Japan in December

Departure

Departure from Catania at 15:50 with flight TK1396. Arrival at 20:10 local time.

Tokyo

Departure from Istanbul with flight TK0052 Air Turkish at 02:10. Arrival in Tokyo at 19:50. (time difference 8 hours). We will stay overnight at the Apa Hotel Hanzomon Hirakawacho. We buy at the airport a transfer to Tokyo with the Keisei Skyliner, including a 3-day metro pass (7000¥ x 2 pax, direction Ueno, departure 21:09, 41 min travel time). From Ueno by metro we reach Hanzomon. The Japanese efficiency of public transport is proverbial; problems arise when exiting the metro: little light, but we wouldn't be able to decipher the signs in any case, no useful street signs, Google Maps doesn't allow downloading offline maps of Tokyo so we resort to other maps (which however turn out not to be reliable).

Although we are just a few meters from the hotel we can't find the direction to reach it; we barely have time to fall into despair, and we discover that what is said about the Japanese people corresponds to the truth, a girl sees us hunched over a map and comes to our rescue, takes a look around the neighborhood, then smilingly points us the way and doesn't stop bowing until we turn our backs... as if we had been the ones to help her!! At the hotel they give us a magnetic card for the room with which we will make payment at a special machine, which also activates the same card for using the elevator and opening the door of our tiny accommodation.

Tokyo - first steps

Guided Tour of Tokyo with Hiroshi Tsuji of Tokyo Free Guide. At 8:50 we meet at the hotel; immediately a surprise with a little gift given to us by Hiro's wife. At 9:10 transfer to the central station by metro. At 9:40, after visiting the entrance of the old station, and activating the JR pass that we will use in the following days, we move toward the Imperial Palace Area. We are lucky, due to a special event the inner path of the park is opened, which is worth appreciating for the typical autumn colors. At 12:00 we move to Asakusa; from the top floor of the information center building we see the characteristic streets that surround the Senso-ji. Before visiting the temple we have lunch in a local restaurant; we discover that Japanese cuisine is not only sushi and sashimi, and with 15 euros each we have a full lunch.

Japanese cuisine will always prove to be excellent, very varied, with low costs. At 14:00 we visit the Sensoji Temple Asakusa, that is the Temple of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, and the 5-story pagoda; we reach them by walking along Nakamise Dori avenue (and its little market) from the main Kaminarimon gate to the second Hozomon gate; the walk would take 2 minutes if we didn't stop several times to look at souvenirs in the stalls, taste Japanese specialties and take photos of tourists dressed in kimono and yukata. At 15:30 we move to Tsukiji Market, the largest fish market in Japan, and from here on foot to Ginza, the most elegant and expensive district of Tokyo; we watch a few minutes of a kabukiza performance in the most famous theater in Tokyo thanks to a discounted ticket of just 1000 yen.

From the garden of the Gsix terrace we will admire the city of Tokyo from above, then we bid farewell to the friendly Hiroshi. Then we move with a single metro stop to Shiodome, where we admire a light show, with Christmas trees, and music from Beauty and the Beast, which entertains the patrons outside the Caretta shopping center. Next we move by metro to Roppongi where we hope to see at least one illumination, but due to rain we only stop to see the light show of the Midtown Christmas, which represents the solar system. We have dinner there, then we head toward Shibuya, wandering aimlessly among the buildings of the immense metropolis

Tokyo far and wide

Tokyo – Guided tour with Takuya Hayashi of Tokyo Free Guide. Appointment at 10 am at the hotel. First we have breakfast buying pastries to heat up at a market near the hotel; later we will have hot canned coffee with milk from an automatic beverage dispenser (during the vacation it will be our most consumed drink). The tour begins with a metro transfer to Shibuya, where at the station we book JR seat reservations for Kyoto the following day (with Fuji view, seats D and E). In Shibuya we observe the Hachiko Statue and the very famous Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, which we immortalize in photos also from above from Starbucks. We then move to Shinjuku, to the Metropolitan Government Building Observatory, from which one enjoys an excellent view of the city, but unfortunately Mount Fuji is covered by clouds.

The next stop is the visit to the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku St. metro. Certainly one of the most well-known destinations in Tokyo, but it doesn't excite us that much. The Shinto shrine is immersed in an immense park, Yoyogi, and its most well-known image is the majestic torii at the entrance of the site. Whoever wishes can make a wish in front of the shrine, making 2 bows and clapping 2 times, then throwing a coin toward a special box and bowing again. We have lunch in a restaurant inside the park, then we make a jump to Akihabara, the electronics district, and visit a huge appliance store, Yodobashi; only now do I realize that in 40 years of life I have well contributed to the economic growth of the country, buying TVs, videos and cameras, smartphones, of well-known Japanese brands, from Sony to Canon, to Nikon, from Philips to Toshiba, Panasonic, etc. etc...

Few cosplay around Akihabara, mostly paid to entice tourists to enter the venues of the district. Last stop with the guide is Odaiba, an artificial island known for its numerous museums, for shopping, and for the Oedo Monogatari onsen; we walk for about an hour and only stop to see the giant Gundam in front of a shopping center; its show is absolutely disappointing. We don't go to the Onsen because my travel companion absolutely does not appreciate that experience. After saying goodbye to Takuya, by metro we reach Tokyo Dome to spend about an hour among the Christmas lights and the Roller Coasters little frequented due to the cold. Next, transfer to Rikugien park, for a walk and nighttime photos around the lake (paid entrance); the colors are very suggestive, a splendid photo set. We return to Akihabara in the evening, but the visit is disappointing, little nightlife, zero attractions.

Kamakura

Guided Tour of Kamakura with Kenzo Kimura of Kamakura Welcome Guide Association. Departure 8:25 from Shibuya, track 4, JR Yokosuka Line for Zushi, arrival at 9:16 at Kita-Kamakura. We have breakfast in one of the very expensive places/tea rooms at the exit of the station, then we meet the friendly Kenzo (appointment at 10). At the exit of the station you turn left and go up to Engakuji Temple, one of the most important Buddhist complexes in Japan; we don't ring the big bell, nor do we admire the Buddha's tooth, but the visit still excites us. We spend over an hour surrounded by nature and admire the typical Japanese landscape with its autumn colors; a pleasant temperature will accompany us all day. Our guide will also allow us to see Mount Fuji from a perspective little known to most, from the top of the Engakuji hill.

Once the visit is over, transfer by train to Kamakura station (we buy the Kankyo Tegata, 570 yen full day, a special discounted ticket for transport in Kamakura). We continue our tour with the visit of the Hokokuji Temple (bamboo temple) where we taste in the grove the famous matcha (green tea), and witness the ritual of its preparation; we take numerous photos among the bamboos, then we move by bus toward the center, and visit one of the wonders of Kamakura, the Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, actually composed of two shrines linked by a staircase; Kenzo tells us about an event that is celebrated once a year in this complex and sees archers showing off in horseback archery.

We leave the cultural heart of Kamakura, crossing the little bridge, and the torii, then we walk on foot along the main avenue for all its 2 km until we reach the bus stop that will take us to the temple of the Great Buddha; here we admire the great bronze statue, symbol of the city, we even go inside it... Now past 14:30 we finally find a characteristic place to have lunch; we sit cross-legged on a tatami, enjoying a typical Japanese lunch. Satisfied, after an hour's stop, I manage to get up with some difficulty, and I understand why many girls have crooked legs in Japan... At 15:30 we reach the last stop of the day, the Hasedera Temple, at the top of a hill, immersed in greenery and peace, surrounded by thousands of jizo, little bonsai protectors of dead children and... of travelers. This site too is of unparalleled beauty.

The day in Kamakura ends at the station, from which we take the local train to Kita-Kamakura. Here we say goodbye to the friendly Kenzo, who will dedicate a post to us on the Facebook page of his association. Before 17:00 we are already on the JR that takes us back to Tokyo; we stay downtown. Evening dedicated to shopping. We move toward Shibuya to see the illuminated terrace (disappointing), then we experience the courtesy of the Japanese people... we ask for information from a construction worker inside the station, and he offers to accompany us for about 1 km through the very complicated detours due to the expansion of the station almost until reaching Tokyu Hands, a store that sells a bit of everything (but not even its 7 floors entice us to make any purchase). We wander north until we discover an avenue with festively lit trees, which ends at the entrance of Yoyogi park.

In search of nighttime shopping we end up in Harajuku, where on the famous Takeshita Dori street we find a Daiso store; despite the positive reviews found on the internet, both the street and the 100 yen store are disappointing for us. Next stop in Shinjuku, near Studio Alta, a stone's throw from the famous Godzilla and King Kong, the Don Quixote store; not even in this store do we find souvenirs. We are now almost resigned to returning to Italy empty-handed... a stomachache of my wife forces us first to a stop with the relevant affront to the cinema under the unsettling silhouette of Godzilla, then the retreat to the hotel.

Kyoto - Higashiyama and Gion

Wake up at dawn. Hotel check out. We leave the large luggage in storage (we will stay overnight in the same hotel on the return from Kyoto). Before departure we had considered using the convenient Japanese luggage shipping service between hotels, but considering that in Kyoto our accommodation is not far from the station, and having verified that in the stations of Kyoto and Kanazawa (which will be our first destination on the return from Kyoto) luggage storage facilities are very numerous and efficient, we abandon this option. JR SHINKANSEN HIKARI 463 at 8:03 from Tokyo st., track 19, arrival in Kyoto at 10:45. Along the way we are lucky enough to see Mount Fuji (considering the season and the already considerable cold on its slopes we abandon the idea of visiting the stations of the mountain on our last day of vacation in Japan).

Arrived in Kyoto we deposit luggage in a CoinLocker, and buy a 24-hour pass for buses only (500 yen x day x person). Although in possession of a map of the bus stops, it will not be easy to navigate the directions for using public transport in Kyoto. Considering that hotel check-in is only possible from 15:00 we immediately move by bus to the Kyomizudera stop, in the Higashiyama district, east of the center; already from the climb that leads to the temple we find an atmosphere of other times, and we let ourselves be carried by the crowd, stopping every 3 steps and losing ourselves among shops and workshops. We taste characteristic Japanese pastas, in their variants Yuba bun, Matcha bun and Beef bun. At the end of the climb awaits us one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, moreover in 2007 among the finalists candidates to be included among the seven wonders of the modern world.

Interesting is the visit of the temples, beautiful panorama of the city of Kyoto, here you breathe the air of the ancient Edo period; enlivening the visit are numerous tourists dressed in characteristic clothing, who gladly pose for photos. All the locals and tourists are cordial, helpful, the atmosphere is pervaded with peace. We don't go down toward the waterfall from which the site takes its name, nor do we try to take a step outside the veranda in the hope that our wishes find fulfillment; the time available is scarce, and we leave to other visitors the thrill of testing the numerous legends of Kiyomizudera.

We descend from the hill and walk along the characteristic pedestrian streets in search of local delicacies, views to photograph, temples and shrines; Kyoto is without a doubt one of the most pleasant cities on the planet where to spend free time, and one never tires of admiring what man and nature have perfectly combined; every shop, every site, every little street has its own characteristics and is worthy of our admiration, so we decide not to make a selection of the places to see but to let ourselves be carried away by so much beauty. Not to be missed are the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets. After so much wandering we end up in front of an enormous Buddha statue, which stands majestically inside the Ryozen Kannon temple; considering the limited time, and although we have by now given up the philosopher's path, we decide to skip this visit and dedicate ourselves to other sites.

We visit the nearby Kodaiji Temple, which impresses us for its beautiful garden, the small bamboo forest and the historic wooden buildings; we look from above into the distance at the famous Yasaka Pagoda and next we lose ourselves among alleys and little streets that lead us to the visit of other temples. We count them by the dozens, wandering around Kyoto is truly pleasant, but well aware that we cannot see everything either in a day, nor in an entire month even if we had that much time available, we decide to go down toward Gion, in search of some geisha; and we are even lucky enough to see one while some kids chase and court her. We also have time to enter the nearby Nishiki fish market; interesting, it would certainly have been even more so in the morning witnessing the auctions, but getting up at dawn after so many daily efforts is not part of our program.

At 17:00 exhausted we decide to return to the station to empty the coin locker and walk the about 200 meters that separate us from our Ryokan. Here we come into contact with Japanese customs, we leave our shoes at the entrance of the residence, then we are warmly welcomed at the reception; the room has essential services, the classic futon we find rolled up on the tatami, a tiny room with a small table and space to prepare tea is accessible by sliding a sliding door; to stay in this tiny space we wear a sort of kimono, similar to our bathrobe. We rest a few minutes then we go out, we go to the station to take the bus to Pontocho. During the short bus ride we admire a characteristic Japanese art, that of sleeping in public in the most improbable situations, inemuri.

Pontocho is famous for its numerous okiya and ochaya (geisha houses and tea houses), as well as for numerous characteristic restaurants; we have dinner in one of these, then we move again toward the station, and stay overnight at the Ryokan Kyoraku. Rating of the day: 10 and praise!!

Kyoto - simply fantastic !

Wake up early. By bus we reach Ginkakuji, the silver temple, before moving toward the western area to Kinkakuji; we are in the northern part of the Higashiyama district. On the climb that leads to the access of the site we find on the right the beginning of the philosopher's path, and we realize that the distance that separates us from the Nanzenji, and from the Kiyomizudera even further south, is definitely notable; fortunately the day before we had given up on tackling the path in its entirety, saving ourselves a night in the open. A Zen temple and residence of the Shogun in the past, the wooden building of the Ginkakuji would tell us little if it weren't immersed in a splendid context, from the essential Zen stone garden, to the plant and shrub garden still very colorful despite the autumn being already well advanced.

Photos galore, a long walk on the hill to also enjoy the panorama from above, then we leave the site satisfied and already fulfilled by our daily tour. The second stop of the day puts us in front of the harsh Japanese reality, getting around by public transport in Kyoto is not exactly intuitive; although having a map in hand, the bus connections create numerous problems because the stops near the intersections are numerous, often placed on the opposite corner from the one illustrated on the map, and only on site does one discover which is the right stop; I therefore advise taking direct point-to-point rides, or changing means on the fly only in the presence of well-indicated connections, and not at intersections.

We therefore take an hour to reach the next destination, instead of the 30 minutes that would have been enough if we had patiently waited for bus 102 suggested on the internet sites, and well noted in my travel notes. The Kinkakuji, or Golden Temple, a Buddhist temple in the northwest area of Kyoto, is part of the UNESCO Heritage and is one of the most visited buildings in Japan; covered in gold leaf it is reflected in the pond that almost entirely surrounds it, and lends itself to the best postcard photos of our vacation; a marvel both the building, not visitable inside, and the surrounding garden. It is 11:30, and even in the midst of so much nature we find automatic dispensers of hot drinks, ice creams, a post office stall (!!) and more; we have a snack and move toward the bus stop.

Time is tyrannical, although the Ninnaji temple is very close to the Kinkakuji and to the other destination of interest, the Ryoanji, we skip the visit of the first because the day is still very long and we plan to return soon to the center to visit the Nijo and then move toward Arashiyama in the afternoon. The Ryoanji is known above all for the very famous Zen garden of Karesansui, and has been part of the UNESCO Heritage sites since 1994. The whole site is scenic, the autumn colors of the vegetation are still appreciable; of the 15 stones scattered in the garden of white sand, from any angle at most 14 can be seen, for the complete panorama a superior consciousness is necessary... Once the visit is over at 12:30 we move by bus and in 1 hour we are in front of the entrance of the Nijo Palace.

A site of unparalleled beauty, it was the residence of the Edo shogunate for 270 years until 1867, when Emperor Meiji decided to use it as his residence. A UNESCO Heritage site, it is a castle surrounded by a moat and composed of two main fortifications; the interiors are known for the paintings on the sliding panels, and for the "nightingale floors", so called for the characteristic noise produced with every footstep. Once out of the main residence, having admired its park from a terrace, it is right here that my travel companion, under a sudden downpour, decides to descend and speed up her pace, skidding in a curve and suffering a strange aquaplaning effect that makes her flip over; while the diligent Japanese come to her aid, I waste too much time and fail to immortalize for posterity such a poor figure...

We spend the next quarter of an hour verifying that the bodywork has not suffered irreparable damage; pit stop at the bathroom, then we set off again while the sky reopens and the sun laughs merrily. Despite the delay on the travel schedule, leaving the Nijo we notice 3 geishas intent on rolling among the fallen leaves in a vast grassy area, and taking photos; my altruistic instinct prevails, I ask the girls if they need a photojournalist, then I entrust my travel companion with the arduous task, while I enjoy myself with the smartphone immortalizing the moment without making myself too noticed and arousing their suspicion... they will be the best shots of the entire vacation, of little or no consequence the fact that the girls are Chinese originally from Shanghai...

At 15:20 we are at the station for the transfer to Arashiyama, where we will visit the Bamboo forest, Togetsukyo Bridge and the Tenryuji Temple. A destination already studied at the drawing board, Arashiyama from December 8 lights up from 17:00 on the occasion of the Hanatouro; at 16:00 we are already on site but unfortunately to welcome us there is rain; we therefore visit the Tenryuji... visit in the sense that we take advantage of the temple's cover, and without paying we peek at what interesting things it offers... Unable to scrounge indefinitely from the cover, in order to prevent the Japanese people from losing patience, we head under the rain toward the bamboo forest and begin the excursion at the moment when the illumination turns on; in a few minutes the place becomes crowded, and one cannot fully enjoy the walk.

We decide to head toward the river, the stretch along the river that leads to the Togetsukyo Bridge is interesting for the atmosphere created with a play of lights that illuminates the mountain on the opposite side from ours. We stroll in the center trying to shelter from the rain, because of which many places are closed; we have a snack, then take the train to Kyoto. Back in central Kyoto, we discover that inside the station there are dozens of restaurants, all characteristic; the excessive offer distracts me and confuses me quite a bit, and in the end we simply end up choosing a place where they heat okonomiyaki directly on the griddle at the table.

Nara - Fushimi Inari - Osaka

Nara tour guided from 9 with Masako Hirotsu (Nara SGG CLUB), appointment at the ticket gate of Nara St. The guide is quite cold, much less empathetic than the previous ones. We immediately move by bus to the Todaji temple. Already at the entrance of the park there are numerous deer that approach in search of food. Inside the temple we admire the statue of Buddha, and retrace the unfortunate history of its construction, destroyed several times and then rebuilt. Due to a local marathon, transport is delayed, and some undergo route changes, so we are forced to give up the visit of other sites in the city... too bad our guide did not warn in good time of the problem.... Back at the JR Nara station we move by bus toward Daigokuden – Heijyo Palace, inaugurated just 2 years ago, costing over 80 million dollars...

Few tourists at the site, too isolated from the other beauties of the city, it is ill-suited to be included in a day tour; majestic, but bare. At 13:00 we are again at Nara Station, ready to move toward Kyoto with the local train; we will get off at Inari at 14:19. At the exit of the station we glimpse the first torii of Fushimi Inari; we have lunch at the street stalls, delicious octopus balls, then we begin the climb. After about 2 hours and numerous stops we decide not to go beyond the first viewpoint; we come down with the illumination already active. The Shrine is one of the wonders of Japan, one of the most well-known images of the film "Memoirs of a Geisha", those in which the protagonist runs up to the top of the hill, rings the bell and expresses her wish.

We will watch the film upon returning to Italy, and we will remain breathless at the vision on TV, as well as in person on 9/12/2017... leaving under the first of the numerous foxes protectors of the prosperity and wealth of the harvests. After the visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, we return to Kyoto by train. We verify that the JR connections to Osaka allow us to spend our wedding anniversary in the Namba district; in 35 minutes we are at Osaka central station; another 15 minutes by metro and we are at Dotombori, the mecca of Japanese food. We find "our" characteristic place in a side street far from the chaos of the center; we struggle with the waiters to have a table with a griddle, and for the first time we discover that even in Japan courtesy is not always at home.

After dinner we decide to move quickly toward the castle park; the ritual photos and we quickly leave the city to return to Kyoto. At the Ryokan I had already notified of our delay with respect to the curfew time, and the manager awaits us with the usual smile at past 23:00.

Kanazawa

We are tempted to have breakfast in a typical Japanese place, but as soon as we enter the room we are thrown off by the menus exclusively in the local language, and by the courses served at the tables, practically lunches with soba, meat, and whatever else would give us a nice stomachache just a few minutes after being launched at 400 km per hour toward the north of the country; we give up, we move to the central station and buy a bento (an extraordinary typical packed lunch, also based on sushi, sashimi, etc.) that we will consume during the journey. Departure from Kyoto at 8:10 for Kanazawa, tr.0, with LTD EXP Thunderbird 5, arrival at 10:25. We quickly pass by the station bathrooms and when we come out we don't find the guide waiting for us... 5 minutes of delay are too many... fortunately plan B kicks in...

we find her at the tourist information center!! Free Tour from 10:25 with Natsuko Shinkura (KGGN volunteer). Natsuko seems like we've known her forever, already from the numerous emails exchanged before departure she had shown herself very proactive and had teased us with the idea of touring Kanazawa wearing characteristic kimono/yukata, but considering the little time available we preferred to spend more time in the geisha district; she speaks a little Italian due to past experiences with Italian males... We waste time finding free coin lockers to deposit our luggage, then we buy a daily bus ticket for 500 yen, and immediately move by bus toward the Omicho market.

Interesting visit, we take the opportunity to have perhaps the best coffee of our Japanese experience; we take numerous photos, the fish stalls are truly characteristic with the prices displayed on each single crab, oyster, etc. At 11:00 by bus we go to the Gyokuseninmaru Garden, the perfect garden, one of the most beautiful in all of Japan. The ritual photos, also with a friend of Natsuko about to take a trip to Italy to Catania, with whom we exchange a few words. Then we move on foot toward the Kanazawa Castle Park, which we visit only from the outside. Still on foot we reach the Kenrokuen park, one of the 3 most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan. Although we are north of the Japanese Alps, the temperature is not harsh and allows us to enjoy the visit of parks and gardens. 13:00 lunch in a traditional Japanese restaurant, we try noodles with various catch (excellent).

The owners don't speak English, without the guide it would have been impossible to have this experience. 14:20 Transfer by bus to Higashi Chaya, the geisha district. We stroll for about an hour in the characteristic little alleys, we enjoy a "gold-plated" ice cream... we discover "pro-gluten" shops. We remain disappointed by the visit, the district is very touristy and the only geisha we spot behind a shop window is waiting for customers for the tea ceremony. We take public transport again and return to the central station; we retrieve our luggage and say goodbye to the friendly Natsuko. 16:47 departure for Tokyo with Shinkansen Kagayaki 512, arrival at 19:20.

In Tokyo our pass for local transport is no longer valid, but until the end of the trip our JR pass is valid which allows us to take the dedicated JR trains within the city; we will discover that there is another underground world dedicated only to the privileged of the JR. Tired we have a quick snack and return to the Hanzomon hotel to sleep the last 2 nights in Japan.

Nikko

Nikko guided tour Usgg club with Ryoko Takasu (+819044505851). Departure from Tokyo St. at 8:28 tr.23 with Shinkansen Nasuno 253 (arrival at Utsunomiya at 9:21). Meeting at 9:30 with the guide at the transfer gate from the Shinkansen to the JR Nikko. Departure 9:32 and arrival at 10:21 at JR Nikko St. Read the timetables and connections carefully: punctuality in Japan is disarming!!! Considering that during the whole day we will take only 2 buses, and we will walk quite a bit, we avoid buying a pass. At 11:00 we visit the Rin-no-ji Temple, which is part of the complex of the treasures of Nikko UNESCO Heritage. It is the most important temple in Nikko, but we only manage to peek from the outside as the site is under renovation.

- 11:30 Toshogu Shrine, a Shinto shrine UNESCO Heritage; characterized by about a dozen very colorful buildings, some with gold leaf applications; we don't miss the opportunity to photograph a decoration depicting the 3 wise monkeys (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil). Followed by a long walk through various buildings immersed in the woods. We have lunch after 14:00 in a place similar to a canteen, a menu based on noodles. Then in 20 minutes on foot we reach "the abyss" on a bank of the Daya river; the ground is icy, the waterfalls form the backdrop to the spectacle of the warriors left to guard the site (70 Jizo, others were carried away by a flood long ago...); these carved and bibbed rocks represent one of the most curious and well-known postcards of Japan.

We leave the Kanmangafuchi Abyss and still on foot we reach the famous Shinkyo Bridge, the last photo of our fantastic experience in Nikko. We move to the JR Nikko St. by bus. Train for JR Utsunomiya St. at 16:41, arrival 17:24. Return to Tokyo with SHINKANSEN YAMABIKO 52, tr. 4, at 17:34 for Tokyo St. Last evening in Tokyo, we decide to spend it at Roppongi Hills, among the extravagant Christmas trees set up and its little markets. We cross Omotesando and lose ourselves among the buildings of the megalopolis, in search of a place to have dinner. We look at a few shops. We let ourselves be taken by the nostalgia of the last night in this wonderful Country.

Last day in Tokyo

At 9:00 check out at the hotel; we leave the luggage in storage. We go out in search of souvenirs, we decide to return to Asakusa in the district of the Meiji Temple. After finally buying souvenirs for relatives and friends we decide to photograph for the last time Mount Fuji from the 25th floor of the Bukyo Civic. After that we move to the Ikebukuro district, which shows itself much more lively than other areas of the city.

Last experience in Tokyo is the visit to the Samurai museum, in Shinjuku, a place impossible to find even with the help of the local police station (we will only manage to find it thanks to its proximity to the famous King Kong), where we will review the history of the Japanese people and traditions, and I will victoriously face the last warrior of a long dynasty, also trying on a typical samurai outfit for the ritual photos together with my geisha, ecstatic at my success... It's late, already lunchtime but we don't have time to eat; we reach the hotel by metro, retrieve the luggage and move toward the station to catch the train. Departure from Tokyo at 17:30 Shibuya station with Narita Express, arrival at Narita at 19:05. Flight tk0053 at 21:40, destination Istanbul. Stopover in Istanbul at 4:20, departure again at 7:40 with flight TK1393. Arrival in Catania at 8:00.