Japan 2018
We returned to Japan in 5-15 March 2018, and started from Osaka, then south to Kyushu visiting Nagasaki, ending with a day trip to Himeji.
Travels Through A Lens
Trips Around the World
Japan
I studied Japanese for 3 years and loved the Studio Ghibli movies. I’ve wanted to visit Japan for a long time, and we ended up making 3 trips across 10 years, all around early spring.
Japan 2018 Day 8: Osaka (Last Day)
On our last day in Osaka, we wandered around the block from the hotel and ended up in Osaka Station City, a large shopping mall.
Japan 2018 Day 9: Himeji (Cafe de Miki)
On our return back to the station, we couldn't resist stopping by at a Hello Kitty themed cafe called Cafe de Miki.
Japan 2018 Day 9: Himeji (Koko-en 好古園)
Koko-en (好古園) is a Japanese garden next to Himeji Castle. It was constructed in 1992 at the site of the lord's west residence.
Japan 2018 Day 9: Himeji Castle (姫路城)
Himeji Castle (姫路城) is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was fully restored in 2015.
Japan 2018 Day 9: Himeji (Otemaedori)
Himeji is the second largest city in Hyogo and is famous for Himeji Castle and Kokoen garden. There are many statues on Otemaedori.
Japan 2018 Day 8: Osaka at Night (Umeda Sky Building)
We visited the Umeda Sky Building for dinner, and then afterwards go to the rooftop to experience cityscapes of Osaka at Night.
Japan 2018 Day 8: Huis Ten Bosch to Osaka
We are travelling from Huis Ten Bosch to Osaka. We checked out of the hotel, made our way back to the Huis Ten Bosch station.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Evening Parade)
On our last night at Huis Ten Bosch we stayed back to watch the evening parade and soak up the atmosphere.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Afternoon wrap up)
We wandered around Huis Ten Bosch in the afternoon to catch any final sights or attractions that we missed on the first day.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Super Trick Art)
Super Trick Art is yet another of those 3D art places that you pose in front of. The lighting is a bit dark in places.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Game Museum)
The Game Museum at Huis Ten Bosch contains a display of various gaming consoles past to present as well as various arcade machines.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Porcelain Museum)
The Porcelain Museum at Huis Ten Bosch is full of rooms of porcelain displays, a second hall with upholsteries and a third hall with pottery.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Harbor Town)
"Harbor Town" in Huis Ten Bosch has theme park attractions, the Huis Ten Bosch castle, and a replica of a Dutch ship called De Liefde.
Japan 2018 Day 7: Huis Ten Bosch (Flower Road)
The Flower Road at Huis Ten Bosch features windmills, tulips, the Delftsebrug bridge, and a cheese shop called Cheese Waag.
Japan 2018 Day 6 Huis Ten Bosch (Night Lights)
The Night Lights in Huis Ten Bosch are very colourful with a lot of the buildings lit up, with "light" flowing from the Domtoren.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Thriller and Attraction Cities)
Thriller and Attraction Cities in Huis Ten Bosch contain a variety of theme park attractions surrounded by a fountain.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Amsterdam Square)
The Amsterdam Square in Huis Ten Bosch evokes the famous Dam Square with a European village adjacent to it.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Glass Museum)
The Stadhuis replica in "Amsterdam Square" in Huis Ten Bosch has a magnificent crystal and glass museum called "Gyaman Gallery".
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Domtoren)
The replica of Domtoren (the famous church tower in Utrecht) at Huis Ten Bosch has an observation deck with great 360 degree views.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Canal Cruise)
We boarded a cruiser at Canaltown that took us on a canal cruise all the way to Tower City where a replica of the Domtoren is.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch (Teddy Bear Kingdom)
We visited a recreation of Kasteel Nijenrode containing the Teddy Bear Kingdom, an extensive collection of teddy bears from around the world.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Huis Ten Bosch station
We arrived at the tiny but very, very cute JR Huis Ten Bosch station, walked across a bridge to the Huis Ten Bosch theme park.
Japan 2018 Day 6: Nagasaki to Huis Ten Bosch
Today we are travelling on the Seaside Liner from Nagasaki to Huis Ten Bosch. Took a few photos at Nagasaki Station.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Shianbashi)
Shianbashi is Nagasaki's nightlife area (and former red light district). At night, it comes alive with little restaurants and snack bars.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Teramachi)
Teramachi literally means "Temple town" and it is a street full of ... temples. There's an amazing variety of temples here.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Spectacles Bridge)
Spectacles Bridge is Japan's first Chinese-style stone bridge and one of Japan's Top 3 most well known bridges.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Dejima)
Dejima was used to quarantine foreign traders (Portuguese, then Dutch) during the Edo period of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (historic quarter)
We also explored various places around the Nagasaki historic quarter including Oura Machi and Minami Yamate-Machi.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Dutch Slope)
The strangely named "Dutch Slope" is a sloping road leading up to a hill where there are historical Western style houses.
Japan 2018 Day 5: Nagasaki (Glover Garden)
Glover Garden is situated on the southern slope of the Minamiyamate hillside and offers a superb and extensive view of Nagasaki Harbour.
Japan 2018 Day 4: Nagasaki Peace Museum
We also visited the Nagasaki Peace Museum, which was similar to the one in Hiroshima but on a smaller scale.
Japan 2018 Day 4: Nagasaki (Atomic Bomb Hypocentre)
The Atomic Bomb Hypocentre has concentric circles marked around it like a bullseye target, next to the nearby remains of the Urakami church.
Japan 2018 Day 4: Nagasaki Peace Park
Nagasaki Peace Park is built on a low hill to the north of the hypocentre of the atomic bomb blast, and features the Peace Sculpture.
Japan 2018 Day 4: Nagasaki (Dejima Harbour)
We walked through the Nagasaki Seaside Park. This offers views of Dejima Harbour and incoming boats, plus open space.
Japan 2018 Day 4 Gunkanjima
Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) was originally called Hashima with a seabed coalmine. After the mine was closed, the island fell into ruin.
Japan 2018 Day 3: Osaka to Nagasaki
Today is a rainy day, which is perfect for travelling from Osaka to Nagasaki. We arrived at 3pm and checked in to the Richmond Hotel.
Japan 2018 Day 2: Osaka (Namba Parks)
We visited Namba City, next to Namba Station, and then walked to Namba Parks, another huge shopping centre with an interesting architecture.
Japan 2018 Day 2: Osaka (Namba Walk)
Namba Walk is an underground mall that looks like it has seen better days. They have a Hello Kitty spring promotion so we took photos.
Japan 2018 Day 1: Osaka (Dotonbori)
The Dotonbori (道頓堀) area is a popular nightlife and entertainment area with an eccentric atmosphere and large illuminated signboards.
Japan 2018 Day 1: Osaka (Piece of Peace)
We attended the LEGO Piece of Peace World Heritage Exhibition at Daimaru. It showcases LEGO models of World Heritage sites and buildings.
Japan 2018 Day 1: Osaka (Amerikamura, Shinsaibashi)
Day 1 in Osaka. We walked around the Shinsaibashi area, starting from Midosuji towards Amerikamura, then Europe-dori and the shopping street.
Japan 2017
We returned to Japan in 2017 and visited Tokyo, then headed down south to Okayama and Hiroshima, returning via Osaka and Kyoto.
Japan 2017 Day 10: Tokyo (Haneda Airport)
We arrived at Haneda airport, and wandered around the airport shopping area. There were lots of fake cherry blossom trees.
Japan 2017 Day 10: Tokyo (Shinjuku evening)
We spend the rest of evening walking back from the Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment building along the subways and streets of Shinjuku.
Japan 2017 Day 10: Tokyo (Metropolitan Government Building)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎) is the tallest city hall in the world, with observation decks proving amazing views.
Japan 2017 Day 10: Tokyo (Shinjuku)
Shinjuku (新宿区) has been a major secondary center of Tokyo and a commercial hub full of skyscrapers and retail shops.
Japan 2017 Day 10: Tokyo (Shinjuku Gyoen)
Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) is a large park and garden. It was originally a residence of the Naitō family, then became an Imperial Park.
Japan 2017 Day 9: Tokyo (Character Street)
Character Street is a row of shops selling toys based on various character themes, located underground in Tokyo Station.
Japan 2017 Day 9: Tokyo (Imperial Palace East Garden)
The Imperial Palace East Gardens encompasses the former Honmaru and Ninomaru areas of Edo Castle and the Imperial Tokagakudo Music Hall.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (evening)
We walked back to Kyoto station as buses were full, crossed the bridge at Shichijo and saw a lovely sunset.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera)
Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺), is a Buddhist temple and part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage site.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Higashiyama)
We walked along the stone-paved roads in Higashiyama (Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka) that lead up to the Kiyomizu Temple.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Chion-in)
Chion-in is a Pure Land Buddhism temple consisting of a colossal main gate (Sanmon), a huge temple building and Japan’s largest temple bell.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Otani Sobyo Hondo)
Otani Sobyo Mausoleum is the grave of Shinran, the founder of the Shinshu sect Otani school (Higashi Hongan-ji Temple).
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Yasaka-jinja)
Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社), once called Gion Shrine (祇園神社), is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, with bright red gates.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Honen-in)
Honen-in ((法然院)) is a nice quiet reflective temple on Kyoto's Philosopher's Path. There is an amazing statue of Buddha here.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (Ginkaku-Ji)
Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺), or Temple of the Silver Pavilion, is officially named Jishō-ji (慈照寺) and built for a Shogun who became a Buddhist monk.
Japan 2017 Day 8: Kyoto (morning)
Today we traveled from Osaka to Kyoto and arrived in the morning. Along the way we passed through some interesting sculpture street art.
Japan 2017 Day 7: Osaka (USJ)
Today we visited Universal Studios Japan (or USJ as its more popularly known as). We are excited to see the new Harry Potter attractions!
Japan 2017 Day 6: Osaka
We travelled from Hiroshima to Osaka and arrived around 3pm. We checked into the Ritz Carlton and spent the afternoon exploring the area.
Japan 2017 Day 6: Fukuyama
On the way back to Fukuyama station, I saw a rose trellis in honour of Hugh Jackman - I took a picture there.
Japan 2017 Day 6: Tomonoura
Tomonoura is a small fishing village famous as the location for several films: notably Miyazaki's Ponyo and Wolverine.
Japan 2017 Day 5: Hiroshima (evening)
We walked around Hiroshima in the evening and finished up with a dinner of the Hiroshima variant of okonomiyaki.