Traveling with your Bro-In-Law: Japan

Hello Readers!

As much of a nerd that I am, Japan was never on my travel list, but my brother-in-law wanted to go and my Twin did not, so in June, I spent 6 days in the 2 largest cities on the island: Tokyo & Osaka.

He wanted to spend his 35th birthday there but was discouraged by a little thing known as Covid… so this year, I seem to be making up for lost time!

I flew into Vancouver, British Colombia from Washington-Dulles the day before flying to Tokyo’s Narita airport. Vancouver’s approach is over the Fraser River, landing on an island specifically for the airport. How cool is that?!

Vancouver is a quintessential Pacific Northwest view from the window seat: a lumber yard right below.

I didn’t spend a lot of time around Vancouver on day 1, and only really spent the evening and morning around the hotel, River Rock Casino Resort. The views were just as good on the ground from the main lobby right on the river. Following a quiet arrival in Canada, I was off to Tokyo!

Whale hip sculpture in Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver to Tokyo is a 9 hour flight, and Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of Vancouver in terms of time, so landing was rough and I was exhausted. But the airport did NOT disappoint!

The Super Mario Bros movie hadn’t even been release yet, so Tokyo was bringing the HYPE!

Arriving in the morning for the largest populated city in the world, we had to find our hotel and figure out a subway card.

After a much needed nap, we went back to a city center for some night life experiences.

Leave it to Americans to find an English pub in Tokyo! It was a simple introduction to the hustle and bustle in a non-English speaking country.

After wandering around for the duration of the night, we had to jump back on a train to go back to our hotel. The subway system in Tokyo is in Japanese and English, and its efficient and speedy. But the Japanese rail was more my speed – since it never got crowded even in rush hour.

Everywhere in Tokyo, theres Shintu Shrines. A quiet reprieve from the business the city has. Everywhere I turned, there was a shrine or a Buddhist temple.

This is the most greenery I’ve seen on a building – full stop!

We did a Japanese Tea Experience above a gallery. We opted for the cocktail add on, where they tea-infused their liqueur (a variation of Sake – nothing too hard for 10 AM).

We wanted to spend more time outside, so we went to the Meiji Shrine . It’s a massive park – equitable to Central Park in NYC. The shrines were just the entry, and you have to make your way back to the temple in the middle. After exiting, the area around this part of Tokyo is surrounded by smaller picturesque parks all the way back to the subway stations.

Walking around the city, leaving the shrine, we went to a more populated area for the rest of the day.

After day 3 in Tokyo, we took the Shinkansen to Osaka for the Osaka Castle, and the Dontonbori downtown food scene.

Osaka street food was deliciously strange. I wouldn’t go back just for the okonomiyaki, but it was still a good experience. If was going to choose something to get instead, it would be the strange little squid balls that they deep fry with a FULL BABY SQUID in ball form.

okonomiyaki – a savory hashbrown pancake with octopus flakes.

I WOULD go back for this cheesecake in a heartbeat!

The exchange rate for Japan is astounding – 140 yen to every dollar! I spent about $900 total, for hotels, and my BIL paid for everything else – about the same value.

When we were downtown, there was this American Speakeasy that was QUITE phenomenal. I got free shots of Bourbon and Rye Whiskey because of my SICK tattoo!

The rest of the time we spent in Osaka was at the castle.

We made our way back to Tokyo for flights back to Vancouver, and we stayed in Odaiba, at the Hilton on the water.

When in Odaiba, there’s these giant transformer-like statues that are all over the city – one actually moves! Not the one we visited though…

And that concludes Japan! My Brother-in-Law had to go to a wedding in Montana, so we parted ways at the airport after arriving on June 16th (For a continued 40 hours of June 15th, really!), so I decided to go to the Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver, while I waited for my flight on June 16th.