Coming from New York City, it is hard to be impressed by the massiveness and density of a city. But Tokyo absolutely holds its own and in some ways blows NYC out of the water.
Tokyo Hotel
For lodging we stayed at TRUNK hotel, a beautiful design hotel on the boarder of Shibuya and Harajuku. The hotel was stunning and had a happening coffee shop, restaurant, and bar area. It was full day and night of both international travelers, remote workers, or fashionable tokyoites meeting for a drink.
Staying In Harajuku
The neighborhood was also perfect. We could walk 10 minutes to Shibuya to experience the crossing and access almost any train line.
More importantly, we were at the southern edge of Harajuku, which made its way up to one of my favorite neighborhoods in the world. I would categorize this area as a mix between Williamsburg and soho. We only briefly walked through Takeshita street (the "Cute" Street) and recommend spending your time wandering around the boutiques and cafes off or Omote Sando (the Champs-Élysées of Tokyo).
If you head toward TRUNK hotel you will find a few pedestrian streets that were absolutely incredible. There were boutique versions of Patagonia, Columbia, and three different types of North Face design stores... my favorites.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1:
- Shibuya Crossing
- Harajuku Exploring
- Lunch at Harajuku Gyoza Lou
- Second Lunch: Udon in Shinjuku at Shin Udon
- Meiji Shrine
- Omakase in Ginza
Day 2:
- Tskukiji Market
- teamLab Borderless Tokyo
- Ramen at Kazami in Ginza
- Piss Alley
Day 3:
- National Museum
- Akihabara
- Kikanbo Ramen
- Ginza Malls
- Dinner in Shibuya
After Leaving Tokyo, we wanted to get off the beaten path. Instead of taking the common route into the mountains (through Takayama and Kanazawa, we headed South towards the Kumano Kodo. Because of this, we were unable to fit Hakone into our plans. Oh well... just another reason to come back.
Since it was our Honeymoon, we wanted to fit in a luxury Spa Experience. We planned a three night stay at Amanemu in Ago Bay, which allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in nature, relax in luxury, and experience a few unique cultural offerings.
Travel to Ago Bay
To get to Ago Bay, we took the Shinkansen to Nagoya and transferred to the Kinteshu local train to Kashikojima. As we found with all trains, getting to our destination was extremely easy and there are always helpful station masters to point us in the right direction if we ever had a question. We did not purchase our Shinkansen tickets ahead of time, which ended up being stressful. For future trips we learned to purchase tickets a few days before. Going to a ticket booths instead of using machines is also helpful for the Shinkansen, because there are a lot of options that can get confusing.
Aman Hotel
Once we got to Kashikojima, we were picked up by the hotel and driven to the hotel. This started our weekend of lounging around in fluffy bathrobe, endless hotspring baths in our private indoor/outdoor tub and walks around the expansive grounds. We spent a day at the spa, having the entire place to ourselves and were able to grab some fantastic meals.
After having a fine-dining meal our first night we did end up spending the next two nights staying in our bathrobes and ordering wagyu burgers to the room. Endless Fries... and no regrets.
Pearl Farms
We spend out second day in Ise Shima exploring Ago Bay. This day was one of the highlights of the trip. We began the trip by taking a boat across the bay to a small family run pearl farm. This was essentially a hut on the waters edge with a surrounding few piers where oysters are grown and harvested for pearls. Here, we learned about the culture of farming, techniques for expediting pearl growth, and met an amazingly sweet family who runs the farm.
We were able to plant our own pearls, which will be fully grown in three years, and harvest our own. Learning about this family and their life as farmers was endearing and eye opening. As a parting gift, they allowed us to open two oysters and keep the pearls. There is a 1/5 chances of finding a perfect pearl... and we got 2! We seemed to be having some honeymoon good luck.
Ama Divers
After leaving the farmers, we hopped back on the boat to weave our way to the ocean side of the bay, where we met an Ama diver for lunch. These ladies have been providing food for the region for approximately 3000 years by free-diving for seafood. They spend their seasons, both warm and cold diving, cooking, and providing for their families. Often working till well into their 80s, these women are extremely healthy and vigorous.
Our Diver cooked us an amazing feast of fresh seafood, so fresh that it was often squirming as it was placed on the open grill. The food was incredible, the stories of her life growing up as a diver were fascinating, and it was also harrowing to hear how culture is changing with technology and global warming. There are often doubts that this ancient culture will be able to survive the next generation.
The Kumano Kodo is one of two Ancient Pilgrimages that are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Along with El Camino De Santiago). We spent a day following in the footsteps of the Ancients and visiting some of the Holiest shrines in Japan. Here are some great resources:
The Culture Trip Kumano Kodo Overview
Here is a map of the full hike.
Easier to Read Map of the Hike and Region
We ended up squeezing as much as possible into one full day, so we booked a car to drive us to three sections of the hike and we were able to see the three grand shrines.
Kumano Hongū Taisha
Of first section took us to Kumano Hongu Taisha, It was a three mile hike down from the mountains to the grand shrine and largest Torii gate in Japan. We were fortunate to visit on a day when the mountains were enveloped in mist, which weaves its way in and out of the peaks. The mist, as many things we saw along the way, is sacred and photographers will post up for days just to catch a glimpse. This section of the hike weaved through rustic farms, ancient forests, and had tons of gates, shrines, and figures along the way. We even came across a mountain cafe with fresh yam donuts and incredible coffee.
HAYATAMA TAISHA
The least striking of the three Grand Shrines, this smaller stop was located in Shingu, and a quick visit to check off the list.
NACHI TAISHA
The pinnacle of our hike, was a climb up a stone staircase to Nachi Taisha. Nestled in the mountain, this shrine is next to the tallest waterfall in Japan. Nachi and Nachi falls were an amazing spectacle with a vast shrine complex and is the host to many festivals.
Lodging:
For an authentic Ryokan Experience, we stayed at the Kumano Club in Kumano City. For this one, We went for authenticity and found ourselves the only foreigners in the place. This was clearly a locals resort wit ha beautiful view and fresh orange groves. The resort gives you a gift if you walk over 5,000 steps.. a box of chocolates that is well worth it.
We didn't have much time to check out the onsen but the food at Kumano Club was astounding. For our after-hike dinner, we suited up in robes, took out a spirited away style lantern, and found our way to a dining hall...which was all inclusive. The dining room is beautiful and they set us up in a private booth facing the garden and clear skies. The feature here is nature, and the kaiseki that was served was a testament to local produce. This was one of the most memorable dining experiences, and the all you can pairing helped.
