was askew of Oktoberfest (in may, with chopsticks, and mandarin oranges in beer, and Japan accents in German songs), it was so much fun.

There was also a Latin America fest, with taco trucks and margaritas.

I saw the huge Unicorn Gundam statute, as well as the mini statue of liberty, and watched the sunset at the beach. I enjoyed every moment here.

I also went to [Tokyo Joyopolis](https://goo.gl/maps/yiB2dguHE2kZuqDm8) with my friend. Because it was Golden Week, the lines were super long, but this was fun. About a dozen interactive games, a roller coaster, among other stuff. I played the Storm-G game, which is a race game in a futuristic car that spins 360degrees upside down. I had a great time here. It’s basically an indoor amusement park with interactive video games.

[Kento’s](https://goo.gl/maps/UuxpPrCJMXWGSdCQ8) \- A Japanese friend of mine took me here. I would have never gone on my own, and I’m so glad I went. There is an 8 or 10 piece band, and play 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s American music. There are dozens of intoxicated Japanese people dancing to the oldies(which is basically a Wisconsin wedding). I also felt like I may have been on a Japanese cruise ship. What I loved about the experience was I was the only tourist in the place! I got to see how a some of the locals partied, and got to listen to a talented Japanese band sing lyrics that were slightly not correct. I had so much fun.

[Bic Camera](https://goo.gl/maps/fcZMwNiAVk9Pc4Gv9), [Yodobashi Camera](https://goo.gl/maps/trDq9pseKid2ZC3w6) \- These stores are basically if Amazon. com had a retail outlet. So much fun. It was like a toy store for big kids, with an entire floor of a kids toy store!

[Shibuya Sky](https://goo.gl/maps/Kd7DQrQcGc1afo9E9) – Rooftop observatory. This place exceeded my expectations. Make a reservation. I’d recommend doing this at sunset time. I booked too late, so I had to go during the morning, but fortunately it was a clear day. I could see Mt Fuji in the distance, as well as the entire city. They limit attendance, so there was plenty of room to walk around when I was there. I waited about 30 minutes for a picture at the corner of the deck. Some great photo ops all over. I enjoyed seeing Tokyo from high up, and really appreciating the size and density of the city.

[CupNoodle Museum.](https://goo.gl/maps/CXWQic3kcaH8zFGh6) This was a very fun experience. I made my own Cup Noodles, and walked through the museum, which is very minimalist, but very fun, especially if you have kids with you. If you go, I’d recommend planning other events in Yokohama. I highly recommend designing your own cup noodle. At the museum they take something so simple and turn it into a really fun experience. You can spend about an hour there. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from Shibuya.

[Nikka Distillery near Sendai.](https://goo.gl/maps/hxU7s8nSvLvc3puBA) This was one of my favorite days, especially since Nikka Whiskey (Coffey Malt) is my favorite! I took Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai(about 70 minute ride), and then a train from Sendai to Sakunami. Since it was Golden Week, there was a shuttle bus from the train station to the distillery. However, it is only about 1 mile walk, and the countryside is beautiful. I did not have an interpreter, and I’d recommend one if you can. They have an audio guide in English, which offers 30-45 second clips about each part of the tour, however, the guide obviously had a lot more to say as in the 30-minute tour, he spoke continuously. You get to see most of the distillery, except the Coffey Still. The highlight of the tour is the tasting, where you get to sample a variety of whiskeys, many of which are limited items, and only available at the distillery. The distillery is in the mountains, and is wildly beautiful. I would do this again, ideally not alone, and stay at a nearby Ryokan/Onsen, or stay in Sendai. Sendai is a very nice city, with a lots of activities, foods, etc. I highly recommend making a reservation at the distillery. The reservations person spoke enough English to make the reservation. Check the train schedules in and out of Sukunami, as this is a pretty rural area, and the train only comes about once every 1 – 2 hours.

Last, there are a few services I used I found very useful. There are alternatives to what I used, but I just did not try them.

Suica card is super useful. If you use iPhone, it’s easy to add to your wallet, even before you travel to Japan. You can add funds via credit card, and can use the card for subway/local transport, 7-11, Family Mart, and many other places. I never waited in line for a ticket and I was able to just tap my phone to enter and exit the train/subway systems.

I did not do the JR Pass this time. It was golden week, and I didn’t expect to be travelling by train as much as I did. I just booked online and got reserved seats, because the rest of the train was crowded. I was able to add my JR Rail tickets to my Suica card too, so I didn’t have to wait to get a ticket at the train station. If you need the card number for eSuica card to add tickets to it, you have to download the Suica app, which is in Japanese, but if you click around, there is a link to the card number. I did one train with a gran class ticket, and I don’t think it was worth the extra cost.

I used the Ubigi app to add an esim on my iPhone. It was $17 for 10Gb at 5G speeds when available. I was in Japan mostly during Golden Week, so it was extra busy. I sometimes had slightly slower speeds. I’m a techy nerd, and get grumpy with bad cell service…this was 100% acceptable 95% of the time.

Let me know if you have questions, and hope you enjoy your trip!