We loved our previous trip to Japan so much, we decided to go back for more (and yet also something different) again in 2025.
Arrival – Kyoto
We hadn’t had a lot of time to pre-plan our entire agenda, so we chose the Kyoto Granbell Hotel again as for our first night. We had taken an Haruka trian from the Osaka Kansai International Airport to Kyoto, and immediately crashed (me, my wife, and the Lightning Kid) in a large bed.
I love starting my mornings with an Onsen (public bath) to feel relaxed. We started our day with an exploration of the Maruyama Shrine. We tried to be respectful of the space, and ended the tour with a quiz conducted by a local group who were promoting the concept of ‘touristship’ – a blend of friendship and tourism.
We went for lunch to a pancake which was delicious and decadent. After that, I “pig cafe” where you could pet pigs. Mine tried to bite me so I didn’t love that experience too much.
The next day we visited a Samurai/Ninja museum.
We also enjoyed a couples spa with stretching, scalp and regular massage.
Our final day in Kyoto had a lesson in Japanese archery. In Japanese archery (Kyodo or Kyujutsu) there are five steps:
1. face perpendicular to the target
2. turn head toward the target
3. raise the bow overhead (with one hand on the bow, the other on the string)
4. lower the bow into drawing position
5. release
The instructor kept telling me to view the target from “outside” with my viewpoint left of the bow rather than looking down the shaft. I found that hard, and my best shots had me seemingly aiming well below and to the left of the target.
Sapporo
We flew to the Northern Island of Japan, Hokkaido, to see parts of Japan we hadn’t experienced before and to escape the heat. We found Peach Air to be a low-cost no-frills airline that still worked efficiently and comfortably.
We visited a Chocolate Factory called Shiroi Koibito Park, their specialty is a cookie layered with White Chocolate. The tour had a whimsical fantasy element not unlike Willy Wonka, and the Lightning Kid got to take a baking lesson.
While one of Hokkaido’s tourist draws are Lavender fields in Furano, it felt wasteful to take a bus tour way out of town just to look at flowers – we found out about a field more local to Sapporo that had a lovely view of the city, and we even got a free ride to the top of the hill from some kind strangers who didn’t think walking was plausible (I think we’d have been fine – after all, we live near the Rockies).
The next day we had a longer excursion planned. We took a bus tour to the Shakotan Penninsula, we had some small stops in Yoichi in the beginning and the Chocolate Factory again on the way back, but the real highlight was Cape Kamui – the ocean lookouts feature the ‘Shakotan Blue’ of the ocean. See below.
The next day we left Sapporo to travel to Hakodate, but we made a pit stop in Noboribetsu and the ‘Hell Valley’. Natural Sulphur springs gave rise to demons and other underworld influences. There are many statues to illustrate what kinds of demons you might encounter, and the Sulphur lake was other-worldly.
After a long hike around the crater, we stopped into the oldest public Onsen in a town full of them (the natural springs make for a great bathing experience). We got to experience waterfalls, sulfur baths, aluminum baths, sodium baths, some hot, some cold and altogether had a great period of relaxation.
In Hakodate, we enjoyed a sea urchin lunch, a trip to the Red Brick district shopping area (with a pit-stop to play with Lego), a Harbour Cruise and a Cable Car to the top of Mount Hakodate.
Our quest to find a beach in Hakodate the next day came up somewhat empty, as the signs said swimming was prohibited; but at least we got a massage in on our last day.
The next day was devoted to traveling back to Osaka to prepare for our flight home. Though leaving Japan was sad, we had an exciting summer to look forward to.