Highlights from Osaka and Nara, Japan

After our journey to the highest point in Japan, we spent a few days in Osaka to rest up before our next mountain adventure in the Northern Japanese Alps.

This trip was before COVID-19 changed our lives and how we travel. The purpose of this post is to write about my memories. I don’t know about current restrictions to travel to Japan right now.

It was a whirlwind leg of our trip (arrived in the evening, spent a day exploring and left the next morning) so here’s a few highlights!

Osaka Aquarium

The Osaka Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium. When deciding what to do with a full day in Osaka, the chance to see whale sharks sealed the deal.

We arrived right before the aquarium opened and there was already a long line to purchase tickets. I’d recommend buying online in advance.

Once inside, the aquarium kept us busy for several hours. The highlights were watching the feeding times for otters, whale sharks and penguins! Make sure to check out the feeding time schedule and plan your visit around your favorite creatures.

There’s also a snack bar with fun and unique treats. We tried the whale shark soft serve ice cream and jelly fish soda. My husband and I joke that we were the only adults eating such treats in the cafeteria filled with parents and young children.

Nara Park

After exploring the aquarium and filling up on sushi (see below), we had the afternoon open and squeezed in a trip to Nara! We were able to use our Japan Rail Pass to make the one hour (each way) train venture from Osaka to Nara Park.

The park is home to more than 1,000 deer. There are vendors that sell biscuits for the deer so you can give them a little snack. The deer are famous for bowing for their snacks! I’m cautious of animal attractions like this when I travel. For example, there’s a Fox Village in Japan I wanted to visit (foxes are my favorite!), but after reading reviews, it didn’t feel like it was in the best interest of the animals. However, the deer park felt OK since the deer were in an open area and the park itself is free. I have great respect for wild animals and would love to hear other opinions on this.

We had time to wander the park for an hour before heading back to Osaka for a final meal and to pack our bags.

Food Highlights: Yakiniku, Sushi and Ramen

As mentioned, our time in Osaka was short. But, we had the opportunity to try some well-known Japanese food experiences for the first time including…

Yakiniku (Japanese bbq): you can choose from a menu of raw meat and cook at your table.
Conveyor-belt sushi bar: this was so much fun to pick sushi from the tablet at our seat and watch it come to us at high speed!
“Vending machine” ramen: You order and pay at a vending machine, but are seated inside and served fresh from the kitchen! We had a hard time translating the buttons but figured it out with the help of Google Translate and loved what we ended up with.

That was it! I wish we had more time in this region of Japan. Next up on our agenda was Kamikochi and Tokyo.

Getting to know Japan’s tallest peak: Mount Fuji

While we are definitely not traveling and not making travel plans since we don’t know exactly what the next few months will have in store, I’ve found comfort looking back at some of my favorite memories. While you may not be planning trips now, I hope this gives you inspiration for the future.

I keep going back to Japan in my mind, so I wanted to reflect on one of the many highlights: hiking Japan’s tallest mountain and enjoying a couple comfy nights in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) style hotel.

There is something so captivating about Mt. Fuji. Perhaps it’s how its reputation precedes itself. I’ve seen various artwork featuring Fuji before I ever saw a photograph, and then finally, the real thing. It’s the picture-book mountain – one lone peak with a perfectly sloped outline high into the sky. When I found out the trek to the top wasn’t technical and could be done in one day, I knew I wanted to experience the top of Japan!

I spent quite a bit of time researching how to get there and what to plan for, so wanted to share my experience!

Timing: We climbed Fuji via Yoshida trail at the very end of September. We chose this timing because it was off-season, so less crowded, but well before the first snow fall. The season is July 1-Sept. 10, so huts were closed but we still felt very safe on the mountain and saw a few other hikers. We completed this as a day hike over nine hours, though many chose to stay in one of the huts and complete the trek over two days.

Travel from Tokyo to Fuji: We flew into Tokyo from the U.S. and then immediately began the journey to a town called Fujikawaguchiko at the base of Fuji. We purchased Japan Rail passes in advance and found them to be well worth it throughout our travels in Japan. Here you can find details on getting to the Fuji area from Tokyo. For me, this journey was a jet-lagged blur! I was so grateful that our hotel picked us up from the Kawaguchiko train station even though we arrived after the usual shuttle time.

To get to the trail head (5th Station) of Fuji, our hotel helped us schedule a taxi, and it was about an hour ride. There is also a bus available which is more cost effective, but we wanted to leave early for a head start on the trail. We chose to do this during our first full day in Japan, so we were completely jet-lagged with a strange eating schedule. I would definitely not recommend doing that, but we were trying to squeeze the most out of the time we had in Japan.

The hike

As you can see above, this hike from 5th Station to the peak via Yoshida trail is quite the elevation gain over almost nine miles. In fact, this was the steepest hike in terms of elevation gain per mile that I’ve ever done. This hike was no joke.

The trails are nicely maintained and very clear. Yet, somehow we did manage to hike up the trail meant for vehicles which was incredibly steep. I’m blaming it on the jet lag and lack of breakfast. So please pay attention to the trail. If you are an experienced hiker in good shape and start early, you can definitely get this done in a one day without staying in the hut. The attitude got to me as we got closer to the peak, so please take your time, breath, eat and stay hydrated! I’ve been fine in higher altitudes, so I keep wondering if it’s related to how I was treating my body that day (jet-lagged, tired, eating snacks and not meals). Don’t do what i did!

It was a long day, but we made it to the peak and had enough energy left for a smiling photo opp!

We were lucky to hike on a clear day with amazing views of the blue sky and surrounding terrain. I’m glad we started early because clouds rolled in and erased that view on the descent. There is a separate ascending trail and descending trail which is great for hiker traffic (though the trail was not crowded at this time).

When we returned to the 5th Station, the shops and restaurants were now open and it was quite busy with tourists waiting for the clouds to show the view of Fuji’s perfect flat peak. We grabbed a bus ticket to return to Kawaguchiko station and then a shuttle back to our comfy hotel!

Matcha and strawberry soft serve at 5th Station

What to bring on the hike:

Day pack (mine is 30L, perfect size)
Hiking poles (these were SO helpful coming down the steep descent trail)
Sunscreen
Plenty of water, I had three liters
Snacks for energy (trail mix, protein bars, packed lunch, etc.)
Rain jacket, rain cover for pack
Warm gear (jacket, gloves, hat)
Good hiking boots and hiking socks

Mizno Hotel: Knowing we’d go for affordable Airbnbs or hotels the rest of our trip, I really wanted to splurge for a nice, but reasonable, place with a view of Fuji, and I was so thrilled by Mizno Hotel. The hotel itself is beautiful, service was lovely and we had so much fun trying fancy Japanese food at their restaurant for both dinner and breakfast. The Japanese breakfast with views of Fuji on the patio were extra special. We also took advantage of the private onsen (hot bath) which came with a bottle of sparkling wine. A very special treat!

Next up on our itinerary: Osaka

18 things to eat, see & do in New Orleans

Can you believe it’s been five years since my first blog post about a road trip to New Orleans? Since then, I’ve been back twice. I wanted to update the blog with some of my favorite stops in one of my favorite cities in the world.

St. Charles Street Car: ride the oldest continuously operated street car in the world and see views of historic New Orleans homes as you ride from St. Charles to Bourbon & Canal!

Frozen Irish Coffee at Erin Rose: it’s as tasty as it sounds and I never miss this when visiting NOLA. If you get a large, it comes in a souvenir cup you can take home.

Elizabeth’s: this is a cool spot in the Bywater neighborhood, and EVERYTHING on the brunch menu is delicious. Think Bloody Mary, chicken and waffles, French toast burrito, praline bacon and more!

Dr. Bob’s Art: after your stuff yourself at Elizabeth’s, walk down the street to find Dr. Bob’s for some cool local pieces large and small. I’ve taken one home and love it!

Cafe du Monde: seat yourself and enjoy iconic beignets and cafe au lait in the French Quarter. Cash only!

Walk along the Mississippi: after chowing down on French donuts, take a walk with views of North America’s second longest river.

Charbroiled Oysters at Drago’s: they taste like butter – yum! Great introduction to oysters for the newbies, too.

drago's charbroiled oysters new orleans — Drago’s charbroiled oysters

Pimm’s Cup at the Carousel Bar: head to the bar at Hotel Monteleone and wait to snag a spot at the carousel – it’s worth it! There are tons of fresh cocktail options, but I love the Pimm’s Cup because, when in NOLA…!

Hand grenade on Bourbon St: gotta try it at least once.

Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s: it tastes like punch and you get a pretty glass to take home.

Pool day at Ace Hotel: go during happy hour to enjoy discounted cocktails from the rooftop pool.

Jazz Brunch at Court of Two Sisters: make a reservation, and try to go earlier in the day to beat the crowd and spend less time in the buffet line and more time drinking mimosas.

Johnny’s Po Boys: you won’t regret chowing down on seafood gumbo and a fried shrimp po boy! Cash only if I remember correctly.

Swamp Tour: get out of the city and up close and personal with some ‘gators!

Umbrella Girl: see if you can find this famous street art by the mysterious Banksy.

Italian on Frenchmen at Adolfo’s: class it up and stuff your face with delicious pasta. Plenty of jazz bars down the road for after-dinner entertainment.

Eat a Praline: seriously, do it. And remember that Louisianians pronounce it with a soft “a” like prah-leene.

Willie Mae’s: I’ve never been here but have heard from a trusted source that this is the best fried chicken you will ever eat. Plus, I wanted to make this list an even number.