I just finished a great trip; includes off the beaten path places, art museums, super fun bike rides, and plenty of sashimi and sake

Hi. I just came back from a two week trip. I lived in Osaka and Tokyo some years ago so this trip was really meeting up with old friends again and also going for some new adventures.

It’s so affordable now (if you have USD, which is strong against the yen). I ate and drank so well! I went to a lot of izakaya, tried various local and regional specialties (unagi around Hamamatsu, akafuku in Ise, for example). All for waaaayyyyy cheaper than what I spend at home in Philly or NYC.

I also did a bit of biking. In Japan you often get a mamachari, which is like “your momma’s chariot”, or a bike your Mom would ride. With a basket. But hey they’re fun for just cruising around! I’ve decided biking around the countryside is one of my favorite travel activities.

The main idea of this trip was:

* Tokyo – catch up with friends and visit my favorite hang out places and restaurants.
* Hamamatsu – I went to a beach at 7am, rented a bike, and biked around the Lake Hamana area. I took three trains, two buses, and a ferry to Ise. Yes obviously it takes longer than shinkansen to Nagoya, but this is the scenic route lol.
* Going to Ise was about Ise-jingu, of course.
* One night in Nabari. I wanted to see Akame 48, where there are a bunch of waterfalls.
* Nara – last time I was there was 19 years ago. I spent just one day doing the usual stuff in Nara-koen and two days doing a bunch of other things on the outskirts.
* Osaka – it was great to be back, but mainly I was there to get shinkansen back to Tokyo.

Some more details:

**Tokyo**

* I splurged and stayed at the Shiba Park Hotel. Shiba Park is near Hamamatsu-cho, which is easily accessible from Haneda via the monorail.
* I went to a Kanda matsuri (festival) that involved people parading around omikoshi (portable shrine). They’re really fun if you haven’t seen. While there, by chance I came upon a kabuki theater and an usher convinced me to buy a ticket. Really colorful and dramatic.
* I hit up some museum favorites such as the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Ebisu (I used to live across the street) and Ōta Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku (all ukiyo-e, which I love).
* Tip: if you are in Tokyo Station, have time to kill, and like art, there’s a gallery near the north gate. Currently it’s Japanese Paintings of Modern Osaka.

**Hamamatsu**

* Probably not on most people’s radar, it’s not a must-see city. I took a local train to Maisaka, walked to the ocean, walked around more, and found a bike rental place in Bentenjima.
* Biked up to Hamanako Garden Park. It’s all about flowers. Then biked farther up to Kanzanji-cho and ate some delicious unagi (eel).
* The city is not super exciting but the Museum of Musical Instruments is really cool. They have a room with instruments you can rock out on. I banged on a djembe and plucked a koto.
* As part of the scenic route to Ise, I took trains and buses out to Irago, then ferry across to Toba, and local Kintetsu train up to Ise.

**Ise**

* Stayed in a ryokan near the train station. The main thing here is Ise-jingu, the most sacred shrine in Japan, the holiest of holies. Took advantage of lingering jet lag to wake up early and get in at 6am. It opens at 5!
* The early morning hours are great. The main strip leading up to Geku wasn’t that crowded even in the afternoon, although the main strip outside Naiku – okage yokocho – started to get busy after 9am.

**Nabari**

* A small town in Mie-ken. I had always heard about Akame 48, where there are supposedly 48 waterfalls. The day was totally rained out. I took a local train and then bus to the visitors center but the rain wasn’t letting up. I had a long chat with a friendly young Japanese guy who worked there. He doesn’t see many visitors lately so I think he was glad for the opportunity to chat.

**Nara**

* Stayed at a guest house near Nara-machi. This area is so cool – some tourists visit but still very local. Great for strolling around and checking out the shops. I did the usual Nara Park stuff for one day – Daibutsu, Nara National Museum, etc.
* I rented a bike and headed out to Toshodai-ji and Yakushi-ji. It’s a slight trek but there’s a small river you can bike along which was cool.
* I tried and failed to finish the yama-no-be-no-michi (“mountain area path”), as detailed in the LP book. I started too late and it was too hot. There are sign posts here and there but notably lacking where there are some forks in the road. You start from Tenri station and takes at least 30 minutes walking just to get to the start of the trail. Better planning next time.

**Osaka**

* Stayed at APA Hotel in Umeda, rented a bike and went out to the aquarium. That’s a bit of a slog but still worth it. At night walked around the usual places like Shinsaibashi, Ame-mura, etc.
* I had time to kill before catching the shinkansen back to Tokyo so I rented a bike from the Shin-Osaka station and biked along the Yodo River. It’s so nice – wide paths and great scenery.
* Tip: I was reminded of how confusing it is to navigate Umeda on the street. Don’t bother. If you have to find a station or something, go underground and follow the signs!

Some expenses (USD):

* Airfare: $1500
* Hotel: $1200
* Food and drink: $700, which is simply amazing. And I ate so well!
* Transportation: $325
* Various activities: $300

My takeaway: after traveling in many places, I continue to find that some of the best experiences are those unplanned. Any trip requires plans obviously, but with a little luck and a traveler’s intuition, I’m getting better at arriving at those fun spontaneous moments.

Ask me any questions. Thanks for reading.