Japan

[Drunk Monk]

I can’t believe o bought another pair of shoes.
My daughter is rubbing off on me…

[Drunk Monk]

Yesterday we planned to be a chill day. But it wasn’t. We slept in, then had breakfast at a pancake house (Japanese pancakes are soufflé style making the like an inch think and super fluffy). I had the cream cheese stuffed ones and a bit of a disappointed cafe mocha. 

We visited some random temple which was empty because it was early. It was nice. There are so many temples in this area - dozens. We only poked into this one to warm up and passed many of the others by.

We went to the bunny temple which was tiny and sweet. Not many people there so we hung out for a while to savor the vibe. 

We visited Tozando - the leading distributor of Iaido, Kendo, & Myudo gear. It reminded me of AFS back in the day, cluttered piles mysteriously organized and a mildly uninterested staff. Upstairs there was a display of antiques for sale, swords & armor. The most expensive one was ¥4m. I got their new book on sword, one for me and one for my sensei, and a sageo that is bright orange (it was cheaper and a lot of temples are orange). 

We peeked into budoken, a historic martial school. Gorgeous dojo, the finest ever.

Stopped in a guitar shop because Tara was looking for a gift but we don’t know anything about guitars so we just ogled the nice ones. There was like over a hundred guitars in there.

We made a brutally hot trek to the imperial palace, which was even more walking, all on pea rock. It was like a sauna. I haven’t sweated so much in my life. It was nice, commanding but sterile. There was a designated path.

Then we had lunch at yet another vegan cafe that overlooked the river. Tara had a Buddha bowl and I went for the curry. It was a hearty meal.

We hopped the train to the torii temple, which was kitune themed, which delighted us both. That was impressive. So many torii, winding up the mountain trails. We didn’t go to the top, just the first loop. 

We returned to the hotel to recoup, then when out for more shopping and dinner. I bought these dragon dress shoes from an artisan maker that I just could not resist. Then we had dinner at that place that we didn’t get into last night, a gourmet vegan place that was tiny (only seated 7 at a bar). Japan has a tradition of Shojin ryori (sp?) which promotes the vegan diet. It was an incredible meal, served in multiple courses. 

After that we did a little more shopping, then back to the hotel to crash.

12.6 miles

Today we move to a guest house on the other side of Kyoto.

[thatguy]

Here's what you're missing back home...I just learned that McDonald's, Sanrio and Toho have teamed up to make Happy Meal toys:

https://mcmenutalk.com/hello-kitty-x-god...ion-guide/

McDonald’s Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal Toys: Complete 8-Toy Collection Guide 
Mc Menu Talk Editorial Team
5 days ago



McDonald's is bringing together two very different fan worlds with its upcoming Hello Kitty and Friends × Godzilla Happy Meal collaboration.

The limited-time collection is expected to launch at participating McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. on August 18, 2026, with eight Sanrio characters reimagined as famous Godzilla monsters. The full lineup has already generated significant discussion among Godzilla and Sanrio fans on Reddit, including collectors who say they want to get the entire set.

--tg

[Drunk Monk]

I knew about that. All US kaiju fans know. To me, it’s an abomination what they’ve done to my beloved King Ghidorah.

Just got out of my first real onsen. Just when I thought I couldn’t sweat anymore. I am still sweating. I’m in the cooling parlour, drinking a chilled Qoo (yummy!) and watching baseball on TV.

[Drunk Monk]

Yesterday began with us checking out Kannin-ji, which had an area where we had to take off our shoes to see the inner temple chambers. Those had a lot of famous murals including some dragons and the wind and thunder gods, which I’ve seen in books. 

Then Tara went to make a ring from a coin. They said people often make them from coins where they hope to visit, so she made one from a S. Korean coin from her birth year. It came out really nice.

Then we left Gion for Kita ward. The AirB&B guesthouse is over a century old, beautifully decorated with traditional art, with funky architecture like a staircase that’s more of a ladder and low ceiling beams between rooms which are thoughtfully padded because I would’ve knocked myself out several times already with out that.

I crashed hard - I had a nap nightmare that I was being flattened by a giant iron. I fell asleep so fast that I neglected to turn on the AC. But it was good to get some rest. Tara spent the time strategizing our stay here.

When I woke we made a snack run to 7/11. Tried about of unique food offerings there. It’s the epitome of convenient. How the brand lost its way in the US  is beyond me. Here it’s so next level. The open hours for most restaurants is very limited so the 24 hour convenience stores fill the gap. Tara actually read the instructions for the onigir and it turns out I’ve been opening them wrong all this time. If you do it properly, the rice lands in the seaweed wrap perfectly. People must’ve watched me do it wrong and thought ‘dumb tourist’

It started to rain again, not as hard as the typhoon earlier but significant. Fortunately the guesthouse provides umbrellas. We went to a real onsen. It was filled with locals and a few other tourists. Multiple tubs, including an outdoors section (Tara said the female side had a koi pond; the male side was built with rocks). Admission grants you unlimited time, plus we got towels & soap for less that $9 each. The tubs wer hot. One was electrified. The sauna was extremely hot. I went in for about 2 minutes and it broke me. I started to get dizzy and had to leave. I went out and poured cold water over myself at one of the showering stations but couldn’t get back into any of the tubs after that sauna, so I did more cold water and left to the cooling down lounge. I got some drink from the vending machine (sort of an apple soda) and watching baseball on tv with some locals. Tara came out about 5-10 mins later. We both really enjoyed it although after walking in the heat all this time, it got intense for me.

Only 6.5 miles. A restorative day.

[thatguy]

Have you seen Thermae Romae Novae on Netflix? 



(I thought I reviewed the series, but I can't find the post). Episodes are short and few. It's about an ancient Roman architect that specializes in Roman Baths. In each episode, he gets knocked on the head while bathing and ends up in present day Japan where he learns everything he can about them and takes the ideas back with him to ancient Rome. The stories and animation aren't great, but at the end of each episode, there's an installment of the author's travelogue as she visits various little hamlets in Japan known for their special style bath. You can see a list of covered locations (both ancient roman and modern japan) here:

https://animemap.seikas.com/en/series/thermaeromae/

--tg

[Drunk Monk]

I started to watch that but it didn’t do it for me
No sword fights
And given the context, if there were sword fights, I prolly wouldn’t watch it.

[Drunk Monk]

Another rest day. The guest house we’re in is so nice plus there’s an intense thunderstorm right now. We got caught in the rain fetching take out dinner earlier. After eating, there was a break zone went out again, trying to find a panda dessert place, but it was booked solid, so we came back. Got in just before the storm broke again. Thunder and lightning and a heavy downpour.

Earlier today we made it out to the golden pavilion, which I knew from the Mishima story. It’s another UNESCO world heritage site. It was spectacular, as were the paths around it, but it was mobbed by tourists and hellishly hot and humid. At one point, I looked at my forearm and it was covered with sweat beads. Tara saw it too and thought I got sprayed. She got me a pocari sweat and said I was losing too much water. 

We also explored a nearby temple complex but didn’t bother to go into the separate inner sanctums. It’s tough to beat the golden pavilion. 

We wandered somewhat aimlessly about Kita ward. This is a more suburban area so resources, like restaurants and shops are harder to find. But we’re doing ok. 

We had planned to go to Arashima today, but Tara slept poorly last night and I was somewhat gassed out from trying to keep up with her, plus the heat and humidity. We’ll likely attempt Arashima tomorrow.

Only 6.1 miles today and my feet are so grateful.

[Drunk Monk]

We started today with our first bus ride, which turned out to be easy. We had planned to take a boat but the waters were too high from the storms last night so only the white water boats were running and that wasn’t on our dance card (if it wasn’t safe for regular boats, why would it be safe for white watering?) we made it to Arashiyama, which is famous for its bamboo forest. The temple garden is another UNESCO World Heritage site and the main hall has the most magnificent dragon murals. We took the less travelled paths in the garden, up the hillside, and found some solace and peace there. Then we went to the bamboos grove which is notorious for being packed with tourists. But tourists don’t come this time of year because it’s in the 90s with humidity about the same. So it was very pleasant, except for an Italian couple who was having an argument right smack in the middle of the path. Fortunately a koto busker drowned them out.  

We passed a huge lotus pond with some in bloom. I thought we were too late in the season because most of what we’ve seen has just been bare stems. We found an off the beaten path bamboo shop and I bought myself a bamboo shot glass, or shot stalk rather.

From there we headed for a nearby jizo temple we both heard about on IG that was less travelled and had a better bamboo forest. But we were misled because it was really just a big graveyard and a small grove. It did have a beautiful bell which was tolled while we were there - such sustenance that lingered for several minutes. 

We decided to climb the mountain in the absurd heat (soaked thru my clothes with sweat again) to a second jizo temple which was magnificent. Hilly, but thousands of delightful jizo statues, each one totally unique ranging from pious to joyful to silly to stern to haunting. We spent a while there admiring them all and pointing out favorites to each other. there was also a trio of bells we we permitted to ring and together they made a soulful tone.

We caught the bus back down the mountain to thr tourist zone where we had lunch (soba and udon) and some fresh taiyaki, which was too hot to eat at first. We checked out some gift shops, a Miffy shop/bakery (search Miffy bunny if you don’t know), the kimono forest, and other tourist delights.

On the way back to the train we saw an ad for a sword display at a temple between us and our guesthouse, so we headed there. It was a circuitous trail down alleys and weird greenways to get there. The temple was lovely, adorned with lanterns and we saw a bit of a ritual by the monks. We found the sword exhibit - it was the last day of it. Magnificent. The most gorgeous swords I’ve seen - royal presentation pieces - National treasures. I was gobsmacked. 

Form there we went back to the guesthouse to recoup. A big thunderstorm hit, which we dodged completely. When it was done, we headed back near our first Kyoto hotel to have dinner at the soy milk ramen place again. So delicious. Tara got some vegan gf strawberry cake in a can from the vending machine outside and it was oishii - the whipped cream was so creamy and the frozen strawberries were just right on a warm night.

Tara wanted to see a district we missed, renown for its traditional architecture and a famous pagoda. Most of it was closed but it was peaceful with only a few other tourists about and workers closing up shops. We got to the pagoda and Tara cracked her can of cake and we watched the moon rise of the pagoda, which was magical.

Then on the way back to the bus, we stumbled on to another Tozando shop that was still open, so we popped in and I oggled more swords. 

There was a temple near the bus stop so we went in there too and it was a different experience than the dozen or so temples we’ve seen with the lanterns lit. More moon lit magic.

After we got off the bus, we made a quick stop at 7-11 for vitamin & fruity drinks. Then we got back for a quick packing to prepare to head to Osaka.

8.9 miles 17 flights of stairs.

[Drunk Monk]

We have arrived in Osaka at a rather swanky hotel. We’re in the lobby drinking comp coffee made by a bot, listening to Californication on the musak. 

And we’re off!

[Drunk Monk]

Yesterday was mellow. Once we got to Osaka we strolled the market zone which is another of those covered corridors filled with all sorts of crazy shops. We found another Ghibli store right across from another Godzilla store whilst searching for another Pokémon store. Tara got some trinkets for gifts

We checked into the hotel which has a stylish quirkiness, like an elevated bathroom with a rain shower. Tara sorted her JAL issue (it came down to her domestic flight not having her middle name) and got a special barcode for check in. Then we centered out to explore the streets. Found some commercial landmarks like the Gilco running man sign and the Don Quixote with the Ferris wheel built into the store. Walked the river and saw a huge carp, right when Tara wondered if there were fish, found a hidden tiny temple that was such an oasis in the market chaos. Had a nice lunch and dinner plus got some mochi strawberry treats. It was beautiful lit up at night in that Vegas neon sort of way.

Logged 9 miles. 

Today, we’re planning to visit the castle and a temple with a big demon head, then shop some more. I just want to savor my last day.

We’ve got tomorrow’s travel sorted. Turns out that it’s a bit tricky from here (3 transfers) but we’re confident it’ll be a well travelled corridor.

[Drunk Monk]

My last full day in Japan went well. We visited the lion-head temple which was impressive - big lion head, small temple. Then we did some more shopping and exploring. The malls are something I did not expect - they’re these covered passages with a diverse selection of shops, restaurants, and other businesses that go on forever with side alleys of even more offerings, so labyrinthian and distracting. You never know what will be next. I’ve learned more about fashion, especially shoes, thanks to Tara’s explorations. The Japan exclusives are hard to pass up. 
After lunch and a rest we went to the Osaka castle, which allowed us to go to the top for a commanding view of Osaka. The floors had historic displays including more swords and armor but a no photo policy. 
We went back for some last minute shopping. I was on a quest for a dragon hat I had seen but never found it again. I found a different one.
Then I had a sushi binge and a very traditional restaurant with only had locals. It was delish. Much less rice was used making each piece perfectly bite sized and emphasized the seafood. When had a second dinner at this restaurant we’d been hunting down since we hit Osaka, a crazy one-women place that offered vegan & veg. I thought it was all veg and mistakenly ordered a meat dish, which was fine be are I was already stuffed with sushi. It was a wacky restaurant, hard to explain really. 
Then we did one last walk through the mall, and back to the hotel to make sure everything is in order for tomorrow’s travel. 
I slept for a few minutes but then woke up with preflight jitters.

[Drunk Monk]

Packed.
Prepped for the long journey back to the bungalow. 
Having a sad.

It’s been a truly magical trip and I’m so grateful I was able to share this adventure with Tara. She goes on for her solo journey to Okinawa. We both start with domestic flights so we’ll have a few more hours at the airport, then I won’t see her until I pick her up for sfo next week.

[Drunk Monk]

My first flight has been cancelled. No way I can make my connecting flight now. I had to retrieve my luggage and am now in line at the intl counter to sort it

---

I had to retrieve my luggage and start over

The line took forever then an attendant came out with a slip of paper that listed my sfo flight but walked past me so I flagged her down - she rushed me to an alternate counter and they got me on another flight.

The attendant who helped me ran me to the gate, then at the checkpoint we realized she didn’t give me back my phone so she ran back, got it, then ran me to the gate

Got seated just in time. Taking off now. I’ll have to dash through customs but my luggage is checked thru to sfo now.

Whew! What an exit!

[Drunk Monk]

An escort was waiting for 5 of us SF bound. Another mad dash through the airport, literally running. Now seated and have a row to myself for the 10 hour flight.
Bungalow bound.