Japan: Tuesday 28

Train to Ishikawadai
Mazda rentakaa
Drive to Kamakura, homemade bento asagohan
(Fukuro tenjinkan near Enoshima)
Koutokoin temple/Kamakura Daibutsu
Hase-dera
Shopping in Kamakura
Soba lunch
More shopping, talked to a couple of drunks
Totoro shop
Coffee at Beck’s
Drove back to Tokyo
Enormous Gyoza, fried rice and sauteed veg at Chinese restaurant
Return to Taku & Maki’s
Bath

Watashi wa yasai ga suki desu keredo watashi wa tsukemono ga taberarenai
私はやさいが好きですけれど私はつけものが食べられない。

Japan: Monday 27

Breakfast at T/M: yogurt, fruit
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
GM Cafe lunch: tonkatsu sandwich, cold veg soup with rice croquette, banana shake
Spinning totoro display with strobe light
Shopping with Maki at Oimachi
Dilly beans, tsukemono, saba sushi
Homemade curry

Japan: Sunday 26

8:40 Hikari Shinkansen to Shinagawa
Kaki no ha sushi bento
Taku & Maki!!
Tempura in Omotesando
Nikkei Hall: Max Raabe/Palast Orchester
–Shiroi fune ga iru minato
–Yakyuu kozo
Japanese beef BBQ: Gyusha (kanji for ushi kuruma)
Grocery store

Watashi wa nihon no tabemono o tame ni kimashita. 私は日本のたべものをためにきました。
Watashitachi wa nihon no tabemono o tanoshimi ni shite kimashita. 私たちは日本のたべものをたのしみにしてきました。

Korinobori (carp banner)

Japan: Saturday 25

Pack up/laundry
Doutor coffee: chicken sandwich and pastry
Yubinkyoku search
Mio post office
Rapid to Osaka Station
Check-in at Hilton
Sumo on tv, snack
Walk to matsuri area
Curry lunch at Masala
4:40 arrival on bridge for Tenjin Matsuri to start
Barge loading
Walk around matsuri grounds, get a bit of street food
Back to hotel
Shinsekai, Daruma (katsu stuff) closed, at 9!!! shitty area
Osaka station izakaya: Mitsu Oki, deeelicious
Citibank

Japan: Friday 24

JR super express to Himeji
Udon at Me-n-me
Himeji-jo
Remon Kakigoori
Kokoen garden with tea ceremony
Hikari Shinkansen to Osaka
Kaki no ha sushi at Osaka eki
“Farewell party” at Iinari, Showa-cho

Kaki no ha sushi no ho ga goma mochi yori ii desu
Nani ga chigaimasu ka
Zettai (must/have to)
Maemuki (looking forward, positive)
“pinchan” = Yukari

Japan: Thursday 23

Slept in
Small snack breakfast at ryokan
Train to Nara
Hotel wifi
Walked to Kondo tofu
Kondo tofu lunch
Naramachi no ie house
Walked to Nara koen
Vanilla-green tea soft serve
Todaiji and Daibutsuden
Kofukenji???
Shopping on Sanjo-Dori:
Persimmon jelly
Kaki no ha sushi
Pickles
Snacks
Beer in hotel lobby
Beer in ryokan/scrapbooking

Japan: Wednesday 22

Moningusetto at Tennouji station diner
Meet Arata-san
Suntory Yamazaki factory tour & tasting
Knut cafe, Koshienguchi: fried chicken, pollack roe rice dish, coffee, iced cocoa, cookies
Hanshin Tigers game, Koshien stadium

Japan: Tuesday 21

Call Arata-san
Haruka ltd. express to Kyoto
Terrible tourist bus to Ginkakujimae
Omen: amanai Japanese apricot liquor, udon with kizu lime juice, mackerel (さば) sushi
Ginkakuji
Path of philosophy
Nanzenji
Nanzenji okunoin
Konchiin/Turtle and crane garden
Suzuki gallery
Kyoto streets, picturesque
Kiyomizudera temple
Pickles
Fujinoya: tempura set
Return to Kyoto by JR

Japan: Monday 20

Osaka breakfast

Kyoto day 1:
Asobe lacquer store
Daikoku-ya soba
Rice crackers
Brooms/brushes
Tshirt store
Folk art store
Umbrella store
Nishiki market
Perfect coffee moment
Hirano-ya (Imobo)
Shinkansen to Osaka

Japan: Sunday 19

Osaka
Coffee at Doutor, fruit
Sentaku o shimasu
Hanshin Tigers tickets at booth
Horyu-ji with free tour guide– this temple complex contains the oldest existing wooden buildings in the world (mainly early 8th century, but the main pillar of the pagoda is estimated to have been felled in the 590s)
Rice cracker snack from Tokyo Station
Walk back to JR station

Plaza, Osaka:
Fujiya soba
Internet cafe