A pre-wedding Honeymoon? (21 days around Asia)

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 9 (Part 3):

We eventually settled on an Izakaya above a Lawson just on the edge of Nishitachibana called Akenaya (sort of in Hotel MyStays Miyazaki) which was really quite good and we would recommend it to anyone in the area.

We were shown to a small enclosed booth as is common at a lot of these izakayas. Ordering was via QR code with our phones translating most of the menu. We ended up with a varied spread including Miyazaki specialties wagyu and chicken nanban.

All of the food was fresh and delicious and I'll emphasize that if you want to go and try the best beef in Japan in an affordable way then Miyazaki is the place to visit. We started with some delicious sashimi.



Followed by a salmon carpaccio.



Chicken Nanban, which has seriously grown on me since first trying it in Miyazaki in 2023.



And finished it off with Miyazaki A4 wagyu Shabu Shabu.



After the meal we went back onto the street with about 80 minutes until the last train. Given the limited services that run along the Nichinan line, it was also the only train left to depart. In order to kill some time we looked for a bar on the way to the station.

We walked past a block of containers which had been fashioned into shops, restaurants and bars and headed up into the blue glow of Cafe&Bar Bios. We were the only people here so chatted with the bartender (with great assistance from google translate) and enjoyed a few drinks.



The bar was quite interesting with a number of fish tanks around the space, including all along the right hand wall above. After paying up we realised we were a little further from the station than we first through with only 10 minutes until the last train departed. Not wanting to have to get a fairly expensive taxi home we hot footed it the 800m or so to the station, quickly purchased the tickets necessary for the return trip and jumped on the train with about a minute to spare.

We made it back to Kodomonokuni around 11pm and made a quick pit stop for dessert before calling it a night.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 10 (Part 1):
After a pretty late night we still woke bright and early to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean right outside our window. This view is seriously hard to beat!



With the wind beautifully still I was eager to get out the door. Given the swell direction we unfortunately weren't able to surf directly outside the hotel but it was only a short drive to a spot called Kisakihama to find some fun little waves.






As you can see from the shot below we really weren't all that far from the hotel.



After finishing surfing we drove back past the hotel to the centre of Aoshima and parked up to find some breakfast and coffee. We ended up at Aoshima Coffee where we had some BLT bagels and iced lattes.



Next was some retail therapy at one specific store we knew we had to revisit. Aoshimaya is a big collective of mostly local goods with some other Japanese favourites thrown in. Primarily we were after Hyuganatsu dressing which is nearly impossible to find outside of this region, but utterly delicious on salads. We grabbed a few bottles amongst a couple of other things however I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a bottle of Hibiki Blenders Choice for 16500yen ($175aud) when it retails for around $400aud here.



After making our purchases we headed back to the hotel to unpack the car and prepare for a little road trip to a highly anticipated lunch we had booked.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 10 (Part 2):

Last time we visited Miyazaki we met up with a friend of a friend - Masa, who showed us a bunch of spots in southern Miyazaki and that we surfed with. Masa and his wife, Tomo, have since opened up a beautiful Italian restaurant in Nango called Tsuyano Fresca. A few days before our arrival I messaged Masa and he made a booking for us to come and try their new place.

We left Aoshima and drove an hour south through Nichinan and Nango and up into the coastal hills. The scenery up around the restauarant was vibrantly beautiful.


We arrived to what is essentially their home and found the small parking lot off to the side. Thank god for google maps and some well placed road signs by Masa as this place is well off the beaten path.



Once inside we were warmly greeted by Tomo, obviously aware we were Masas friends as not a lot of gaijin find their way up here. We were seated and presented with the set menu and given choice of pasta. Tomo had also written the menus in english especially for us which was appreciated as it's normally all on Japanese, but shows their attention to detail and hospitality. Honestly it's hard to find words to describe how good this meal was, so I'll just try my best with the photos below:



Starters were roast A4 miyazaki beef with a jus and deliciously light mashed potatoes, a cured salmon which melted in your mouth and had just a subtle hint of sweetness and a creamy corn soup with buttery notes. We also had their homemade yuzu and mint lemonade which on a 32 degree day was one of the most pleasant drinks I've ever had.



Next was some local Miyazaki oysters (not pictured) which were juicy and sweet but unlike their Hokkaido counterparts not the size of of your hand. In fact they seemed very similar to some of the south coast oysters you get in NSW given the similar climate variations and clean waters they share. After that was home made foccacia with local olive oil. It's very hard to beat warm fresh bread and the little salt flakes and olive oil were perfect accompaniments.



For pasta we ordered a puttanesca and a carbonara. Both were divine - the puttanesca had just the right amount of spice and a hint of smoke from the in house smoked chicken used. Similarly the carbonara had in house cured bacon and local eggs and was rich and creamy.



Dessert was a citrus panna cotta with mandarin. Again, divine, with just the right amount of sweet and sour notes from the fruit and sugar. This was served with tea or coffee. On my way in I spotted a very good looking espresso machine on the bar bench and asked Tomo if a latte was possible, and what came back rivalled the best cafes we have here in Sydney.

I must add as well all of this only cost about $35 per person, which was astonishing given just how good the food was. After lunch we stayed once the other patrons had left to chat with Masa and Tomo about their lives in rural Miyazaki and how everything was going. The restaurant has had quite alot of publicity and seems to be doing well and we would implore anyone coming to this region to seek it out! I also asked about the coffee machine and they mentioned that one of the biggest things they missed from their time in Aus was the coffees here, so they paid a pretty significant amount of money to import an italian machine to make good coffee in Japan, for which I was very grateful!

After saying our goodbyes we set off back towards Aoshima which provided a beautiful afternoon drive winding up the coastline.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 10 (Part 3):

After arriving back at The Holiday Inn we decided to take advantage of the onsen. This is one of the best parts of this hotel IMO with a great view of the ocean and a couple of different baths, a cold plunge and a sauna.

Before leaving Tsuyano Fresca we had asked Tomo and Masa if they could enquire about a reservation at Amimoto, an izakaya we had visited last trip across the road from our hotel. Unfortunately for us Amimoto only accepts phone reservations and they only speak Japanese, but fortunately Tomo was more than happy to call on our behalf and made us a reservation for 7pm.

We decided to grab a few drinks from the hotels store (very reasonably priced) and enjoy them on the beach before dinner. At this point we witnessed one of the crazier things I've seen in Japan. We noticed some splashing in the water and then realised that a pretty sizeable (maybe 4ft) shark was aggressively chasing fish not far from where people were surfing.




We spoke to a couple of the surfers who didn't seem too fazed by all this, so maybe sharks are more common here than I thought? After the entertainment and finishing our drinks we headed across the road to Amimoto. We were seated and looked at the menu while a big group of Korean tourists walked in. Now maybe I'm just not used to Koreans as much as I am to Japanese but the following observations somewhat foreshadowed our own visit to Korea later in the trip. That is to say this group was loud and fairly blunt, bordering on rude, to the staff. Something that mirrored many of our interactions a week or so later.

Anyway our Amimoto experience outside of this was once again fantastic, though prices have increased since 2023.



We started with their sashimi platter which was huuuuge for 2 people, but we polished it off with no issue given how fresh the seafood is here.



We then had Miyazaki wagyu, deep fried prawns and chicken nanban. All fantastic, particularly that beef in teriyaki sauce and butter. All this was washed down with some beers and sours. As we left the matron of the restaurant asked where we were from (she actually spoke quite good english but seemingly never answers the phone) and we explained that we were Aussie and that this was actually our second time here. She was so excited to hear this and told us to let her know if we ever come back while presenting us with her business card. She also found out I was into rugby and was so delighted to show me all the famous rugby players (among others) that have visited.

Just an aside and the reason for the incredible number of sports stars that have visited her restaurant - Miyazaki is one of the largest bases for the pre-season camps and competitions of many of Japans professional sporting leagues (soccer, baseball and rugby). In fact it's quite surreal the density of world class sporting facilities (and big stadiums) for such a small city.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 11 (Part 1):
Another early start to get some waves in before the wind came up. I headed to Kisakihama solo for a quick surf before heading back to grab my fiance so she could have a surf as there was some little waves just north of the hotel. This is also where I found out bindis also exist in Japan unfortunately.

After 2 surfs we returned to change for a day out. But first proprity was caffeine and we were in luck as what was previously a big empty hall attached to the hotel was now a big Murasaki Sports store with a cafe attached.



The coffee was fantastic and we chatted to the barista for a while. The shop is also a welcome addition to the hotel as it was a huge wasted space previously. It was also a sign that there is a bit of re-energisation happening around Miyazaki and particularly Aoshima as young people are starting to reverse the trend of moving to the big cities and seeking out a slower pace of life.

After coffee we decided to drop the boards off at Kens shed as we didnt plan on surfing again. This once again gave me a chance to nerd out over his collection!



Next this we headed into Miyazaki to an Aeon mall for some shopping and lunch. We ended up having a bunch of different things, and getting a bit of a chuckle out of one particular translation...




After returning to the hotel we used the onsen once again then set about working out where to go for dinner. We wanted to revisit SanBarco, a taco restaurant we went to last trip. We had to wait until later in the afternoon to call but secured a 7:30pm booking.

With time to kill we walked down to the Aoshima beach park area, bought some drinks and enjoyed them watching the sunset.




Getting peckish and with dinner still a little while away we found a grocery shop where we bought some sashimi, then went via 7/11 for some more drinks then having a little pre-dinner picnic.



Finally 7:30 rolled around so we made our way to SanBarco. Our table wasnt quite ready but they were more than happy to provide us drinks and a menu while we waited. Once we were seated we ordered and were once again served a fantastic meal here.





The staff here were all awesome and most are really good surfers too so it was easy to chat to them about that. As they were closing we decided to seek out some bars that had been recommended to us. Ironically there was really only 2 bars open in all of Aoshima, both next to each other in the same building so we just picked the more lively one.

We spent the rest of the night out drinking with some very funny Japanese surfers and another table of younger Japanese guys and girls who had a mate that could barely stand which was incredibly amusing to them. A Canadian bloke who'd been living in Japan for years also ended up there so we talked to him for a while before calling it a night as we had a huge few days coming up!

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 12 (Part 1):
Day 12 started what could probably be described as the busiest period of our trip. Over the next few days we would leave Miyazaki, travel to Kyoto and spend roughly 24 hours there, before departing for 36 or so hours in Hiroshima. Given the historical richness of these 2 cities there was a lot we wanted to get done.

Just like the last time we left Miyazaki the weather was awful and visibility very limited.



We packed the car up under the limited cover provided outside the restaurant and set off to meet Yusuke at a service station near the airport. We filled up the car and he dropped us off at departures.

Check in here took a bit of time as it seemed some of the staff were unfamiliar with OW tier benefits relating to baggage. Eventually a supervisor confirmed we were entitled to far more than what we were actually checking in and after an x-ray of the bags (something quite common at Japanese domestic terminals) we were handed boarding passes and free to clear security.



Given that we already knew there wasn't much after security we spent a bit of time looking at the shops as well as very quickly visiting the aiports skydeck, which would have been briiliant if it were not for the weather...



Once through security there was one small lounge shared by ANA and JAL as well as their subsidiaries but it was pretty underwhelming with very basic beverages and snacks.






We left pretty quickly choosing to sit at the gate with some natural light. Boarding was on time and given that there was only 2 other people in group 1 I just waited until group 2 so we could board together. Approaching the gates we got a funny look as a staff member rushed to check our boarding passes as if we were boarding in the wrong group. This happened more than once and was certainly one of those elements of 'different treatment' you sometimes experience, especially when you travel in shorts and a t-shirt (it was still 30c) when most Japanese boarding in groups 1 and 2 are businessmen in suits.

Once they verified we were in the right group (and that I was actually group 1) it was met with profound Gomenasais and much bowing... Once on board we settled into our pair of seats in the Embraer E170 for the short hop up to Osaka Itami.

The flight was a very standard affair with just the limited drinks service JAL fofers in domestic economy. The views on the way into Osaka though were stunning as we flew over most of the city.




We arrived at Itami and collected our bags before heading out to find the express bus stands. We grabbed some Lawson brunch on the way and purchased our tickets bound for Kyoto Station.

 

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Day 12 (Part 2):

After disembarking the bus on the south side of Kyoto station the first task was to navigate the labyrinth that is Japans second largest station building to get to our hote - the Mercure Kyoto Station. Fortunately Google maps did make the direction part easy, although navigating the now infamous Kyoto crowds with both checked and carry on luggage was a bit of a struggle.



Once on the North side it was about a 5 minute walk to the hotel. Unfortunately our room was not yet ready but we completed check in formalities and dropped our bags off to head back out for some lunch.




We wandered back to the station and eventually settled on a craft beer restaurant primarily doing Italian food. The pizza was great, as was the fried chicken and beer. Good fuel for an afternoon of exploring.



After lunch we had killed just enough time to check in and were provided an upgrade here from a superior king to a privilege king. We also were provided with a pretty spectacular view of Nishi-Hongan Ji temple, though I will include that photo in a day 13 post. I didn't take any photos of the room as we had a very busy itinerary while in Kyoto but for the price we paid it represented some of the best value of the trip between its location, the modern furnishings and the room size.

After dropping off our luggage we headed straight back out with 2 places on the afternoons agenda - Fushimi Inari Taisha and the Yasaka Pagoda. We first returned to the station a third time and jumped on the JR Nara line to Fushimi. The crowds alighting at Kyoto were heavy but there weren't too many on the train towards Nara.

After disembarking at Inari we headed into the shrine grounds and were met with some pretty sizeable crowds. We walked up the hill through the many tori gates for about 20 minutes before being somewhat put off by the crowds and heat.



After Fushimi we headed back to the Keihan Main Line Fushimi Inari station to jump on a train towards Gion and ultimately the Yasaka Pagoda.

 

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Day 12 (Part 3):

We rode the Keihan line until Shichijo Station where we transferred to a bus to the Pagoda. We timed the visit here perfectly I think as the crowds were pretty manageable and the sunset was spectacular!





We spent about 40 minutes just watching the sunset here and exploring the alleys around the Pagoda. Eventually hunger got the better of us so we set off in search of some ramen. On the way we saw a beautiful R34 GTR.



Walking north into Gion proper the crowds once again became an issue, as did Googles often inconsistent data on restaurants being open or not. After checking 2 ramen restaurants that were both closed we eventually settled on one in Hanamikoji-Dori called Hayakawa. Now firstly I'll caveat this by saying this street is pretty seedy if I'm being honest with a lot of what seemed to be Phillipino or Thai girls on the street offering 'services' to any male walking past. I know about Gions historic reputation but this was a bit more confronting than I was expecting...

That being said there is a lot of really good bars and restaurants in this area and Hayakawa was amazing, definitely some of the best Tsukemen I've ever had.



After dinner we were exhausted and found another bus to take us back to Kyoto station. I honestly found us using buses a lot more on this trip than ever before and have probably always underestimated their value in getting to and from train stations. On the walk back we made an obligatory 7/11 dessert stop before pretty much passing out.

 

[masco131]

Kyoto Station was the only place we truly got lost. I'm not sure if it is the station layout or what. Either way, it was a bit of a maze!
I highly recommend trying out the ramen spot called Clam Soup Noodle Kitada. It's just on the main road and about a 5-minute walk from the Mercure Hotel. Honestly, it ranks in my top 5 ramen places in Japan, the broth is so rich.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 13 (Part 1):

So I did actually take photos of the Mercure Kyoto Station so I'll post them below along with the surprisingly good view we received.





And the view we woke up to...



The days plans were to head to Kinkaku-Ji first, knowing that the crowds would be thick but also knowing that it is somewhat of a must do, then return towards the city centre, check out Nishiki market and finally return to the hotel to collect our bags for a 4pm bullet train to Hiroshima.

Before all of this though we had decided we would ta-q-bin our large suitcases to Okinawa to make the next few days of trains/taxis and planes a little easier. That ended up being a double edged sword but more on that later.

Despite having secured a 12pm check out as an ALL gold member we decided we wouldn't return until it was train time so we completed formalities for shipping our luggage and had our carry on bags stored before we grabbed some breakfast at Family Mart and jumped on a bus to Kinkaku-Ji. As we got on quite close to the start of the bus line we managed to get seats but this thing filled up quick. About 35 minutes later we arrived to thick crowds. Undeterred and pre-aware we made our way around the temple and gardens and still managed to get some nice photos.



The crowds were pretty intense and a lot of foreign tourists were very rude. On more than one occasion we had waited patiently to be at the front of the viewing area to take some photos only to have groups next to us abruptly ask us to leave so we weren't in their photos. I could understand this in some instances but when there is literally thousands of people around and everyone else is waiting patiently for the same thing it's a bit out of line to yell at someone for being on the fringe of your shot (particularly after I just watched these families actively barge through crowds to the front).

Getting pretty fed up with the crowds we decided we would just walk for a while in the streets of Kyoto for some respite and ended up finding arguably Japans most beautiful Hama-Sushi.



We also passed by a beautiful residential area over the Tenjin river.

 

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Day 13 (Part 2):
Right behind the last photo above was Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Fortunately this place was empty and a much better place to enjoy the spiritual importance of Kyoto.



And I think that ties into out biggest take away from Kyoto... Yes it's crowded but if you manage your expectations and visit some of the less famous temples and shrines it is still enjoyable. Also there's a small section with a lot of tori gates in the north west corner so if you want to cheat at creating a Fushimi Inari like shot this is a lot easier!

From here we walked to a bus stop with the intent to hop on a bus to Nijo Castle then walk from there to Nishiki Market. Unfortunately I picked the wrong side of the road and we ended up heading in the wrong direction. We made the most of it though and pivoted plans to take this bus to Kyoto Gyoen and the imperial palace.



We actually had quite a peaceful walk through the gardens though unfortunately the palace was closed on the day we attended so we eventually pivoted towards the subway line and Marutamachi station.




This worked out quite well as it was only 2 stations away from Shijo, which is very nearby Nishiki Market. We wandered along Shijo Dori checking out a couple of shops until we turned up towards Nishiki near the eastern end of it.



After entering we first visited the shrine for the market at the far eastern end.

 

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Day 13 (Part 3):

Given that we hadn't really had lunch my partner decided we should eat our way through Nishiki Market. Despite the once again crazy crowds, this was a really fun way to explore the market. Yes it's very touristy and you are paying inflated prices but we found the food to be pretty good quality.





We started with some giant prawn tempura on a stick which was quite heavy but delicious, particularly the prawns inside which surprised me with their pleasant texture.



Next was Yakitori tsukune and chicken skin, both fantastic particularly the cheese covered tsukune.



After that it was okonomiyaki and gyoza. Both good, but not the best we'd had.



Finally for dessert it was Snoopy custard Taiyaki, and that kid above was right to eye it off because this thing was delicious! Some of the best Taiyaki we've ever had!

After completing our eating tour of Nishiki it had started raining quite heavily so we retreated into Daimaru and explored it's underground pathways to find our way back to Shijo station. We hopped on the subway towards Kyoto.

At Kyoto station we collected our pre-purchased Shinkansen tickets and then ran back in the rain to the hotel. Having not had our welcome drinks yet we headed to the bar for a beer and glass of sparkling wine before collecting our stored bags and heading back to Kyoto station one last time.

 

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Day 13 (Part 4):

After arriving back at the station decidedly lighter than arriving we made our way towards the Shinkansen gates and passed through. From here we explored a few shops for some ekibens and drinks for the train. Finally with some bentos, onigiri, beers and sours in hand we made our way up to our platform.

We had a little time to kill as the train was slightly delayed so we grabbed some platform coffee from a vending machine.


While it was a cool photo opp the coffee was incredibly hot and super bitter so wouldn't recommend it! The only cool thing is that they have different blends for the different traain types (Kodama, Nozomi etc... and even Dr Yellow).

Finally our train pulled into view.



We quickly made our way to our seats and settled in for a feast of food and drinks. Not long after sitting we were zooming off towards Osaka.



And it was time for a beer and some food!




The next 90 minutes absolutely flew by and honestly the trip was almost too short. We did get some nice views on the way but it was mostly tunnels (as are most Shinkansen journeys).



Shortly before 6pm we arrived into Hiroshima station and alighted before heading to a taxi stand to take a taxi to the Hilton Hiroshima.

 

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Day 13 (Part 5):
After arriving at the Hilton we checked in quickly and headed up to our King Executive Room (a nice upgrade from the base room booked) for a much needed shower after a big day on our feet. The room was far better than expected and once again great value at around $150aud per night. Some images of the room below.






Given that we had made it in time for the last 30 mins of the executive lounge drinks/canape time we quickly headed there for some pre-dinner bites. Fortunately it was on the same floor as our room.




The view from here was also stellar on the top floor of the hotel. As the food and drinks wrapped up we headed out into the drizzly Hiroshima night for a proper meal.



We ended up finding an Izakaya in Nagarekawa called Minshuku and had a pretty good dinner including one of my favourites at Izakayas - Grilled Atka Mackerel.




After dinner we were wrecked so wandered back to the Hilton to call it a night with another big day planned in Hiroshima the next day.