Osaka Expo 2025

This morning, I unfortunately have to say good bye to my friends as they head to the airport to take a flight to Tokyo. Touchpad, Chef and family will spend a night in Tokyo before flying home. Salmonella will start settling into his apartment in Tokyo as he plans to live in Japan for the next year. It's bittersweet seeing them go! I enjoy the time we get to spend together but I'm now a solo...

teamLab BioVortex Kyoto

Heading to Kyoto Today we are doing a day trip to Kyoto. teamLab Biovortex recently just opened in Kyoto and we are lucky enough to have tickets to visit. So after a quick convenience breakfast from our hotel, we set out to catch the train to Kyoto. It's a beautiful day to be out and about outside, and I can't help but enjoy these normal Japanese streets as we make our way to the train station. ...

Osaka Aquarium

Osaka After disembarking from the Sunflower Ferry, we hop on the train to head to our Osaka hotel. The Lively Osaka will be our home for the next few days and has a modern vibe to it. Because we're arriving early, we don't get to check in right away but do drop off our luggage. Soon after we head out to the Osaka Aquarium.   One of the things I unforgivably forgot to pack on this trip were my...

Beppu

Breakfast After a very restful night, Salmonella, Touchpad & Chef's family and I recongregate in our Ryokan's dining area for breakfast. One of the great things about staying at a ryokan like this are the set meal plans. It's an amazing way to try some pretty tasty dishes. Sharing a meal with friends to start the day is very welcome While we eat,  we go over our plan for the day. After...

Heading to Beppu via Yufuin

After yesterday's late night, I have a bit of a lazy morning, my plans sadly change a little due to the rainy weather. I head out in the late morning to a tonkatsu shop called Tonkatsu Wakaba for lunch. What's interesting about this tonkatsu is that it a paler shade of white than most normal tonkatsu. This is unique due to the low temperature cooking process. It results in a very tender and tasty...

Fukuoka

Ganso Hakata Mentaiju  After a good nights rest I allow myself to sleep in a little before heading out to explore Fukuoka. Fukuoka is pretty known for their mentaiko which is cod roe. So my first stop is a bit of "breakfast" at Ganso Hakata Mentaiju. This restaurant is fairly well regarded for this fare and getting there early I'm able to beat the rush. I order their "Han Men Sui" set. This...