I got a great opportunity to travel to Japan for solid 3 weeks on business. So that means 1) Mr. Travels was tagging along and 2) weekends were filled with getaway trips with packed schedules and sleepy eyes on Shinkansen.
Nagasaki
There was no easy way to get there by train, so we hopped onto a plane to Fukuoka then rode train from Fukuoka to Nagasaki. Our hotel was a tatami style place on top of the hill overlooking the town across the Uragami river. When the moon was up and starts were shiny, it was magical to look out of the window.
Chawanmushi (top left in the picture) is a traditional Japanese dish, and we went to Yosso to check it out. I was in love with the silky and creamy texture, and delicious surprises or shrimp and fish at the bottom of the bowl, while Mr. Travels was not a big fan. Well, he liked the pork belly (3pm in the picture). :)
Both of us still don't quite get the top right dish - it contains steamed rice at the bottom, and egg-taste strings, and dried fish pieces and flakes. You normally stir it all together and eat it. If you know more about this dish, its origin or special stories behind it, let us know!
Atomic Bomb museum was a must on this trip. It was depressing and shocking. You see the dramatic photos, and touching videos, and we truly hope no such thing happen again and there's so much each country can do to contribute to the world peace. Almost towards the end of the exhibition, I spotted Hanford's name in our Washington state. It is a decommissioned nuclear production complex, and here are the two facts about it: 1) the plutonium manufactured at the site was used in Fat Man, the bomb detonated over Nagasaki, Japan (where we were!). 2) Hanford is currently the most contaminated nuclear site in the United States according to Wikipedia.
Kyoto
Hello Shinkansen.
And hello, delicious dinner on Shinkansen. To be honest, yummy meals and endless snacks made our train rides much more enjoyable, especially on our Hokkaido trip (blog to come!).
You know it was color changing season for the leaves and it would be crowded in the Golden Temple and Bamboo Garden, but you would still go, right? Yes of course, we thought the same! :| The view and architecture were spectacular, but the noisy and chaotic touristy scene made it a bit hard for me to seek that inner peace walking around.
Passing by street vendors who had stewed fish to offer?!
Two weeks in Japan, and I still haven't got a proper green tea dessert. And here's this beauty that I got after nagging Mr. Travels until he agreed he was on a mission to search for a dessert place walking on Kyoto street. It was ice cream, grass jelly, mochi, more ice cream, more cake, red bean and chestnut paste. Hmmm, can I get this after dinner every day please?
Osaka
Train from Kyoto to Osaka is only half an hour, and every 15 minutes. If I were live in Osaka, I'd go to Kyoto for a walk around temples or a dessert run every weekend. And if I were live in Kyoto, I'd go to Osaka every weekend for a urban hike, or a delicious Izakaya.
It was so fun to eat by the kitchen where we saw big pot of food were bubbling. Our friend in Osaka took us on a treat and apparently this style was a tradition in the past at Japanese home when mom and grandma cooked in the kitchen. My favorite was mochi! Savory mochi wrapped in tofu pocket and tied with a piece of bamboo shoot. So entirely edible!
A post-dinner stroll, and we saw this cutie walking in the mall. :)
Osaka Castle was one of my favorite spots in Japan. It was like a massive park with trails, a lake, hills, and a castle on top of the hill. Local people were jogging, families were having picnics, and tourists were.... taking pictures.
The skyline of Osaka was fantastic.
Kobe
To me, it is not right to go to Japan without going to Kobe. And it is not right to go to Kobe without splurging on a Kobe steak dinner. Thanks to our friend who helped us book this restaurant a month ago, we were able to get in with two other guests. Yep, their lunch time was only open for four guest, because they wanted every one of us to have the best time.
During our 2-hours dinning experience, I lost count of how many people knocked on the door but being turned down by the greeting lady with a 90 degree bow. So please make reservations guys! If nobody picks up the phone, leave a message and they will call you back!
Good looking appetizer.
And even more good looking kobe beef. We ordered medium well, and it was quite pink to me. So I can't quite image the tastes of the medium rare kobe the other couple ordered. (Oon't judge us medium well peeps)
Our chef was very particular.
I was full half way into the steak dinner, and Mr. Travels were gladly taking on the challenge. No leftovers, for sure. On the way to the waterfront, we passed by the famous toy vending machines. I think Mr. Travel got at least 20 of them from different cities throughout our 3.5 week stay in Japan. Seriously.
It was a fun walk through the Kawasaki museum, and who would knew they were involved in 767,777, and 787 aircraft design and production with Boeing. They are also the hero in Shinkansen, helicopter, H-II rocket and many more. So don't ever think "Oh that's the motorcycle company!".
If Tokyo is New York, then Kobe reminds me a lot of Seattle. It was not as hustle and bustle, but has its own charm.
