Japan is both traditional and modern with kimonos and geisha, exquisite cuisine, high-tech toilets with many features (spraying, drying, heating, playing music) and efficient public transport system. A seven-hour flight north of Singapore, Japan is also a good midway point to meet our Mom traveling from the United States. We reunited in Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan with gardens, temples, wooden one-story buildings, and kimono-clad women walking along the river and narrow alleys.
We then took a bus to Arima Springs, a quaint town near Kobe dotted with hotels tapping into the springs and offering private baths. Then we boarded a 7-day Princess Cruise out of Kobe and stopped at three ports: Okinawa, Miyako-jima, and Taipei, providing a contrast of islands and lifestyles. Okinawa, the “Hawaii of Japan”, has a strong American presence with several military bases and Western-style resorts. Miyako-jima, a small island with clear blue-green water, is quiet and tranquil, a sharp contrast to bustling urban Taipei, Taiwan. After the cruise, we spent a few days in Osaka before flying out back to Singapore.
Kyoto
Cycling the backstreets, browsing the boutiques and flower shops, wandering by the river, visiting the temples, and dining at a kaiseki characterize the gentle city of Kyoto.
Women in kimonos and getas are a common sight in Kyoto. It takes 5 years of training to become a geisha, but anyone can wear a kimono.
Kyoto’s Takase-gawa river divides the easily walkable town into East and West
Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), 1350s retirement home built by Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga. The gold-leafed sidings shimmer in the pond’s reflection. Purple lilacs in spring bloom.
Eastern Kyoto in the Gion area is historically preserved and quiet, making for a lovely stroll. There is also a Starbuks here, making for a memorable cafe misto while sitting on tatami mats.
Pull back the curtains hung over the entrance of a small restaurant and enter for an intimate sushi dinner.
Kyoto Imperial Palace and expansive gardens; original building burned down in 1788, restored in 1855
Shopping at Nishiki market, a pedestrian shopping arcade. Umbrellas with Japanese prints, one-toed socks, fermented cabbage, octopus on sticks, and knife shops.
Shrimp tempura, hot and crispy. Eat and enjoy right then. No eating on the go! The Japanese place great emphasis on “one thing at a time,” so eating while walking is impolite.
Fermented foods with soy sauce and miso are part of the Japanese diet and flavor dishes. Cucumber, daikon, turnip, carrot, and eggplant are typical pickled vegetables.
Arima Onsen
Taking a direct one-hour bus from Kyoto, we arrived at Arima Onsen, one of the oldest onsen towns in Japan dating back to the 7th century. Perched in the mountains, hotels overlook the small town and surrounding green countryside. We stayed at a hotel onsen offering private baths and Japanese style rooms with futons.
Ready for the next adventure. Heading to the hotel onsen up the hill from the bus station.
Spend the night in a Japanese room with futons and a tatami mat. Eat at the hotel restaurant and then bathe in a private thermal bath surrounded by the lush forest.
Rest your weary feet in one of the public thermal waters that are rich in minerals and said to increase healing.
Quiet during the day, even more so at night. A maze of tiny streets and traditional houses.
“Tansan Senbei” is a classic snack from Arima. Slightly sweet wafer crackers made onsite using Arima’s carbonic water.
Take the Shin-Kobe Ropeway in Arima to float by waterfalls, soar above the forests of Mt. Rokko, and land into Kobe.
Kobe
Perched on a hillside by the sea, Kobe is an attractive cosmopolitan city, serving as a port from the early trading days with China. Kobe is best enjoyed by casual wandering, window-shopping the high-brand shops, and exploring pleasant neighborhoods, such as Kitano and Chinatown.
Originally owned by an American, this colonial-style Starbucks or injinkan (literally ‘foreigners’ house’) was built in 1907 and is in Kitano, a neighborhood with a European-American atmosphere evoked by the winding streets and other wooden clapboard dwellings. The building was donated to the city of Kobe in 1995 after a big earthquake.
Okinawa
Shuri-jo (Shuri Castle), rampart of the original 15th century castle
UNESCO World Heritage Site (1992), Shuri-jo Castle gate
Okinawa souvenir street (Kokusai-dori) with trinkets, taco-rice snacks, and purple yam ice cream
Okinawa baker pushes vanilla cake batter around a spit. Careful supervision ensures correct baking time and high-standards.
Baumkuchen, a German roll pound cake, is one of the most popular desserts in Japan. Flavors range from vanilla, caramel, honey, to matcha and chocolate.
Okinawa’s purple sweet potatoes are as delicious as they are pretty
Shaved ice with ice cream, jelly balls, sweet beans, and fruit toppings make for an interesting contrast of textures and a refreshing dessert
Vending machines are at every corner, selling refreshing sparkling lemon, cold brew coffee, water, Coca-Cola, and Asahi beer
Miyako-jima
Miyako-jima, the largest of the Miyako island group, and one of Japan’s finest beaches
Enjoying one of the beaches not far from where the cruise docked.
Clear azure waters and white-sand beaches draw scuba divers and sun seekers to Miyako-jima. Cruise ship at port.
Smooth tubular white shells along the beach
Taipei, Taiwan
Soaring high above the city, Taipei 101 was officially the world’s tallest building from 2004-2010. There are 101 floors above ground, 5 floors below. Its elevators transport visitors from the 5th to the 89th floor at a record-breaking 37 seconds and speed of 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph).
Taipei 101, Asia’s tallest building, has a design reminiscent of bamboo.
You’ll feel the pressure changes as you ride the elevator!
Taipei 101 was built to withstand earthquake tremors and typhoon winds. This damper at the top helps stabilize the structure. It is such a popular tourist feature that the mascots, “Damper Babies,” were created. The mascots star in the informational videos, making it entertaining and kid-friendly.
Osaka
After the seven-day Princess Cruise around the southern region of Japan, we took a short train ride from Kobe to Osaka, the third largest city of Japan and one of the most prosperous.
Osaka is the center of commerce and manufacturing, a youthful and iconoclastic metropolis offering a counterpart to traditional and refined Kyoto. From skyscrapers, neon-lighted districts, and underground shopping labyrinths to 16th century castle, temples, and inventive culinary delights, the city pulses with its own rhythm. Playing against the urban vibes, the people of Osaka are known for being the friendliest and most outgoing.
Osaka Castle. So ornate, almost fairy-tale like
Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo), was built in 1583 as a display of power. It looms dramatically over the park and moat with imposing walls of enormous granite stones. Inside the castle is a collection of helmets, art, and history related to the castle. The 8th floor is an observation deck with 360-degree views.
Keri overlooking the moat and one of the gates of the Osaka castle
Osakans are passionate about food. The city has been known as “Japan’s Kitchen” since the 17th century and the people continue to eat with gusto, coining the word ‘kuidaore’ to eat until you drop.
Tako-yaki and Okonomiyaki
One Osakan local dish is okonomiyaki, a mixture of pancake and omelette, filled with shredded cabbage, pork, shrimp, beef, and yams, and drizzled with Worcestershire-style sauce and kewpie mayonnaise.
Stop at a tako-yaki (octopus dumpling) stand for a delicious snack.
Tako-yaki, grilled dumplings
Another Osaka invention and street snack, tako-yaki is griddle dumplings with octopus (tako in Japanese) topped with pickled ginger, a sweet sauce, mayonnaise, powdered seaweed, and dried bonito flakes.
Giant plastic food models, such as this moving crab indicates a grilled crab stand.
Dotombori is one of Osaka’s liveliest night spots. Running along the 400-year-old Dotombori canal, this photogenic district now is lined with pedestrian streets, neon billboards, and restaurants vying for attention with the gaudiest of signage.
Juicy grilled crab meatRose gardens in full bloom along the river and in pots on the streets. Delightful scents; a feast for the senses.A beautiful bouquet of blush tones. Edgar Degas roses
