You are probably going to notice something of a pink theme in this series of posts – my latest trip was to Japan (again!) in April, which is the much-anticipated cherry blossom season. Japanese people celebrate the short-lived beauty of the cherry blossoms with big outdoor drinking parties and (these days) taking enormous numbers of photographs. But then, it is rather a compulsion for anyone … Continue reading 1: Petals falling on Tokyo
I broke my fast in a bakery/cafe near Funabori station. Being able to read a bit of hiragana and katakana makes Bakery Roulette much easier – I managed to select a ham-and-cheese pastry and a sweet almond roll almost intentionally! My destination for the day was Odaiba, a new(ish) development in Tokyo bay which is home to some very futuristic buildings and, appropriately, the Miraikan, … Continue reading 2: Seeing the future in Tokyo
I kicked off my day with an extremely civilised breakfast in a Denny’s (another of the wonderful breakfast sets that make mornings so delightful). For the princely sum of ¥633 (about £4.75) I had a rasher of bacon, a fried egg, a mini salad, a pot of yoghurt and a twisty croissant-cum-loaf (deliciously buttery) with a glass of orange juice and a pot of tea. … Continue reading 3: Archaeology in Aomori
I woke up to find Aomori lightly dusted with snow. The morning was warming up a little, however, and on my way to find breakfast I dodged several mini avalanches of melting snow sliding off roofs. I popped into a chain café called DOUTOR for a very welcome hot chocolate and a mini pizza (still counts as breakfast) and sat and people-watched for a while. … Continue reading 4: The ogres of Aomori
I almost didn’t make it to Sendai – I made it to the platform in Aomori 2 minutes before the train was due to leave (and if I’d missed that, I would have missed my shinkansen from Shin-Aomori). I blame the konbini where I shopped for breakfast – so many intriguing pastry and sandwich options that I lost track of time! Thankfully, I did catch … Continue reading 5: Sakura in Sendai
Despite accidentally sleeping in, I managed to get out of the hotel in pretty good time to start another packed day of sight-seeing. I stopped off at another DOUTOR café near Sendai station and had another tiny pizza for breakfast, with a mixed berry yoghurt drink (I was extremely impressed with myself for deciphering the katakana for that!). I was bound for Matsushima Bay, so … Continue reading 6: Cruising Matsushima
The weather forecast for Thursday was rather wet, so I decided not to venture too far afield, but to explore Sendai. Sendai is known as the “city of trees”, and when I set out they were all dripping. Fortified by a breakfast of a muffin and a really delicious apple-mango smoothie, I bought a day ticket for the Loople sightseeing bus, which departs from Sendai … Continue reading 7: Making friends in Sendai
Despite an unpromising weather forecast, I didn’t abandon my plan to visit Yamadera. I caught a train from Sendai station, nabbed a window seat and was soon munching breakfast (a plain but perfect butter roll and a swirly pastry I wish I knew the name of – delicious, toffee-coated, crunchy outside, flaky inside) and watching the scenery speed by. In a surprisingly short time, the … Continue reading 8: The thousand steps of Yamadera
I boarded the shinkansen to Ichinoseki armed with a Blood Orangina (nicer than it sounds!) and some very fluffy egg sandwiches from the konbini near my hotel. Having sat down and started my breakfast, I was accosted by an Australian across the aisle who wanted to know if all the seats were reserved or not, and whether the train was indeed stopping at Ichinoseki. I’m … Continue reading 9: Hiraizumi’s soba challenge
Having decided not to base my last full day in Japan around travelling back to Tokyo, I checked out of my hotel in Sendai in good time in the morning, and headed to the station, where I stashed my suitcase in a convenient locker and prepared for another day of sightseeing. Unfortunately, the weather seemed determined to make me homesick – lashing rain and strong … Continue reading 10: Dodging raindrops in Sendai
Tinpot travelogue 