Journal
Christmas Day, night, and the next morning (market) in Hakodate.
Christmas Day exploring the churches and the views from Mount Hakodate, and breakfast the following day at the fish market.
A couple of days & Christmas Eve in Tokyo.
Exploring the neighborhoods of Nezu, Shimokitazawa, Fukuromachi, and Christmas dinner at Sushi Oya.
The Hakone loop: Shinto shrines, pirate ships, volcanic valleys & an open-air museum.
A day hopping buses, boats, ropeways, cable cars, and trains to visit the sights that define the loop.
Revisiting the temples and bamboo forests of western Kyoto after twenty years.
The golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, the Zen garden at Ryōan-jii, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, and Okochi Sanso Garden are highlights of a day spent visiting the western corner of the city.
A temple visit in Kyoto; a concert in Kobe.
A late morning exploring the temple grounds of Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, and an evening of punk rock in Kobe.
