Throwback Thursday: Aichi 2022 Itinerary

I had no expectations from Aichi. I knew nothing about the prefecture except that it’s where Nagoya, a major city in Japan, is located. The only time I started learning about it was when my friend and I were doing research of places to go there.

Little did I know that it would be an enjoyable trip, making me want to go back. Er… I just went ahead of myself. Err…

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• My overall impression of Aichi was that it’s fancy. A lot of their souvenirs are in gold color.
• The ticket price at Nagoya City Science Museum was pretty cheap considering all the interactive exhibits in the museum. My favorites were the optical illusions and the machine for scanning arm veins.
• I bought real space food! I bought chocolate cake and bread in a can! I normally don’t buy novelty items, but I knew that I just had to have them.
• I love, love, love Meiji Mura! It’s a theme park that shows how it was like living in the Meiji era in Japan. The architecture, the interiors, the buses and trams, and souvenirs perfectly captured that period in Japanese history. There was also a machine that prints the headline news on the day and year you were born. I knew that I wouldn’t understand a thing, but I still spent 400 yen for the newspaper frontpage on my birthday.
• It was my first time eating lunch outside a restaurant. It was a novel idea for me, and I was glad to have tried it.
• With one hour left before Tokugawa Art Museum closed, we decided to just go for it and travel to that place. I saw that we had passed the Johnny’s Store while I was checking our current location on Google Maps. I mentioned this to my friend, and the next thing I knew, she was already applying for entry and asking for the katakana of my name. There was a new available entry slot at the Johnny’s Shop, so she grabbed the opportunity. I didn’t mind because I wasn’t sure if we’d enjoy going to a museum with less than an hour to spend looking at the exhibits.
• Speaking of Johnny’s, I had no plans of buying anything from the shop. The thing was, I suddenly found myself scanning QR codes of pictures that I would like to purchase. I did end up purchasing them. I could not resist. I bought group pics of KAT-TUN and Sexy Zone. I also bought individual pics of Kame, Nakamaru, Ueda and 2-shot with Shori and Kenty. I did buy 2 Kame pics because I was planning to give it to Jaja when I go to the Philippines this December for winter break.
• Oasis 21 was awesome! The view from the top balcony was nice, especially since you could see the sunset and the Chubu Electric Mirai Tower from there.
• The wind at the highest deck of Chubu Mirai Electric Tower was nice.
• Our last itinerary before heading back to Kagawa was the Tokugawa Art Museum and Garden. I think it’s the fanciest museum I’ve been to in Japan. There were a lot of swords and tea pots. I bought a bracelet instead of a magnet just because I liked it a lot. It looked fancy and expensive. Well, it was expensive since it costed a little more than 1,900 yen.
• The garden at the Tokugawa Museum had a separate entrance fee, but it’s definitely worth it. It’s huge and had a lot of open space.
• We wanted to go back home early, so we opted to buy bento lunchboxes to eat on the shinkansen. We were hungry that we started eating the moment we got settled on our seats. There was a point when we seemed to have remembered each other’s presence, and we just smiled to each other and went back to eating.

Not-so-highlights

• The rain! We were drenched on our first day in Nagoya. We strolled along the grounds of Nagoya Castle with our feet wet and busy protecting our bags from the rain.
• The interior of the Nagoya Castle as closed to visitors, so we just strolled along the grounds.
• The Nagoya City Science Museum would be more enjoyable if you were with kids.
• We weren’t able to wait for the planetarium show. We were so tired because of the rain and the fact that we’ve been up since 5:30 to catch the early shinkansen, so we chose to go to the hotel to have an early rest.
• Mieji Mura might be my favorite place in Aichi. We arrived there by 10am. We thought that we’d be able to leave and transfer to our next itinerary by 12:30nn. However, we found ourselves walking and discovering new places. We at least wanted to go to another one before the places close, so we left past 2pm, I think. Because of this, we were not able to explore the entire area. I want to visit this place again someday, and I’ll make sure to allot a whole day for this place.
• Continuing our desire to go to the towers in the prefectures we visit, we have decided to include Chubu Electric Mirai Tower in our itinerary. I was a bit disappointed because of the poor quality of the mirror projection. There’s also not a lot of things to do there. On the other hand, there were a lot of chairs and tables in the observatory decks. Plus, the highest level was open air. There was still ceiling and walls, but the top walls were open (with wired fences). The breeze was actually pretty nice.

Throwback Thursday: Okayama 2022 Itinerary (2D1N that became 4D3N)

I’ve visited Okayama a few times, but I’m back, particularly in Kurashiki, to accompany a friend who wanted to go sightseeing and shop at an outlet mall.

This was an interesting trip where I had to take an impromptu nenkyuu (leave of absence) because of an unfortunate event.

Anyway, here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• I’ve been to Kurashiki in Okayama a few times already, but this was just my second trip to Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarters. This time, I went with my sister’s former colleague. Despite being here for a second time, I still enjoyed my time.
• The Momotarou Museum was a trip. We had a great time here, partially thanks to staff who were enthusiastic at showing us the various tricks in the museum. There was also a random Japanese lady visitor who urged us to do the mirror flying trick when she saw us taking a selfie in front of the mirror. She even supervised our “flying”.
• Shopping was our main purpose of going to Mitsui Outlet Store. We had fun shopping. We got there at around 6pm because we spent some time in our hotel room after dinner. Then, at around 8pm, the staff at Nike, where we were at, told us that it was already their closing time. We paid and then left.
• On our Day 1, it rained when we were indoors and always, the rain had stopped every time we had to go out. Miracle!

Not-so-highlights

• It was very cloudy in the morning on our first day. Thankfully, it became a bit sunny in the afternoon, so we went back to the places we’ve been to in the morning and took better photos of the scenery. Thank you, Sun.
• We planned to go to Bicchu Matsuyama Castle observatory to see the castle “floating” on the clouds. The 24hour livestream of the place however, showed that there would be no clouds. Thus, we changed our itinerary to Lucky Cats Museum. When we alighted at the designated bus stop, we were supposed to take a taxi going to the museum. However, it was all a lie. There were no taxis around. The bus stop was along a huge highway where only buses and private cars pass by. We had to walk a considerable distance to and from the museum, so we decided to just skip it and go back to the city center. Bummer. I wanted to see lots of lucky cats, paint my own lucky cat, and buy a cat souvenir.
• I wore a pair of waterproof sneakers that badly hurt my feet. I actually had band aids throughout the trip.

A Different Kind of Highlight

We already said our goodbyes after we had lunch (after our failed attempts to Bicchu Matsuyama Castle and Lucky Cats Museum). I had to go back home to Kagawa, while my friend had to visit someone in Hiroshima before going back to her home in Ehime. I knew that a typhoon was approaching and would land tomorrow, but I didn’t worry about any travel interruptions. After all, I was able to ride the Marine Liner that would take me back to Kagawa. However, when the train reached Kojima Station (still in Okayama), we were informed that all modes of transportation leaving the main island were cancelled because of the typhoon. I had no choice but to go back. I was stubborn, so I alighted the train and waited for a new one. Eventually, a saw a train station staff and asked him for details. He then informed me that all services had been cancelled and there’s no way for me to get back. By this time, I already knew how hopeless I was because the wind had picked up, and the sky turned gloomy.

I also realized that I was stranded tonight until tomorrow. I could only hope that the weather would be pleasant on Tuesday for the trains and buses to resume. Well, even if I had a car, I would still be stranded because I read online that even cars were not allowed to pass by the Seto Ohashi Bridge that connects Okayama and Kagawa. Anyway, there were no nearby hotels near Okayama Station which made me panic a little bit. Fortunately, there was a vacant room at the hotel where I just checked out a few hours ago. I booked a room, hopped on the train, and bought food before checking in at the hotel. I also informed my supervisor at my Tuesday school about my situation. I thought about lying at first, but I figured that there was no harm telling her the truth. A typhoon and being stranded on another prefecture were valid reasons anyway.

The weather was pleasant the next morning, September 19th. It was gloomy, but it only rained occasionally. I was lazy to go out, but I had to. I went to the konbini and bought food that would sustain me until tomorrow before checking out. As for the rest of the day, I just stayed in my hotel room, watched Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on TV, watched various Youtube videos on my phone, chatted with my friend who was now stranded in Hiroshima and another friend who was stranded in Tokyo. The only time I got out of bed was when I had to eat, go to the toilet, and shower. Whatta life.

To be honest, I kind of enjoyed being a sloth for an entire day. I had no chores to think about. My only worry was what if transportation would not resume on Tuesday because the roads and train tracks had been damaged. Nothing was for certain even until midnight. If I remember correctly, one of the main reasons for travel suspension were storm surges which are dangerous.

Thankfully, the typhoon had passed. The trains resumed operation the next morning, and I could finally go back home!

Throwback Thursday: Kochi 2022 Itinerary

Kochi is one of those places where we weren’t motivated enough to visit. Hence, when we saw a mascot convention called Gotouchi Character Festival in Kochi on a weekend, we instantly decided that it was the time to finally visit the prefecture.

Here is our itinerary:

Highlights

• We went there to attend the Gotouchi Character Festival in Susaki, Kochi. It was my first time participating in that kind of event. I feel like this is something that could only happen in Japan, so it’s nice to have this kind of experience.
• There were dancing and talking mascots.

Not-so-highlights

• The weather was cloudy but a little humid. Thankfully, it didn’t rain.
• I had forgotten everything about Kochi Castle. It’s probably the least memorable castle I’ve been to.
• Bringing coins is a must when traveling to Kochi. Outside IC cards don’t work here, so it’s necessary to buy train tickets every time you need to travel.

Throwback Thursday: Osaka, Nara, and Mie 2022 Itinerary

Summer break! Sexy Zone concert!

We did the impossible where we crammed three prefectures in a single day (July 31). It was actually easy for us because we’ve been to Osaka a few times and have seen most of the tourist destinations already.

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• What a loaded and busy trip! It was tiring but very fun.
• We watched Sexy Zone’s summer concert!!! I was glad that the members had good hairstyles. Also, I know maybe just two SZ songs, but I still enjoyed their concert a lot. Like with KAT-TUN, Sexy Zone also used lots of water in their performances. I remember thinking that they looked like they’re enjoying splashing water while dancing.
• It was my first time entering a Catholic Church in Japan. It didn’t feel like a church, to be honest but still good.
• There were very few people at Nandaimon Gate and Todai-ji in Nara. Because of this, we took our time sightseeing and taking lots of good pictures.
• Ise Grand Shrine is said to be one of the most sacred places in Japan. I may not share the same faith as the Japanese people, but even I did feel its importance and sacredness.
• A lot of the illumination at TeamLab in Osaka looked better in pictures and videos than in real life. Still, they looked really good.
• I went to the Philippine Consulate in Osaka to have a document authenticated. The staff allowed me to enter the consulate 5 minutes before the office hours. I was there for about 10-15 minutes, maybe?

Not-so-highlights

• The deer scared me. They had huge and seemingly pitch black eyes. I wanted to feed them, but I backed out when I saw their eyes. lol
• Transportation in the deepest inaka (countryside) in Mie was a hassle. The train schedules were few and we had to wait for long periods of time for the next train to arrive. Better plan your activities carefully to avoid wasting time on waiting for trains and buses.
• The queue at TeamLab was too long. I wish the company had sort of crowd control or a limit to the number of visitors.

Throwback Thursday: Fukuoka 2022 Itinerary

Our main reason for going to Fukuoka was to attend Sexy Zone’s concert. We wanted to go somewhere different as an excuse to visit another prefecture besides the usual Osaka schedule. Plus, it was conveniently scheduled at the beginning of the school summer break, so were more motivated to go.

Our plan was a weekend trip, but we had to take a halfday nenkyuu (leave of absence) because we wanted to spend the night in Okayama to catch an early schedule of the shinkansen to Fukuoka. On this particular day, it was suddenly announced that the concert was no longer happening because one of the members had COVID-19. It was a bummer, but on the other hand, we were able to spend more time sightseeing in Fukuoka. We were not that disappointed because we’re also going to the Osaka stop of the concert the following week.

As for our itinerary:

Highlights

• I guess we were kinda lucky that there was no queue at Dacomecca Bakery. It’s a famous bakery in Fukuoka that has branches in some areas in Japan like Tokyo. I didn’t restrain myself much and bought a few bread that I could eat until tomorrow for breakfast.
• There were so many Buddha statues in Nanzoin Temple, but the main attraction there was the giant lying Buddha which was said to the biggest lying Buddha statue in the world. Also, there were only a few people there, so we were able to take good pictures.
• I had no expectations with Canal City Mall, so I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked going there. It reminded me of Ayala Malls with all the greenery and the overall vibe of the place. I felt like home. I felt like I was in the Philippines.
• While we were there, we saw a local-based female idol group. It was my first time seeing a Japanese female idol group in real life. It’s actually fascinating to watch them sing and dance with their shiny costumes. I once again had realized how distinct (real) JPop groups are compared to their KPop and Western counterparts – from presentation, music, and costumes.
• Kushida Shrine was just on the other side of Canal City Mall. We were ready to give up going to that place because the directions given by Google Maps were quite confusing. I’m so glad we were able to visit it.
• Fukuoka Tower was nice. I think though that this place was really geared towards couples, more than Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree.
• If Canal City Mall reminded me of Ayala Malls, the Mitsui Shopping Lalaport mall reminded of SM Malls. Again, I felt like I was in the Philippines.
• I had a picture of a huge Gundam statue! Having a picture with the Gundam in the background screams “Japan!!!” already.
• It’s my second trip that required me to ride the shinkansen (the first was last year to and from Hiroshima)!!!

Not-so-highlights

• The breads sold at Dacomecca were tasty, but I think they’re a bit overhyped.
• I know that Kishida Shrine is a sacred and important place. However, it’s so much prettier in pictures.

Throwback Thursday: Megijima and Ogijima 2022 Itinerary

Just a day after coming back from Hyogo, we spent an entire day strolling along Megijima and Ogijima, two islands that belong to Kagawa Prefecture. It’s Setouchi Triannale, an art festival held every three years on the Seto islands. These islands are mostly part of Kagawa prefecture, so it’s quite easy to get to these islands.

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• We had our trip in spring, so the weather was pleasant throughout the day. We still had to wear either a heattech or a cardigan because it sometimes became chilly especially during our ferry rides,
• The oni (demon) cave was our main reason for going to Megijima. However, we didn’t do any prior research, so we were unaware that there’s a bus that would take us from the port to the mountain. We hiked for more than 30 minutes before reaching the entrance to the cave. The old caretakers of the cave were amused when they learned of our impromptu hike. Then they showed us the bus schedule and helped us buy our tickets in advanced. Though tiring, we immensely enjoyed our hiking because we got to see the beautiful scenery as we went up the mountain.
• We had the cave pretty much to ourselves, so that’s a huge plus. I am guessing that we went there at an odd time when the bus wasn’t scheduled yet to bring visitors up the mountain.
• After exiting the cave, we hiked further up the mountain to the observatory deck. It was on top of the mountain where one could see the various towns and cities in Kagawa and a glimpse of Okayama.
• The artworks and statues in Megijima were nice. They’re found throughout the island, and I have nothing more to say except that they’re nice,

Not-so-highlights

• There was a serious lack of restaurants in the islands. A lot of the restaurants seemed houses to me. Also, the food price-serving size ratio was ridiculous. I recommend eating a heavy meal before going to these islands.
• There was nothing really going on with Ogijima. It was almost empty. Based on what I’ve read, there are less than 200 actual residents on that island, and most of the houses there had been abandoned over the years.
• It was tagged as the cat island of Kagawa, and yet, we only saw a handful of cats.

Throwback Thursday: Hyogo 2022 Itinerary

Going to Hyogo was one of the places we had planned to visit for the Golden Week. Despite it being an overnight trip, we had fun and got to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well.

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• Himeji Castle was gorgeous, but it’s a shame that pictures don’t do it justice.
• Food, food, food! You can just buy various street foods while strolling along Nankichi Chinatown and never be hungry! However, the only food I ate here was tanghulu, fruits coated in hard sugar, because I found it such a hassle to eat street food with a mask on. Moreover, it greatly reminded me of the tanghulu that I had in Taiwan back in 2018.
• I saw one of the three real-life bronze statues of Elvis Presly in the world. To reflect the current pandemic, the statue was wearing a mask on his face.
• Kobe Port looked a bit like Clark Quay in Singapore. It’s quite nostalgic if you ask me.

Not-so-highlights

• Himeji Castle was gorgeous outside, but the inside was disappointing. There was nothing inside the castle. However, given how old it was, I could understand that they wanted to protect the castle and its contents.
• I didn’t like the restaurant where we had our dinner in Nankichi Chinatown. Everything was acceptable – not bad but not good. It was a shame since I also didn’t enjoy the spring rolls with peking duck as its main ingredient. It was my first time eating peking duck, but meh…
• Anpanman Museum in Kobe Harborland was originally in our itinerary. We ended up dropping it after realizing how expensive the ticket price was for us who had no interest in Anpanman.

Throwback Thursday: Tokyo and Hakone 2021 Itinerary

I wanted to make this trip worthwhile and as enjoyable as possible mainly because I’ve only been to Tokyo once, and it was in 2019 when I first arrived in Japan. Back then, didn’t have the opportunity to do any sightseeing. I mostly stayed in the area near the hotel. It was a pity, but hey! I could roam around the streets of Tokyo this time!

Another reason why I wanted to make this trip as enjoyable as possible was because I couldn’t go back to the Philippines for vacation due to the pandemic. I needed the distraction not to think of celebrating the holidays away from my family for the second consecutive year.

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights

• The last time I rode a plane was in January 2020 when I got back from my vacation from the Philippines. I couldn’t believe that my next was December 2021 – 1 year and 11 months after.
• I went to a Harry Potter exhibit for the first time ever! It was the Harry Potter: A History of Magic where information, books, and other realia of the school subjects taught in Hogwarts were displayed. It was also mindblowing how much JK Rowling has researched real history and incorporated those in the Potterverse. Much respect to you, Madam.
• I didn’t have any expectations for Tokyo Tower, but damn. The top most part was quite fancy. It’s the perfect place to have a date with your significant other.
• I had a great time at the Ghibli Museum even though taking pictures was prohibited inside the museum. Thankfully, it was perfectly fine for visitors to take pictures outside. There was a garden and a replica of the giant robot in the first Ghibli movie.
• I bought KAT-TUN’s Cast concert DVD at Mandarake. Mandarake sells secondhand fandom stuff that includes (and not limited to) idol and anime goods.
• Besides Tokyo Tower, I’ve realized that Shibuya Sky Scramble is another great place to be with a significant other. My friend and I enjoyed wearing our berets in winter because our heads were protected and we also looked stylish. The staff at Shibuya Sky Scramble asked us to remove our berets to avoid being flown by the wind. I couldn’t blame them since it was a windy and chilly winter night.
• Our Hakone trip was tiring but awesome. I highly recommend going to Owakudani because it was such an interesting place. Also, you’d see Mt. Fuji from the cable car going to Owakudani. Not bad, right?
• We got on a pirate ship er, cruise, on Lake Ashi.
• I had lots of blurry and interesting pictures at The Borderless TeamLab museum in Odaiba. It was first time visiting such a place, but I wish there were less people because a lot of my pictures had people behind me. Also, do wear plain clothes for the effects to show on your clothes, too.
• One of my favorite photos of the Tokyo Tower was taken at Roppongi Hills. The tower was shining in the background with brightly-lighted trees in the foreground.
• Wah, I want to go back to Shin-Okubo just to experience more of Korea Town. My friend and I didn’t really explore much because there were so many people (girls mostly) in the area. We also saw some Japanese fans celebrating the birthday of a KPop idol.
• I bought charms from the Meiji Shrine!
• I loved spending New Year’s Eve at Tokyo Disney Sea. There were fireworks and a special NYE meal at the food court.
• I met friends whom I haven’t seen in a long time.

Not-so-highlights

• There are two things I want to forget about the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibit. First, I wanted to forget how hot it was inside the venue. We went there during the winter, but we had to take our coats off because we were sweating. The second is probably one of the causes for the heat inside. It was crammed and there were a lot of people inside. I remember people were only allowed to enter the venue every 30 minutes to control the crowd, but it was of little use.
• I realized that The Open Air Museum in Hakone is only good if you don’t have time constraints in your travels. After taking a bunch of pictures and walking around it once, we left immediately because we still had to go to two more places in Hakone.
• I’m sorry, but I realized just how much of a tourist trap Tokyo Sky Tree was. There were a number of queues to go to the observatory decks, and there were so many Kimetsu no Yaiba pictures and standees all over Sky Tree. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but for me, putting all those standees and posters of Kimetsu no Yaiba, or even any show, somehow cheapens the place. 3/5 – so-so
• Tokyo DisneySea felt like USJ to me. There was no Disney magic except for the mascots, names of some of the rides, and other rides. I wanted to see castles, fairies, and the Disney Princesses. I guess next time, I should go to Tokyo Disneyland and never ever consider DisneySea again. Maybe.

Throwback Thursday: Ehime 2021 Itinerary

I was only here for an overnight trip, so I didn’t get to see much of the prefecture. However, I enjoyed my trip, and I was accompanied by my sister’s former colleague who was living in Ehime.

Here’s the itinerary:

Highlights

• It was my first time reading trams. In fact, we just used the tram throughout our commute within Matsuyama, Ehime.
• The moving clock at the Dogo Station was cool. It was also my first time seeing that kind of technology.
• The charms at Enmanji Temple were a nice backdrop for pictures. You can also buy charms and make wishes regarding your love life.
• We hiked the steep mountain slope all the way to Matsuyama Castle. We were quite exhausted, and we sweated a bit despite the cool autumn weather. Google Maps led us to the hiking trail instead of the cable chairs station. Oh, well. We did have fun hiking, so there’s that. Tired? No worries because there were vending machines at the top of the mountain, so you could quench your thirst after hiking or even after exploring the castle.
• We were able to ride the cable chairs going down the mountain. I was first concerned because there were no safety belts on the chairs, but I relaxed somehow after seeing that there’s a safety net below (just in case someone falls from the chair lol). Since it was the autumn, some of the leaves of the trees were starting to change colors. I took lots of videos and photos of those while riding the cable chair.
• Matsuyama Castle was one of the remaining original castles in Japan, and I highly recommend this place.

Not-so-highlights

• Dogo Glass Museum was a disappointment. The ticket was quite pricey given the size and displays of the place.
• We didn’t enter Dogo Onsen not just because we didn’t have enough time for an onsen stay and that we were both uncomfortable to remove our clothes in public.
• People said that dango is supposed to be good, but honestly, it tasted bland. Sorry, I’m not a fan of dangos even though they look cute.

Throwback Thursday: Hiroshima 2021 Itinerary

One autumn day…

Friend: Hey, I’m so stressed at work. Wanna hang out somewhere this weekend?
Me: Sure!
Friend: Let’s go to Hiroshima! We just have to ride the Marine Liner and the shinkansen.
Me: Hiroshima on a day trip? Let’s do an overnight trip instead!
Friend: Okay! See you on Saturday!

So because of our stress, my friend and I have decided to visit Hiroshima for the weekend. It’s such a short trip, but I think we were able to cover the basics at least.

Here’s our itinerary:

Highlights:

• It was my first time riding the shinkansen. It was an expensive yet a comfortable way to travel.
• Itsukushima Shrine was amazing! The red color is prominent throughout the shrine especially since it’s built on the water. The floating torii gate is also seen from a distance.
• There is so much more to Miyajima Island than Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate. Just exploring the streets, eating, and window shopping was an experience on its own.
• I wasn’t expecting to see lots of deer in Miyajima Island. If you haven’t been to Nara Prefecture yet, then I suggest visiting this place instead.
• There was a solemn atmosphere throughout the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Also, if you stand right in the middle of the sculpture, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome right in the middle.
• Speaking of Atomic Bomb Dome, it is also a great place to visit because it’s an important part of history. The Dome also looked gorgeous during late afternoon to early evening.
• There were street food stalls near the Dome, and my friend and I enjoyed eating our delicious gelato on a chilly autumn evening.
• Hiroshima Castle was gorgeous and worth the time to visit. Too bad, photos weren’t allowed inside the castle for the most part.
• I didn’t realize that Hiroshima City was a huge city. I loved their wide walkways and bridges. There were buses, trams, trains, and shinkansen in Hiroshima.
• Speaking of trams, it was also my first time seeing a tram. It’s fascinating because the tram tracks (?) are in the middle of the road and cars could pass by those tracks, too.

Not so Highlights:

• The floating torii gate was covered in blanket because it’s under renovation. According to further research, the renovation would end sometime in December 2022.
• I felt kind of ripped off at Miyajima Public Aquarium. It’s quite expensive considering it’s not that big and there’s nothing really special about it. Kids would love to be there though.
• We got on the wrong shinkansen on our way home. Instead of going back to Okayama, we traveled further south going to Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture. Our original plan was to get back to Kagawa by 6pm, but instead, we got there at around 10pm. Welp.