Visiting Churaumi Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park

Churaumi Aquarium We wanted to get to the Churaumi Aquarium early which meant we had an early start. We mapped out a route which would have taken about 2 hours to get there. However, due to some navigation challenges again, we found ourselves on the toll expressway which shaved a half hour off our trip. In the end it got us there faster and was worth the toll. Charumi Aquarium is a place that...

Hello Okinawa

Okinawa We had a morning flight to Okinawa scheduled. After checking out of our AirBnb we made the short walk to Shinjuku station where we boarded the Narita Express train for the hour long ride to the airport. Checking in was a breeze and within an hour we were on our way to Okinawa. Okinawa is a completely different climate than tokyo. I guess before coming I had always just thought of Japan as...

Last day in Tokyo

We had a very full day planned for our last full day in Tokyo. So aided by a bit of jet lag, we got to start early. Tsuta Reservations One of the things that was highly recommended to us by a number of our friends was to visit a ramen restaurant called Tsuta. Tsuta is the first ramen restaurant to be awarded a Michelin Star and we were eager to see what the hype was about. However, in order to...

Exploring Tokyo

Explore Shinjuku Due to jet lag Salmonella and I woke up pretty early. There were a few things that we had on our list today. Our friend Funkycat would be flying in today so we needed to meet up with him. I'd also be meeting up with a familiar travel friend later in the day and we'd be Mario Karting all over Tokyo. But first Salmonella and I needed to get a Tokyo Subway Metro ticket so we can...

Travel & First Day in Japan

JAL Flight to Japan Time to go to Japan! Salmonella and I arrived early at YVR and spent an hour or two in the Plaza Premium Lounge in the international departures lounge. We had a chance to grab some refreshments and relax before the 10 hour flight. The flight itself was uneventful and smooth. I have to give props to JAL on such a great in flight experience. I've had the chance to fly on some...

Planning for Japan!

In about a weeks time I'll be on the road again. This time I'll be heading East to Japan! I hadn't planned to visit Japan this year. But when I learned that my friend (who had lived in Japan for a little under a year) was planning to visit, I tagged along! It's not everyday you get to travel with someone who's already familiar with the culture and can speak the language. In addition, He wanted to...