On the train to Kyoto, a strange space creature was birthed from a strange egg. I then bestowed the name of the one who will one day incite terror upon the universe, Jimmy. However, for now, Jimmy remains a weak being incapable of self reliance. For now, he hides within the world of my phone where I feed him food. I also used a special training technique called playing catch in order to prepare him for his future conquests.
While not impressive yet, Jimmy’s stats will soon greatly improve to become the strongest… hopefully.
Note: There are less photos today due to many locations restricting photography (I also left my phone at the hotel lmao)
The day began with a meditation at a temple led by a monk. 2 – 15 minute meditation sessions were held. I enjoyed the first 5 minutes before my legs started hurting. This was overall a pleasant experience to start the morning, however, I could have done without the second session.
After that, everyone else got up and left me behind. How embarrassing…for them. Freed from the clutches of the group I had my newfound freedom at last. No one could stop me from finding a new bus… and then I ran into Steve. Returning back to the bus was my only option.
The next stop was a temple where over 1,000 golden statues were held. It is said that you will be able to see yourself in at least one of them. I definitely saw myself in the small Mushu like dragon.
Next, we returned to the old streets of Tokyo where we walked around to see various smaller shrines and gardens. We circled back to participate in a tea ceremony where we made matcha green tea and learned the proper etiquette in a ceremony.
The group then made our way to Nishiki market where we had lunch. It was very crowded so some of us had lunch at Wendys. I got pesto pasta with shrimp and avocado along with both sets of Tokyo Revengers combo meals. On our way back to rest at the hotel, I also got the legendary Lawson’s socks which are rumored to me the most comfortable sock money can buy.
After a much needed rest, we went bowling at round 1 where I ordered special vocaloid themed drinks and dominated the competition.
There were also various arcade games. I gravitated toward the rhythm games where had we not had to get up early, would have stayed there all night.
That’s all for today. Tomorrow we go to Hiroshima.
Day 3 was an action packed day filled with sightseeing some of the most famous sites in Kyoto. After a quick boxed breakfast at 7, everyone was on the bus fully oriented with our guide by 8:30. Our first stop was Kinkakuji. I knew that it was going to be crowded, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and I got a few good pictures. The ticket was also an item to keep in your doorway to bring good fortune.
There were also places where you threw money into a small hole. If your coin made it into the hole, it would bring you good luck, which I did. Will I be extra lucky in my future?
Next, we went to the Tenryuji temple and bamboo forest. The forest was really pretty, but a little crowded.
The nearby river
Afterwards, we had lunch at a small karaage shop. I also got shaved ice for desert.
More strawberry than a strawberry
After lunch, we went to the Kiyomizudera temple and the historic area leading up to it. This was the iconic Kyoto that I had been looking for.
Last on the tour was my favorite place, Fushimi Inari shrine. I will definitely be coming here on my free day.
We quickly proceeded to an anime screening of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.
We ended the day with dinner at the food court where I bought Indian food where the naan was not Japanese size.
For the first time, I was able to sleep in until 8! Previously, I had been waking up at 5 or earlier. We made our way to a bakery where I ate french toast and other bake goods. I also had a delicious smoothie and tried yuzu juice.
After, we checked out of our hotel and split up into groups. I was a part of a large group that went to the aquarium that was attached to the mall connected to our hotel. We were immediately welcomed by a swing boat type ride which we of course had to try.
While many of the earlier exhibits were more sparse and appeared to create a flashy vibe opposed to showcasing the animals, there were some interesting animals there.
This fish looks like he is eating sand.
Some of the later exhibits featured larger animals.
However, the most impressive exhibit by far was the penguin one (no biases here). I’ve never seen a penguin exhibit featuring different species of penguins in one exhibit space. They had King, Gentoo, African, and the rare Northern Rockhopper penguin native to only a few remote islands in the middle of the Atlantic. Truly a treat to see!
There was also an otter show where the otter did various tricks such as sorting garbage, speaking, and eating a shrimp larger than its head. However, we had to leave before seeing the penguin show in order to get to Kyoto…
I had to buy a bag from my favorite anime of all time, Pingu. A true masterpiece.
After riding the Shinkansen and playing more Hearthstone, we were greeted by KCG staff in Kyoto. They kindly guided us to a restaurant where we were treated to a traditional 10 course meal (+desert). This was a very new experience for many and not all of the food was everyone’s favorites, however, this was an amazing experience to experience the foods of a different culture. Personally, this compared to the Chinese banquet dinners that my extended family puts together for Chinese New Years so I was willing to try most foods. Familiar foods of Tempura, Sashimi and Sushi were also served following ice cream for desert. We also had the opportunity of making sushi under the direction of the head chef where I went first and had a great amount of difficulty putting on my glove (and ripped it). All things considered, I think I did a decent job.
We made our way to our hotel afterwards and am about to retire for the night as of the writing of this. Stay tuned, the Kyoto action has only just begun!
My journey started in San Francisco where my flight to Haneda airport started at 12 pm. The flight was overall pretty smooth with the exception of having the middle seat… At least I bought the wifi which was definitely worth the $18 for the whole flight. The flight was filled with me starting Honkai: Star Rail and competitive games of Hearthstone.
Upon arriving, I successfully navigated the train system to get to the hotel I booked (since I got to Tokyo early). However, I took the wrong exit out of the station and ended up in the backstreets of Roppongi where I wandered through a park. It would have been a much more welcome experience had it not been raining…
The next day, I went to Asakusa where apparently the Sanja Matsuri (festival) was happening. Supposedly, this is one of the largest festivals in Tokyo! I met with Belle and Megan who happened to be visiting on the same day. Jessica joined us later. I also got a drew a fortune in which I got a regular one. The festival was busy at first, however, by 2 pm the crowd became unbearable and we decided to split up.
Later that day I met with my dad who was on a layover and we went to the Rainbow Bridge (which there were no rainbows to be found. What a scam!). However, walking across the bay to Daiba was really pretty at night. However, the bridge was very windy and there was a lot of walking involved so by the time I got back we were exhausted. Next time I would like to take one of those ferries on the water.
From here, you can see both Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree if you look closely.
The next morning my dad and I went to the Tsukiji fish market and had sushi for breakfast. However, the restaurant was really crowded and busy in the morning so I didn’t get any good pictures. For a Sunday, where the fish market was supposed to be closed, there were still many shops open and people moving about. I did also find a sushi vending machine… Not sure how good it would be though…
My dad and I said our goodbyes and I went to drop off my bags at the hotel. Later that day we went to a hololive event in Akihabara.
Lastly, the day ends with us exchanging our train ticket vouchers and having a meal at the food court at the hotel where I got one of my favorite foods, Kitsune Udon (udon with sweet fried tofu). I can’t wait for what’s to come!
