tour of Japan - part 1: Tokyo & Himeji

If I have any regrets when it comes to traveling, Japan is my biggest cause for remorse. United flies to Japan from nine gateways and we have a partnership with one of the home carriers. There is an extensive sales and revenue management office in TYO and I am very close with the entire team of analysts and the director, who has become a mentor and friend. To top it off, Matt's sister & brother-in-law lived in Japan for a few years. Our reasons and ability to visit Japan were plentiful, but we only made it across the pond one time. On the plus side, we were in Japan for ten days and were able to visit numerous cities in this beautiful country.

As most international trips begin for us, we started our journey in Polaris on United and toasted our journey with complimentary boarding champagne! Being able to take Matt on free international business travel, will never get old.

We landed in Tokyo and spent a few days exploring the city before hoping the high speed train down to Kobe to meet up with Matt's sister. Unfortunately it was pouring rain the first day we were in town, so our pictures of the famous markets and Shibuya Crossing were not very picturesque. No complaints though, as both were incredible to experience in person. We'll never forget how clean and orderly Tokyo was, especially for such a massive international city.

Day two provided us with much needed sunshine and we made up for as much lost time as possible. Meiji Shrine was one of my favorites from the trip for it's copper and cypress construction and it's lovely back story. The shrine was funded and built by the community in the early to mid-1900s. The park is over 150 acres and the numerous tree and bush varieties were donated by citizens from all over the country. It's a quiet refuge in the heart of the city.

The food in Japan was one of our favorite parts of the trip. We are huge ramen and sushi fans but were thrilled to discover the hundreds of other traditional Japanese meals. With that being said, is there anything better on a cold rainy day, than a piping hot bowl of noodles?

Another favorite neighborhood was Harajuku, where the pink was plentiful and the famous style of dress was everywhere. We enjoyed strolling the streets, window shopping, and people watching. We couldn't resist a famous vending machine crepe!

No trip to Japan is complete, without one visit to conveyor belt sushi. Matt and I stacked plate on top of plate on top of plate of delicious and inventive sushi. The presentation was perfect, the matcha was on tap, and every bite was delightful.

Our time in Tokyo was much too short, but we had a schedule to follow. The train to Kobe was a destination unto itself. We packed bento boxes, stocked up on Japanese magazines and set off west to see the countryside.

While keeping a home base in Kobe, we ventured to various regions and tourist attractions. One of the first and most impressive, was Himeji Castle. We were lucky enough to be in Japan at the end of cherry blossom season and the striking white castle and the pink sakura was a sight to behold.

The Castle was originally a fort built back in the 1300s and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. The history is everywhere and every detail is mind-blowing. Himeji also happens to be the biggest castle in Japan, and with it's place on top of a mountain, it is visible throughout the city. It's beauty hits you as soon as you exit the train station. The city of Himeji is equally as beautiful, especially with abundant spring blooms.