TLCTravels

When we returned from Greece, cherry blossoms were blooming all over Vancouver. Our friend Barb was in town and together, we enjoyed a walk around Queen Elizabeth park. The cherry blossoms season in Tokyo had ended by the time we were in Tokyo at the end of April and early May, but the wisteria was beginning to bloom. We found a shrine called Kameido Tenjin Shrine near the area we stayed at in October 2024, so we took a train back to the Kinschicho area. From the Kinschicho train station, it was a short walk through the park and across the canal. TL: I like this park because the locals like to hold events here. On Golden Week, there was a Hawaiian fair with tents selling Hawaiian clothing and souvenirs. When we arrived at the shrine, there were food stalls lined up at the entrance. There were hoards of people there, all there for the wisteria that were growing overhead and draping. There were signs all over the place asking visitors not to touch the flowers but sadly, there were touris...

What comes to mind when you think of Japanese gardens? Zen, simplicity, serenity, tranquility, meditation are a few things that come to mind. The best time to visit the Imperial Garden in Tokyo is anytime but if you want to see sprawling pink then come when it is cherry blossom season. When my wife wanted to visit the Imperial Gardens, I was worried about what to see in the Imperial Palace garden. Until you have experienced it, you won't know what you've missed. For me, it's always the Imperial Garden history and facts I want to know. For my wife, it's the flowers and plants that grow in Japan and not at home.  Outside the gates, the moat protects the Imperial Palace buildings. The gardens were first used by the Tokugawa Shogunate. This area was not a garden then but the site of where the Edo Castle stood.  Moats were built as defences to the Edo Castle. The most famous moat is the Chidori-ga-fuchi which is Tokyo's top viewing spot for cherry blossoms between late M...

Mt Fuji is iconic, spiritual and is an inspiration for art lovers over the centuries. To us, it's Japan. When we were in Shimizu last October, Mt. Fuji didn't look like the mountain we knew. It didn't have a snow cap on it, making it look like any other mountain in Japan. When we returned to Japan this year, we were happy to see Mt. Fuji with snow on its cap. From Enoshima, Mt Fuji is faint but visible with a large snow cap. We took a day tour from Tokyo to see Mt Fuji. It turned out to be a long bus ride out of Tokyo to see Mt. Fuji from 5 locations. Location 1. This is one of those instagram moments from Lawson's parking lot. Location 2. We took the ropeway up Mount Tenjo and from the summit, we could see Mt. Fuji. Location 3. On the highway towards Lake Kawaguchiko. Location 4. Torii Gate. Location 5. Oishi Park. Bonus: Lake Kawaguchiko. We were happy to see Mt. Fuji with a snow cap. Without snow, it was disappointing to see the mountain last October when we were in ...

One regret that Cindy had after visiting Japan on our second trip was not trying the authentic Japanese pancake in Japan. We had both heard about it but did not think about having the breakfast treat.  If you haven't had them before, you have to try them. The pancakes are fluffy instead of flat. And they have an airy cake-like texture. They are often referred to as 'souffle pancakes'. In Vancouver, BC, the Fu Fu Cafe on Broadway specializes in them. I highly recommend the Matcha pancake but the Tiramisu one is scrumptious too.  On our latest trip to Japan, we wanted to try Japanese pancakes where it all started, to compare the consistency and taste. On the first night in Yokohama, we were exploring the neighborhood and stumbled on a coffee shop that had a poster in the window. There was a stack of fluffy pancakes next to a cup of coffee. We thought since the hotel we were staying at, did not offer breakfast, we would have breakfast here and try the Japanese pancakes. Unfort...

There are places in the world that one must visit and are not so cheery. On our last trip to Japan, we visited places like Hiroshima and Nagasaki which are both must-see cities to pay our respect. This post is for the Tokyo Restoration Memorial Hall that we visited. It is located in the Yokoamicho Park in the Sumida Ward. It is a significant shrine dedicated to all that died in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. It is also a place of remembrance for those killed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid. The shrine was built in 1931 for all those who perished in the earthquake and fire that followed. There was a museum here that contain artifacts from the disaster and the war, but we did not go into the museum on this trip.  Japanese culture holds koi fish in high regard. Koi fish are powerful and can swim upstream against strong currents. Koi kites are flown to wish children will grow up to be spirited and healthy adults. The memorial for the Great Tokyo Air Raid is a semi-circle structure wit...

  Breakfast is served in the 'Library Cafe' at Comfort Hotel at the Higashi-Nihonbashi location . It is a room advertised on their website and it looks comfortable as a library and a room to hang out but as a breakfast cafe, it can get crowded. When it is full, it is elbow to elbow. Definitely no privacy because there is no space between tables. Breakfast is served everyday from 6:30am to 9:30am. Scrambled eggs is a constant, so is the steamed rice. Everything else changes. Some mornings, you get breakfast sausages and other mornings, you get a ground beef curry or tasty meatballs in a brown sauce with brocolli. Hash brown and spaghetti. Orange juice, milk, coffee or tea. And if you are a guest, be sure to clean up after yourself. Return your tray, clean your plate and stack your dishes in the bins.

We booked the Comfort Hotel in Higashi-Nihonbashi in Tokyo on our 3rd trip to Japan. Before we booked it, we read several user reviews on TripAdvisor and felt pretty good about its cleanliness, comfort, convenience and safety. It was a 3-star hotel but the price per night was reasonable and because it was Golden Week, we didn't have much of a choice. We had booked it on Vio.com and tried to find something better or cheaper but was unable to find a replacement before leaving on our trip. When we checked out of the hotel in Yokohama, we found ourselves to the Yokohama train station where we boarded the JO train to Tokyo. We had to get off at the Bakurocho station. From the train level, we found an elevator that took us up to the level where we had to scan our card and exit. We found the exit 4 but not A4 (as our homework had stated) and paid the price. There were 2 sets of stairs leading up to the sidewalk level which would be fine for carry on's but not for heavy luggage. Exit ...

We've seen pictures of the floating torii gate in Miyajima but we've never seen it for ourselves until NOW. We just got back from a 10-day Cunard cruise that visited Hiroshima, Japan. On a shore excursion to Hiroshima and Miyajima, we finally made our way to the infamous torri gate known as the  Itsukushima Shrine Otorii Gate  that seem to be floating on the ocean. The torii gate only looks like it is floating when the tide is in but when the tide is out, people can walk right up to the pillars and pass through the gate. The tide was in when we visited Miyajima so the torii gate was floating. Our tour guide told us that cinnabar was used to color it red. Cinnabar has an ingredient that will help preserve the wood from rotting which is convenient. We don't want the torii gate to succumb to sea water. This was one torii gate we did not pass. I heard that people who come by boat would pass through the torii gate, bowing before paddling through the gate. There were some kayaker...

As I'm sipping my favorite beverage from Japan, matcha tea, I stumbled upon a photo of us when we were at a tea ceremony in Tokyo, Japan last year in October 2024. It was a nice memory because we took a ferry ride from Asakusa to Hamarikyu Gardens that overlooks Tokyo Bay. We walked around the park, appreciating the serenity and paths in the park. After a nice walk, we found there was a tea house where you can have a cup of tea and look out at the lake. When we visited Osaka in April 2025, Cindy were dressed up in a traditional kimono gown as I filmed it. We met two of the nicest people who volunteered to dress visitors and take their pictures for them. After the picture taking, we sat down for a tea ceremony. Here we are with our new friends in Osaka. A cup of matcha tea and a sweet. Hideaki explained why eating a sweet before drinking matcha tea? He explained when you eat a sweet, the sweetness remains in your mouth and the tea is ever so delicious. Thank you Hideaki for your exp...

The World Expo 2025 is in Osaka, Japan until October. If you get a chance to go see it, do so. We were lucky to go in April, when our cruise stopped in Osaka for an overnight stay. We decided to spend the day there. We bought advance tickets before we left Canada, but friends of ours ordered tickets online on the same day. What follows is Osaka Expo pavilion highlights.  The first pavilion we visited was Poland. They had a 3D printer in the front of the pavilion that were printing toy motorcycles, castles and dragons.The pavilion itself was made of wood and it looked impressive. Inside, they were cultivating seeds of various herbs. They used interactive kiosks to educate visitors. There was a grand piano in there but no one was playing it. I heard they were staging pianists playing Chopin music. Frederic Chopin was a child prodigy and grew up in Warsaw, Poland. The Osaka Pavilion was the first pavilion we saw when we entered the Expo. It was near the East entrance. There were two e...