I think it’s safe to say that Japan exceeded all our expectations. Everywhere we went I felt like Japan was a harmony of unlike things, incense and heady sandalwood mixed in with bullet trains and motion sensors, shrines in shades of charcoal right beside cafes with cups in rainbow pastels and toy Totoros. Equal parts tradition and hyper-modernity, austerity and whimsy. One of the things we loved most about Japan was its thoughtfulness — seat backs that swivel depending on the direction of the train (um, genius), bag rests at ticket kiosks so you don’t have to put your duffel on the ground, art on the shutters of closed storefronts. If there was any way for something to be more beautiful or more efficient, it seemed like it was done.
We spent most of our time in Kyoto and Tokyo, with brief hops over to Osaka, Uji, and Nara in between. There were daily bowls of ramen and more-than-daily cups of strong, bitter Japanese coffee; lots and lots and lots of shrines, narrow alleyways, and old bridges; silly hat purchases on Teramachi Street in Kyoto and an impromptu (and over-zealous) matcha crawl in Uji. We tried kaiseki and discovered that we are not man enough for octopus sashimi. And I pretty much lost my mind with excitement the first time we went into a department store food hall. I think I’d need another eight honeymoons (and as many stomachs) to begin to scratch the surface of Japan’s immensity, but for now, here are a few of our very favorite things from our trip:
kyoto
daimaru department store, basement food hall > Where I almost blacked out from giddiness at the most dizzying array of food stalls ever. There’s also a Paul Bocuse bakery that received a disproportionate amount of my business.
ramen sen no kaze > The coziest ramen shop run by the most stylin’ mother-daughter pair (the ones with those snazzy hats up there!) near Nishiki Market. They serve the most insane melt-in-your-mouth charred chashu, and B2 could not stop raving about the shio ramen he got. (Also, there’s a neat vintage store right nearby!)
manneken belgian waffles > Somehow, I went to Japan for my first liรจge waffle. They were yeasty and chewy and studded with pearl sugar, and there’s one in Kyoto Station that’s perfect for grabbing one for the train. (Or for the two minutes after buying it while walking to the train.) Matcha and mixed berry were my favorites.
sannenzaka and ninenzaka > There are so many incredible temples and sights to see in Kyoto (we used this guide a lot) but these streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple were probably our favorites. If you can make it early in the morning when the streets are still empty, it is amazing.
kibune and kurama > A two-hour hike through the cedar forests just outside Kyoto, aka justifying ramen for both lunch and dinner.
kiyamachi-dori (south of gion shijo) > Our AirBnB was a sunny little apartment on this street south of Gion Shijo station, and there’s a maze of alleyways around here that we totally loved.
kyoto gogyo > They serve burnt ramen! Our favorite was actually the regular tonkotsu ramen over the burnt shoyu or burnt miso — there’s still a dollop of burnt broth on top so it has just enough smokiness without overpowering the entire bowl. It tasted like burnt popcorn, but somehow in the best way.
osaka
osaka castle park > Osaka Castle is gorgeous, but the walk through this park to get there was almost as fun on its own — we went on a Sunday and the park was full of kiddie baseball games (were we creepy for watching?) and folks jogging or picnicking.
dotonbori > Boardwalks and arcades and all the takoyaki and okonomiyaki in the world.
tokyo
ramen street in tokyo station > There are a million ramen recommendations out there and I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong with any of them, but Ramen Street is a hallway made just for me in Tokyo Station with eight really great ramen shops all in one place. We tried Rokurinsha‘s tsukemen right when they opened at 7:30 AM before catching the bullet train to Kyoto and it was the best coma-inducing breakfast ever, and when we got back from Kyoto we went right back to Ramen Street for a bowl at a different shop.
vagabond > An upstairs nook in Shinjuku with live jazz (and little bowls of arare mix to go with!)
sasazuka > Another neighborhood we found through our AirBnB — it’s one stop from Shinjuku on the Keio line and we thought it was a total gem and a refreshing change of pace. There are alleyways a few minutes’ walk from the subway station that are filled with shops and little restaurants, including a ramen shop with tsukemen that we thought rivaled Rokurinsha’s.
other notes
uji byodoin omotesando > We might never have gone to Uji except that I booked a night in a ryokan there, and I’m so glad we did because it’s magical. And there’s a street completely devoted to matcha (find the matcha cream puffs if you go!)
convenience stores (yep) > In an ideal world I would like a second stomach dedicated only to meals constructed from bags of chips and matcha cookies from FamilyMarts, 7-11s and Lawson’s. (Also, actually useful — all the FamilyMarts have free Wi-Fi, in case you ever get lost without a pocket Wi-Fi!)
coffee > I don’t think it’s possible to find a bad coffee anywhere in Japan, although it seems like most places serve a cup that is stronger and more bitter than you usually find over here. We loved all the coffee we tried, whether it was a $9 splurge at a smoky, old-school mahogany-paneled salon or a to-go cup from a chain.
rainy season > If you couldn’t guess from the overwhelming number of ominous clouds in this post, we found ourselves in Japan during their rainy season. Somehow neither of us realized that Japan even had a rainy season until we landed in Tokyo and pulled up a weather forecast that showed a baffling 10 days of nonstop rain. The rain made some things more difficult (and some Chucks extremely soggy) but it’s nice in other ways — tourism is supposed to be a tad slower, the weather isn’t quite as gruelingly hot as it tends to get in Asia in late July and August, and we felt lucky to get a few drier spells here and there for hikes and long walks. (Plus, moody photos!)
pocket wi-fi > If you plan to AirBnB it like we did, look for ones with free pocket Wi-Fi thrown in — we thought these were so darn useful and a game-changer when our feeble Japanese was, well, really feeble. Otherwise, I think you can rent a pocket Wi-Fi from certain places, and a ton of the train stations and even some of the shopping areas have free Wi-Fi. (And all FamilyMarts!)
other (better) guides > Lovely Steph over at I am a Food Blog actually lived (!) in this wondrous country for a spell and has some magical guides on her blog that we consulted before our trip; if you are vegetarian (and even if you’re not), Jeanine at Love & Lemons has some wonderful tips on Kyoto and more; Beth at Local Milk also has a new series of absolutely breathtaking wander guides on Japan. And for general information, we found that Inside Kyoto and Japan Guide were quick and easy resources.
If, inexplicably, you aren’t totally sick of my iPhone snaps, this Flickr album has even more photos from our trip (plus more of B2’s Instax fun!) Thank you so much for your lovely recommendations, and for your incredible comments on our last few posts — every single one made us smile so big. They meant the world!
Ursula @ LilVienna.com
๐ These pics make me wanna go to Japan…. especially the food.
tworedbowls
Yay!! It really is amazing if you ever get the chance to go! ๐
alanafixfeastflair
L O V E T H I S P O S T S O M U C H ! ! ! ! Just a million heart eyed emojis cause everything looked/sounded amazing. Did you see the Nara deer bow? Eeeeep. My heart’s so full for you two. ๐ ๐ ๐
tworedbowls
omg we DID and I totally wigged out. I want to move to Nara and be a sacred deer. (Speaking of really adorable animals, your last story on Vienna = AMAZING. Ugh I love her.)
Michelle @ Hummingbird High
I love it. It looks like you guys had such a great time, and omg, that black sesame softserve looks out of this world!
Marine
Amazing photos! Honeymoon in Japan had to be unforgettable! Cool cool cool!!! My congrats on your wedding))
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
What an amazing trip!! And such beautiful pictures! I would love to visit Japan one day!
Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com
Pang
I’m bookmarking this post to when I travel there myself. So excited to see a million photos here and at Flickr, and wouldn’t mind seeing more & more. So glad you & B#2 are back safely and ready to show all of us recipes inspired this trip. ๐
danube66
Like the other people who commented, I LOVE your photos!!! What editing program did you use?
tworedbowls
Omg thank you so much! I used Lightroom ๐ It’s pretty amazing how great the iPhone cameras are now!
Emily
absolutely breathtaking pictures!
Janine
I love the shots you guys took, they look incredible! Sounds like it was a great trip and tons of delicious food! I’ll be going to Japan in the fall and am even more excited now after reading this post – we will definitely try a number of these places that you’ve mentioned!
Amina | PAPER/PLATES
Welp, Japan just climbed to the top of my “must visit” list.
Sarah // The Sugar Hit
IwanttogoIwanttogoIwanttogo. The food, the alleys, your photos, you guys…I really want to go.
Jess @ alittlealice.com
seat backs that swivel?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! oh my gawd <3 JAPAN <3 these photos are GORGEOUS!! what a wonderful trip for the both of you!!
Gemma
Your photos and description have made me want to go to Japan even more. It’l definitely be on my bucket list for life. Do you know Japanese? Or is it fine travelling around with very little knowledge of it? Right now I’m currently learning, and I’m hoping by the time I go, I’ll be fluent. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
http://activelygemma.com/blog
tworedbowls
Oh my gosh, I love that you’re learning Japanese!!!! Nope, we knew absolutely no Japanese (unless you count ‘excuse me’ and ‘where is x’ and ‘beer, please’) and it was pretty much fine — it would just have been nice to know so that we didn’t feel like rude tourists every time they launched into (what would have been) super helpful responses and we stared blankly and had to feebly be like “Sorry… English?” Haha. ๐ I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time if you’re already learning!!! And any time you have a hiccup, pocket Wi-Fi is a godsend. I can’t wait to read about it if you go ๐
Abby
These photos are STUNNING, Cynthia! It looks like you had a lovely time; now I’m missing Japan like craaazy! xoxo <3
Kathryn
Such awesome pictures Cynthia – they really seem to capture the spirit of Japan (and I <3 the pics of you guys so much too). What an incredible trip and such a wonderful way to start this next chapter of your life together.
Anonymous
wow, stunning pics. Japan has been on my travel list for quite a while. it never made it all the way up that list though. I might need to reconsider that.
K.To
You make me want to hop in the next plain to Japan. Love the pictures and the ones with food just made me drool on my keyboard!
mirjamjud
what a great picture diary – very nice!
bisou, mirjam
http://www.jeneregretterien.ch
Kate
I visited Japan last Spring for the Sakura season and although I’ve been all over the world, Japan is my absolute favourite country. When I got back I tried to explain why I loved it so much but could never quite capture the right word for my experience of Japanese society until I read your account. Thoughtful is the exact word for what the Japanese are. They have a way of anticipating your every needs from toiletries and pyjamas in every hotel or onsen to my personal favourite, heated toilet seats!
I was also blown away by the Daimaru food halls and the swivel seats on the Shinkansen . Thanks for reminding me why I loved Japan and absolutely have to go back
wellandfull
These photos are absolutely stunning! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. In fact, when I was 8, I actually went to a Japanese summer camp (which was the next best thing!). Also, that black sesame ice cream… oh my.
Betty | le Jus d'Orange
LOVE THIS. Your photos are gorgeous and it looks like you and B2 had just the most amazing time. I’ve only been to Tokyo/Nikkou but I’ve been dying to go to Kyoto. I’m really glad you did the ryokan experience. We did one in Nikkou and at first were like HMM what is it like, but when we got there the experience was out-of-the-world serene and beautiful and peaceful. And the kaiseki meal. So happy you had a blast <3.
molly yeh
ohmygosh these are GORGEOUS!!!! it sounds like a dream. and i love your silly hat purchases. um and a MATCHA CRAWL?!!! did you come back smelling of matcha?? i hope so. welcome back, mr and mrs red bowl!!!!!
Tessa | Salted Plains
Oh my goodness, Cynthia, these photos!!! What an amazing trip and exciting way to start married life! Biggest congratulations to you both. xo.
Sonja
Your pictures are making me so homesick for Asia! I want to move back to Asia so that I can take trips like this more often. How beautiful!
It looks like you guys had an amazing time. Congrats on your wedding and lovely honeymoon. <3
ellie | fit for the soul
Ahhhh that’s it! I neeeeeed to get my mommy butt to Asia one of these days! Particularly Japan because between you and Beth, I have no option but to daydream about Japan even thought I’ve never been. And you guys are soooo cute! Love that photo of you in your glasses with B2 looking at you. ๐ And the buildings, the streets! Totally my style and it reminds me of an Asianified Argentina….haha
Jessica
this post is making me hangry!! Congratulations :)))
Matthew Pike (@mat_buckets)
These photos are lovely, really enjoying the style of these. Tell me more about this mysterious grey ice cream?!
Buckets & Spades
tworedbowls
Oh man, thank you so much, Matthew!! The grey ice cream is black sesame soft serve — so, so good! Food52 has a homemade version I can’t wait to try: http://food52.com/blog/13191-a-gray-ice-cream-that-s-anything-but-drab
aimee @twigg studios
It looks like you had an amazing time your photos really capture Japan in a beautiful way I would love to visit one day xx
Jennifer @Milk and Honey
Fabulous pics. We went to Japan in Sept/Oct last year. Your post has made me want to go back even more.
Cindy
What an incredible trip and such amazing photos! And, of course, congrats on the nuptials.
Willow @ Will Cook For Friends
Oh my gosh, Cynthia, these photos are gorgeous! I mean really, really stunning. Now I want to go to Japan more than ever. And I so love that you shared the details of all the places you went — I am saving this information for my dream-and-hopefully-one-day-a-reality vacation!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Beautiful photos of a delicious trip, Cynthia! You guys deserved to have an amazing time. Welcome back home, lady!
Sneh | Cook Republic
Oh my goodness!! This is such a dream. Thank you for sharing the gorgeousness xx
Jane Y.
my husband would go crazy for those takoyaki. they are his favorite ๐
Lindsey
it looks like you two had the most fantastic honeymoon eating and exploring your way through so many wonderful sites! welcome back, you two! xoxo!
Sasha
These photos made me feel as though I was right there with you! Gorgeous, moody, lively,serene, and the food! Although I’d love to go to Japan someday, your photos allowed me to have a virtual vacation!! As a pastry chef and new blogger I admire your mixture of wonderful recipes and beautiful pictures. Can’t wait for the next post.
Valentina @Hortus
Like, all of my dreams are pretty much condensed in this post. Like, many of my dreams are pretty much condensed in Japanese ramen.
So happy you shared these (even though you’re killing me with envy)!
#ramen #matcha #moreramen #morematcha
Sini
Best picture overload ever <3 Japan is such a fascinating country. Thank you so much for sharing, lady!
Millie | Add A Little
These photos are incredible Cynthia!!! Just have to put something out there: how AMZING are japanese bakeries?! They have the fluffiesy fun bread! And the nofi potato chips are way to additive!
Looks like you had SO much fun and so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
You have to come back sometime – I’ll take you around all the snazzy and delicious places in Tokyo! ๐
Also, that photo of you and B2 (the instax one) melts my heart – you two are so darn cute!
Wishing you all the best for the future ahead! โค๏ธ
Kimberly
Absolutely breathtaking! Thanks so much for sharing. Japan is where I’d like to go. That black sesame softserve looked amazing (and so did all of the other food!!)
Faith
Absolutely beautiful!! I love your recommendations too! My husband and I are planning a trip to Tokyo this fall. We are in our mid twenties, do you have any suggestions for neighborhoods we should stay? Thanks!
tworedbowls
Ooooh YAY!! I’m so so excited for you guys and wistfully wishing I was back in your position ๐ I’m sure there are many more people out there who know more about neighborhoods, but for what it’s worth, we really liked staying in Sasazuka (at this AirBnB) because it was a little quieter and had a little alleyway right nearby filled with fun restaurants and shops — it felt more personal and a little cozier than some of the larger neighborhoods, but it was still only one train stop away from Shinjuku. But for a livelier nightlife, staying within walking distance of (or in) Shinjuku or Shibuya would probably be a better choice, with Shinjuku being (in our experience) a little less hectic than Shibuya. We stayed near Yoyogi Park our last two nights, within walking distance of Shibuya and Harajuku, and that was fun in its own way too. I hope that helps!!
Faith
Wow, thank you so much! ๐ We have no idea where to start, and I appreciate your suggestions. I love this blog post, and I hope to check out your ramen recommendation!
Jessica (Coco and Mingo)
Japan looks beautiful!!! Wow, even on the gloomy days! The food looks incredible…I can’t wait to go there one day, and when I do, I’ll take all your recommendations! ๐
Anabel
Just got back from Tokyo and Kyoto, and your guide was very helpful — thanks so much! We had lunch at Ramen Sen No Kaze (which was great!), and while I couldn’t find the Manneken in Kyoto Station, I stumbled upon one in Tokyo. In Kyoto we also had amazing tonkatsu at a tiny restaurant called Yamamoto — highly recommended!
tema
hi cynthia! any recommendations for a tea-tour / matcha crawl (??) in uji? i want to visit a plantation maybe? any guidance appreciated!
tworedbowls
Hi Tema! Our exploration of Uji was pretty much limited to the Byodoin Omotesando area, which we thought was plenty fun but probably wouldn’t occupy more than an afternoon. We didn’t make it to any tea plantations — that sounds so fantastic!! I want to hear/see all about it if you go!!
PS this reminds me that I never replied to your airbnb email — AHH! Replying now if it’s not too late!
temaleh
thanks, cynthia!! super excited and will definitely write again with any important tea or food updates :)) i’m not a food blogger (mere mortal ๐ ) but i’m sure i’ll instagram a bunch — am @temaleh – thanks for your amazing blog! i’ve put your recipes into practice and am now excited to put your travel tips into practice as well. we already booked our airbnbs, but amazingly they are located quite near those you recommended. thanks for the responses!