Tag: Kansai/Japan 2022

Naga-machi is the third district we listed in Kanazawa to check out. Like the other two from yesterday – Higashi Chaya and Kazue-machi Chaya – this area comprises old traditional and well-preserved houses, and in this case residences of samurai

Just before we exited Kanazawa Castle Park via Nezumita-mon Gate and continued towards Oyama Shrine, we chanced upon the Gyokusen-inmaru Park: This small landscaped Japanese garden sits in front of a tea-house that had enthusiastic staff who explained the history

Our Day 08 itinerary actually has four places we’re checking out: Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Park, Oyama Shrine, then finally Naga-machi District. All four are actually near each other and within easy walking distance – though the weather was chilly when

No matter what the adults schedule for our family vacation itinerary, the kids – or Peter at the very least – have been really looking forward to just one thing this trip: and that’s snow. Lots of it. When we

Kazue-machi Chaya District is literally just across the road, and far quieter in comparison; I suspect largely because there are far fewer dining and retail establishments. If you’d like to just soak in the serenity of strolling beside the Asano

We checked out of Almont Hotel Kyoto early in the morning, planning to catch the 8:10AM Thunderbird 5 Limited Express train to Kanazawa, but secretly hoping to catch an earlier train if we could. But we got a little lost

The Kyoto hotel we opted for in the first segment of our 15-day trip was Almont Hotel Kyoto. Like the other hotels we booked for our 2019 family trip in Japan, we had three requirements: that it could fit the

Day 06 is our last full day in Kyoto before we continue on to the second segment of our 15-day trip. In our initial planning, we’d listed several more places to visit on Day 06 – and the list included

The visit to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest done, we doubled back to Kyoto and continued on to Inari Station for a visit to the Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari – another very iconic site that is a must-visit for visitors to

A visit to Kyoto is not complete without checking out the famed bamboo forest of Arashiyama, a short 30 minutes away from Kyoto Station. We visited the bamboo grove 12 years ago and were fortunate enough to get some lovely

Continuing on for Day 05: Osaka Castle Park next. Unlike Himeji Castle that we’d just visited yesterday on Day 04, Osaka Castle is a reconstruction. Building of it first started in 1583, and when completed, it was attacked and partially

Our initial plans for Day 05 of this trip included an early morning visit to Arashiyama to see the bamboo forest before the inevitable crowds came in, followed by a return to Kyoto Station to continue on to Osaka for