I returned to Tokyo in preparation for my flight home to LAX. This trip has been good for me as I was able to truly relax and recover from my busy life. My only regret is that I wish my girlfriend could have joined me on this adventure. So, what to do on my last day? I started with a walk through the Asakusa area. I wanted to see the Kaminarimon, with its...
For my second day in Tokyo, I decided to go do some serious walking at Ueno park (mainly to work off all that curry I ate the day before). It was a little bit overcast, but the temperatures were nice. For being in the middle of a metropolis, this place sure is peaceful. I met up with my friends once again and we decided to have some Okonomiyaki (cabbage...
Somewhere around July 4th there was a sale on Delta.com for Asia travel. While I had not planned a trip to Japan, the price of a round trip ticket popped up as $760. Having seen recent prices in a range of 1200-1500 I just couldn’t resist. So…おかえりなさい (Okaerinasai – Welcome Back). My big plans for this trip include a little time in Tokyo to...
Last week I had a semi-planned work trip to Singapore get approved. This left me scrambling to book flights and hotels. I lucked out with my flight planning and was able to take a day long layover in Japan. Last year at this time I was able to get in a little cherry blossom viewing. I’ve still not seen it at it’s peak bloom, but am getting closer. My hope...
Most of the time when I tell people I am visiting Japan they get the wrong impression that all of Japan is Anime, Video games, and other general weirdness. If I took you off the plane, blindfolded you, and only let you see the following area, you would probably believe it. I am speaking of an area called Akihabara, home of the Akiba Electric Town. I like this place...
I spent my first 3 days alone in my usual spot. Asakusa is a district in the Taito ward of the Metropolis of Tokyo. I discovered a few good hostels here during a trip in 2009. Hotels in Tokyo are expensive, usually around $300 a night. While I can budget, save, and afford such accommodations, I prefer staying at Hostels for 1/10th the price and avoid the opportunity...
I’m back in Japan (or Nipon as the locals call it). No work this time my friends. It’s time for vacation. I believe this is my 6th trip to Japan. Why do I keep going back? Mostly I enjoy the food, transportation system, and quite a few friends I have made over the years. This trip represents a new idea i’ve wanted to try for nearly a decade. I took...
If you know me, you know I love traveling to Japan. I took my first trip in 2008, went back in 2009 for a friend’s wedding, and took my first travel companion in 2013. Japan holds a place near and dear to my heart as I have made many friends there as well as it was one of my first huge (or series of) culture shocks which kicked off my deep desire for travel. As...