Travel Journal
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[2024] Back to Hanoi (Vietnam): Leathercraft Class Round 2 & Foodie Adventures
After Osaka, here we are in Hanoi, Vietnam. My hometown. It’s been 2 years since we last returned to Vietnam, and this time, the city hasn’t changed much. Probably due to the economic slowdown, many people are struggling, losing their jobs, and trying to survive while waiting for better days. We spend the first few days at my parents’ house and enjoy Dad and Mom’s home cooking (spring rolls, free-range chicken, vermicelli, cốm, fruit…). Before we arrived, I placed a big order of books that my father took the time to receive, and I’m thrilled to have them all with me to either scan or read. These are books not…
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Review of our second trip to Japan
The first time we set foot in Japan was in 2018, a few weeks before the cherry blossoms bloomed. That year, the cherry trees bloomed two weeks early, and we were able to enjoy them fully, much to our pleasant surprise. Japan is a country with a high cost of living, but the yen (the Japanese currency) is in free fall. We take advantage of the opportunity to return in 2024. Thanks to the yen’s devaluation, we can afford to stay in hotels instead of necessarily looking for Airbnbs. However, to save some money, we decide to avoid the cherry blossom season and go two weeks later, in mid-April 2024.…
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A few days in Osaka (Japan)
After Kyoto, we’re spending a few days in Osaka before our trip to Vietnam. I would have loved to take a special train (the one with a mini Japanese garden), but unfortunately it’s only available on holidays and weekends. We try our best not to bother the locals with our luggage, so the shinkansen remains the best option (rather than the crowded local train). When you want to take any shinkansen, just buy a ticket at the gate for your destination station, and get on any shinkansen that allows “unreserved seats.” Generally, cars 1-2-3 are for those without assigned seats. Arriving in Osaka, we’re surprised to see young people smoking…
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We spent Golden Week in Kyoto (Japan)
After the road trip, my parents are going back to Vietnam while we still enjoy Japan (in Kansai) for about ten more days. We take a shinkansen for the first time from Tokyo, heading to Kyoto. Kyoto is a fairly expensive city, so JB chooses a hotel for us in the outskirts of Kyoto. We’re right in the middle of Golden Week, a week with lots of public holidays, when the whole of Japan goes on vacation. Our hotel in Kameoka has an onsen on site, which JB loves because he only has to go down three floors to enjoy the hot and cold baths and the sauna. There’s even…
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Buying a fan in Kyoto (Japan)
To easily find your way around Japan and rediscover your favorite shops, opt for a Holafly eSIM ! You’ll get unlimited data during your stay, plus the Always On benefit: 1 GB/month of backup data included to stay connected no matter what. My latest obsession is the Japanese fan. Luckily for my wallet, they’re not very expensive. I bought my fan at a specialty shop in Tokyo and I was really happy with it. But I told myself I couldn’t settle for just one fan. Last time, I lost my only Japanese fan during a heatwave in Istanbul and suffered every time it got hot; I need at least a…
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Taking the shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto
This is our second trip to Japan, but last time we preferred to fly between Osaka and Tokyo because it was cheaper. This time, we need to go to Kyoto from Tokyo, so we opted for the shinkansen. The shinkansen website is incomprehensible; JB can’t even create an account because his credit card won’t go through. However, in big cities, there are automatic machines to buy your shinkansen tickets. We were in a small town when we decided to buy a ticket, so we simply bought it at the counter. They asked us “reserved seats or not?” and we said “reserved seats” since we’re leaving the day before Golden Week…
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Shopping in Tokyo (Japan): Ozu Washi, Fans, and Tsukiji Market
We still have one day in Tokyo before leaving for Kansai. Since JB has been driving non-stop for about ten days, I do my little visits alone in the morning and we meet up later at Tsukiji Outer Market. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Ozu Washi I’ve always been very interested in Japanese papers, and despite my small washi workshop a few days ago, I still visit the Ozu Washi, in operation since 1653. This shop, specializing in washi (Japanese paper), now functions as a cultural center dedicated to washi, offering exhibitions and workshops on calligraphy and ink painting. Used for its exceptional durability…
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Ashikaga Flower Park [Road trip in Japan #9]
I saw videos of Ashikaga Flower Park a long time ago and it has always been my dream to go there. Unfortunately, it’s quite far from Tokyo (a bit like Mount Fuji). Even with a train that stops right in front of the park entrance, the idea of spending 3 hours round trip on public transport doesn’t appeal to me much. So, I’m very happy to be able to go by car. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 Part 1: Travel…
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Haruna Shrine, Shorinzan Daruma-ji and Daruma Talismans [Japan Road Trip #8]
Everyone leaves Kusatsu reluctantly. Not only has the whole family become too fond of onsen towns, but we’re also approaching the end of the road trip. It’s raining a little, but we’re cozy inside the car. Let’s go! This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 8 of the road trip We see the cherry blossoms for the last time, and these full bloom cherry trees near a pretty bridge totally satisfy…
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Kusatsu Onsen & Snow monkey park [Road trip in Japan #7]
We leave very early from Kanazawa to get to Kusatsu Onsen. The road is very long, so we make a few stops along the way so JB can rest a bit. This travel diary is part of a series on our road trip in Japan. If you missed the previous episodes, here are the links: the itinerary, diary #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 6 of the road trip: We pick up the car after parking it for less than 48 hours. The parking lot JB chose isn’t too expensive; we pay at most 1200 yen for 24…
