Bright tones of fall foliage, luscious sushi, and dynamic vistas captivated Ed and me during our 3-week trip to Japan in November. From the robust red of fresh tuna sushi to brilliant yellow ginkgo trees and a gleaming gold temple, colors bombarded us from every angle.

Fall Foliage Emerges

The trees were just starting to turn colors, as the peak date was later than usual due to the warmer-than-average temperatures experienced throughout the summer and fall season this year. But they did not disappoint.

Both the male and female varieties of the ginkgo tree put on a vibrant yellow show. And, the Japanese maples were brilliant.

Mt Fuji Peeks Out From the Clouds

One of the most iconic sights in Japan is Mt Fuji, its tallest peak. Often shrouded in clouds, we were excited when it emerged into view during our hike near Kanagawa. The nearby orange shrine and dancing water captivated us.

We were not alone in our quest to see this beloved mountain. At our vista point, there were two couples trying to take a photo of their dog in front of Fuji!  The dogs had to be patient and keep posing until the mountain appeared.

Vermilion Torii Gates

At the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in southern Kyoto, thousands of brilliant orange Shinto gates grace a winding path up sacred Mount Inari.

The beginning part of the trek is very crowded with other tourists and pilgrims.

But further up the mountain, the crowds eased and the gates offered a chance for solitude and photo ops!

Kimonos In Every Hue

If you want to look Japanese for a day (or an hour), you can rent a traditional kimono, complete with hair ornaments and wooden Geta sandals. This activity is very popular with Chinese tourists, although many Japanese guests also enjoy the look.

We especially liked this mother/daughter pair!

Cosplay Teens

Cosplay — a version of performance art where teens wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent specific characters — is popular in Tokyo. We saw communities of teens colorfully dressed to the nines! 

Japanese Food Delights Us

We enjoyed the variety of cuisine in Japan. The sushi was fresh and exquisite.

Even the smallest hole-in-the-wall restaurant provided beautiful plating and accompaniments to our meals. Dishwashers must be very popular in Japan since there are a myriad of dishes for each meal.

Pricing was completely reasonable for the quality of the food. This tasty ‘lunch special’ at a small local restaurant recommended by the taxi driver was less than $7 per person. We waited patiently with a throng of locals, removed our shoes, sat down at a low table and dug in!

At other locations, Kobe Beef was pricey, but delicious. Each morsel was incredibly tender and tasty.

Udon was usually very cheap and filling.

We loved the barbecued Unagi (eel) at the Tokyo Tsukiji Fish market.

Also delicious and colorful was Shabu Shabu, where we cooked Wagyu beef right at our table.

And, cheaper but also tasty, was Takoyaki, a local street food.

Tempura Treat

For dinner on our last day, we met with Daisuke, a business school classmate who lives in Tokyo. He has had an illustrious career as a very senior civil servant in the Japanese national government. He is now president of a university in his prefecture. He took us to a private room with a private tempura chef. Each course was expertly dipped in a batter made with special flour and delicately fried before our eyes. The chef served the delectable shrimp, scallops, asparagus, pumpkin and other tasty morsels immediately after preparation. Delicious!

Japanese Rock and Roll!

During dinner with Daisuke, he asked, “What time is your plane tomorrow?”  When we said we had a car reserved at 10:30, he smiled and said, “Ok, let’s go to one more spot.” We agreed; loaded into a taxi and sped through the rainy Tokyo night, not knowing our destination. We arrived in Roppongi, the hip nightclub area, and were delighted to enter Kento’s, an American oldies club, complete with a Japanese rock band perched above a rollicking dance floor. The band was crooning “You Give Me Fever…” and the crowd was rocking. Daisuke says that he’s brought many international guests to this club since it opened in 1976, and they all enjoyed it — especially Russian visitors — who he thought were definitely members of the KGB. An excellent ending to our visit!

More to come! Our next post deals with the logistics of our trip.