Explore by date

5-28-03	Travel from Seattle to Tokyo	Flew on Boeing 747-200
5-29-03	Tokyo, arrival	Explore IIdabashi (Tokyo) Stayed at Tokyo International Youth Hostel
5-30-03	Tokyo, Keiko Day	Explored Shinjuku (Tokyo) Lunch: Okonomiyaki at Shinjuku station Bought electronic dictionary at Sakuraya ¥100 shop Met Iwao Dinner: Sashimi, etc at an Izakaya in IIdabashi Stayed at Tokyo International Youth Hostel
5-31-03	Tokyo	Saw my friend's office in the building with the world's largest clock Saw Senso-ji temple Lunch: beef with raw egg at a small shop in Shinjuku (Tokyo) Met Yoshimi (a new friend) Dinner at Sarada Ba- (Salad Bar) in Shinjuku Stayed at Ryokan Taito
6-1-03	Travel to Okayama	Shinkansen to Okayama Walked around market in Ueno (Tokyo) Met Naoki Stayed at Okayamaken Seinenkaikan Youth Hostel
6-2-03	Kagawa, Chika Day #1	Marugame Castle Marugame Art Museum Ate donuts at Sakaide donut shop Stayed at Shikoku Kenko-mura (weird! weird! weird!)
6-3-03	Kagawa, Chika Day #2	Breakfast: hamburger and tofu desert Zentsuji Temple Konpira-san Shrine Lunch #1: Udon (Kanaizumi) at Udatsu in Kagawa Lunch #2: Udon at shop near Konpira-san Shrine Sweets at "Kyuman" near Konpira-san Shrine Chika tried on a kimono at a department store Ate Takoyaki Stayed at Youth Hostel Okayamaken Seinenkaikan
6-4-03	Hiroshima #1	Hiroshima Peace Park Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Met Masahi Yana and Akio Hamada Stayed at Hiroshima Youth Hostel
6-5-03	Hiroshima #2	Hiroshima-jo Castle Sat and studied in Chuo Park Temple at Chuo Park Stayed at Hiroshima Youth Hostel
6-6-03	Travel to Kumamoto	Lunch: Okonomiyaki at "Chi Chan" in Hiroshima's Okonomi-mura Train to Kumamoto, in Kyushu area Stayed at Suizen-ji Youth Hostel in Kumamoto
6-7-03	Kumamoto, Masubuchi Family Day #1	Kumamoto-jo Castle Kyuhosokawakyobutei Garden and House Lunch: Ramen at Komurasaki Suizen-ji Park Dinner: Horse meet, sashimi, etc. at "Jutokuya", an Izakaya (traditional Japanese bar) Stayed at Suizen-ji Youth Hostel in Kumamoto
6-8-03	Kumamoto, Masubuchi Family Day #2	Breakfast: eggs, bacon, corn soup, etc. at "Joyful" western-style breakfast restaurant Shirakawa Suigen, got water from spring Lunch: "Asoji" Bathed in Kurokawa open-air hot spring Beautiful drive on the Yamanami highway Mount Aso National Park Stayed at Suizen-ji Youth Hostel in Kumamoto
6-9-03	Nagasaki	Atomic Bomb Museum Stayed at Ebisu Nagasaki Youth Hostel
6-10-03	Himeji	Train to Himeji Himeji-jo Castle Himeji Zoo Train to Osaka Stayed at Nagai Youth Hostel in Osaka
6-11-03	Osaka	Osaka-jo Castle Met Minami (from Korea), Takahiro, and Alexander Blaschele (from Switzerland) Visited Namba area of Osaka Stayed at Osaka Shiritsu Nagai Youth Hostel
6-12-03	Nara	Relaxed in Nara Park Train to Nara Stayed at Nara-ken Seishonen Kaikan Youth Hostel
6-13-03	Kyoto, Maki Day	Relaxed at Nara Park again in the morning Looked (unsuccessfully) for the Daibutsu (huge bronze statue of Buddha) Train to Kyoto Lunch: beef at small shop in Enmachi neighborhood of Kyoto Kiyomizu Temple Kinkaku Temple Dinner: "Aira", an izakaya (traditional Japanese bar) Stayed at Uno House in Kyoto
6-14-03	Travel to Morioka	Took off on a whim toward Hokkaido Landed in Morioka for the night Ate ramen and curry for dinner at a small shop in Morioka Stayed at Morioka Youth Hostel
6-15-03	Hokkaido #1, Hakodate	Train to Hakodate Koryuji Temple, birthday ceremony and celebration for Kobo Dashi Goryokaku Fort, park and historical remains Met Machiyo Noriyasu and Tsukamoto Atsushi Goryakaku Tower Lunch: Rice stuffed cuttlefish at Goryakaku Tower Takuboku Park (Ishikawa) Hakodate Mountain and evening views (via ropeway) Saw the Greek Orthodox Church Dinner: "Hakodate Beer Brewery", seafood stew, rice stuffed cuttlefish Played darts and had a cocktail in a smoky tavern Stayed at Oyado Aozara ryokan (Japanese inn) in Hakodate
6-16-03	Hokkaido #2, Sapporo and Otaru	Hakodate Morning Market Train to Sapporo Maruyama Park in Sapporo Hokkaido Jingu Matsuri (shrine festival) in Sapporo Left Sapporo on a whim, taking train to Otaru Met Yun Min-seok (from Korea) who lives and studies in Otaru Toured downtown Otaru, glass shops, canal in Otaru Stayed at Asarigawa Onsen in Otaru
6-17-03	Hokkaido #3, Shakotan	Bus to Shakotan Enjoyed spectacular view at Shakotan Sat by the ocean in a very tiny fishing village between Otaru and Shakotan Took Okutosei sleeper train from Sapporo to Tokyo
6-18-03	Tokyo, Kazuko Day	Edo Tokyo Museum Bought digital camera at Sakuraya in Shibuya Dinner: sushi with Kazuko, Takako, Yu Stayed at the Tokyu Hotel
6-19-03	Tokyo, last day	Bought souvenirs in Asakusa Went on a hunt for a very famous vending machine in Ueno Missed flight to Seattle, caught another one 30 minutes later (the first and only kink in this great trip!)

Last updated 6/21/03