0

1

Have you ever seen Japan on TV? Did you notice what is broadcasted as Japan is a bit

different from what today’s Japan really is? Are you fond of manga or anime? Do you enjoy

karaoke? Do you like sushi? Have you thought about visiting Japan? Well, what do you say

to having a 10-day-trip across Japan in an hour or so? You can visit major cities across

Japan including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, and Naha! The story itself is fictional, but it

could work as a guide of the cities from a local’s perspective. I hope you’ll see different

aspects of today’s Japan! Are you ready to explore Japan with our traveler, Katie?

Here is the itinerary !

Day 1: Leaving New York……………………………………………………..…………..3

Day 2: Arriving in Tokyo………………………………………………………….……….3

Day 3: Tokyo…………………………………………………………………….…………..12

Day 4: Karuizawa (Nagano)……………………………………………………….........16

Day 5: Sapporo (Hokkaido)…………………………………………………………......17

Day 6: Osaka…………………………………………………………………………………19

Day 7: Kyoto………………………………………………………………………………….22

Day 8: Kobe, Hiroshima, Hakata…………………………………………………...…...24

Day 9: Naha (Okinawa)……………………………………………………………..……..26

Day 10: Tokyo to New York………………………………………………………..……..26

*Hi! I can’t believe it’s already been quite a while since I first published Japan Magic! The

story reached more than 1K reads- thank you all for your support! This story is the 2nd

edition of Japan Magic originally published on Sep 3, 2009. I’ve revised/ updated some

materials and also added some pictures to make the story more fun to read (thank you for

your help a good friend of mine, who helped on condition of anonymity). Now that the

Olympics is decided to be held in Tokyo in 2020 (yay Tokyo 2020!), and I hope more and

more people will become interested in visiting Japan- and I hope this story will give you a

feel how it is like to travel Japan, a truly beautiful country. I hope this edition will be even

more fun to read for our new and revisiting readers! See you soon in Japan!

2

Prologue

Japan is an interesting country. It is

indeed still a mysterious country. It is a

country where energetic cities of Tokyo

coexist with traditional towns of Kyoto.

What is shown on TV is only partial aspects

of today’s Japan, and the best way to

explore Japan is to actually visit the country.

But first, why not travel with Katie across

Japan with this story? Katie will literally

travel “across” Japan, from Hokkaido

(North Japan) to Okinawa (South Japan). You don’t have to spend actual 10 days and you

can save your travel cost as well!

Here is the brief background of Katie, our traveler. Katie, an American girl, has just

graduated from university. She has never travelled abroad, and she loves her country.

Although Katie herself does not look Japanese at all, her great-grandmother was Japanese.

As the destination of her graduation trip, she has chosen the land of her great-

grandmother’s. She wasn’t a big fan of Japan with her worst at secondary school having

been a huge fan of Japanese anime and whatnot, but she decided to go see her own roots.

She went to a local travel agent, and arranged a 10-day-trip across Japan. As she didn’t

want to go on a group tour, she decided to travel the country by herself. She is a bit worried

because she cannot speak Japanese. She bought a handbook of Travel Japanese, but she

gave up very soon because the sounds were too unfamiliar. She will visit the following

prefectures of Japan: Tokyo, Nagano, Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Hiroshima,

Fukuoka, and Okinawa.

Please note that the overall story is fictional. If you decide to visit Japan (which I hope

you will sometime soon!), please consult your travel agent, and make sure to check flight/

train schedule etc! Also, names except for city names and historical sites are fictional. Any

correspondence is just coincidence. All the photos used in the book are taken by the author

or the friend I mentioned above.

Bon voyage!

Arashiyama, Kyoto

3

Day 1 and Day 2:

New York to Tokyo

(Stay @Tokyo)

Katie left her apartment in

Manhattan early in the morning.

She’d made sure she had

everything necessary in her

suitcase and backpack. She had 2

hours of waiting time at the airport,

so decided to read the guidebook

she’d bought the week before. Here are some of the things she learned from the guidebook.

People in Japan speak Japanese, whose roots are still unknown. “Really?” Katie was

surprised. “Isn’t it related to Chinese?” The guidebook suggested an answer. “As both

Japan and China use Chinese characters, they are sometimes mistaken as sister

languages. The reason both languages similar characters is because Japan imported

Chinese characters, or kanji, from China more than 1000 years ago.” Japan covers only

about 380,000 km2 of the Far East. It is an archipelago very prone to earthquakes. This

small country is home to over 120,000,000 people. “Wow, it’s overpopulated” Katie thought.

“And earthquakes! Hope I don’t have to experience one.” Japan has very different

landscape depending on the area. “I’d love to see the difference” was the Katie’s comment.

Japanese food is worth trying. There are unfamiliar foods, yet their delicate taste will color

your visit to Japan. “Hmm… I hope I won’t have a stomachache!”

“… Flight… to Narita, please proceed to Gate 22.”

“Oh, already time?”

Katie’s seat was 30A, a window seat. The aisle seat next to her was occupied by a

(rather good looking!) young Japanese man.

“Hi!” he said.

“Hi” Katie replied in a quiet voice, already becoming a bit cautious about him. She didn’t

really like strangers who casually initiate a conversation.

“First time to Japan?” His English had a slight Japanese accent.

“Yeah….” Katie tried to make a frowning face.

“Are you gonna stay in Tokyo?”

Tokyo and Mt.Fuji

4

“For a few days,” replied Katie and started to read the guidebook so that she didn’t have

to continue conversation.

The plane finally took off. It would be Katie’s first time experience to travel over the

Pacific Ocean. When the seatbelt sign was turned off, cabin attendants started to offer

drinks and lunch.

“Hi, would you like to have beef teriyaki, tomato pasta, or fried fish?”

“I’d like to have pasta, thank you.” Katie didn’t like fish nor teriyaki sauce.

“What would you like to have for drink?”

“Just some water please.”

“Here you are.”

“Thank you.”

The Japanese man ordered beef teriyaki and Japanese tea. When they both started to eat,

the man talked to Katie again.

“You know, I was studying at a university in New York for a year.”

“Really?”

“I was an exchange student from a Japanese university.”

“Are you going back?”

“Yeah, I’ve got half a year to go.”

“What are you studying?”

“Literature.”

Suddenly, Katie started to hold familiarity to the Japanese man, or should she say, a

Japanese student. Katie’s major at university was American literature, and after all, if

people have the same major, conversation usually flows naturally.

“English literature?” Katie asked.

“Japanese.”

“Why were you studying abroad then?”

“I’m interested in comparison of Japanese literature with American literature.”

“When are you graduating?”

“Next March.”

“Next March? That’s unusual time of the year.”

“Compared to American schools, yes. But in Japan, schools start in April.”

“Really.”

Katie was thinking, “I’ve never heard of schools staring in April.”

5

“How long are you gonna stay in

Japan?” He asked.

“About 10 days.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m gonna travel across Japan.”

“Why did you choose Japan as

your holiday destination?”

“Well, Japan is where my

ancestors came from.”

“Wow, then you’ll have great

experience in Japan!”

“I’m hoping to.”

They continued to talk throughout the lunchtime. The student told Katie that his name is

Takeo and he lives in the suburb of Tokyo. She gave him the itinerary of her travel, and he

offered her to take her around Tokyo. Katie answered that she wasn’t sure about it, as she

had not trusted him yet. Takeo gave her his phone number, and told her that she could call

him when she needs help. Katie thanked him, and as the lights went off in the plane, they

decided to take some sleep.

When the lights of the plane were turned on, the plane was already approaching Japan.

As Japan is located West to the USA, and you have to fly over the international time line,

you lose time when you fly to Japan. So, it was already at noon in Japan though Katie had

left NY at noon the day before. Katie ate her second lunch, and as Takeo also woke up,

they talked some more. Takeo told her that his mother would come and pick him up at the

airport, and asked her if she wanted his mother to drive her to her first hotel. Katie thanked

him but declined the offer, as she had already booked a ticket of Narita Express. Katie

asked Takeo if Narita Express really is an express train, as it takes nearly an hour to central

Tokyo. Katie was surprised to learn that Narita Airport is actually in a prefecture next to

Tokyo called Chiba.

The plane landed safely at Narita International Airport at around 1:30 Japan time on

August 24. When she got off the plane, Katie was surprised by the humidity of Japanese

summer. “Japanese summer is always hot and humid.” Takeo, who was walking together,

told her. They went through quarantine together. They waved good-bye at the passport

control, as Takeo was a holder of Japanese passport and Katie was not.

Tokyo seen from Tokyo Skytree

6

“Well, enjoy your trip! See you around!”

There was a long line at the passport control. As the entrance policy became stricter last

year, each person took some time to complete the process.

“Hello”

“Hello, welcome to Japan.”

Katie was only going to stay in Japan for a short period of time, so she didn’t have much

trouble. She was of course asked for finger prints and a photo, but she didn’t mind that at all.

After all, their policy is similar to that of USA’s.

When Katie reached the baggage claim, her suitcase was already being circulated. She

grabbed her suitcase and went through the custom. The custom officer didn’t check her

suitcase, and let her pass with a smile. Takeo seemed to have already left the airport, and

she wasn’t able to find him.

Katie looked for a sign saying “Narita Express.” Thankfully, there were English signs all

over the place along with Korean and Chinese signs. She soon found the sign and went

after it. The Narita Express was a comfortable train going to Tokyo Station and other major

stations around it. Katie had booked a hotel in a place called Shinjuku, so it was about 80

minute ride from the airport. She soon started to see skyscrapers outside of the window.

“The next stop is Shinjuku. Passengers going to… please change trains here at

Shinjuku station.”

“Oh, this is where I have to get off.”

Katie grabbed her suitcase and “landed” in the central Tokyo area. When she got off, she

was amazed to see so many people walking around the station in the middle of the

afternoon. Shinjuku is one of the busiest areas of Tokyo, where headquarters of Japanese

leading companies gather around. Shinjuku station is one of the biggest stations in Tokyo,

and nearly 20 different train lines stop at the station. There are more than 6 different exits

from the station, and it is very easy to get lost, even for Japanese tourists. Therefore, it was

no surprise Katie couldn’t find her way. She made up her mind and approached a station

staff.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Do nasai mashitaka?” the reply was in Japanese. She decided that he had just greeted

her, and continued.

“I need to get to this hotel called....” As she was not sure how to pronounce the name of

the hotel, she decided to show him the reservation form she had. The man seemed to have

7

understood her question.

“Soredeshitara, nishiguchi o dete hidarini….”

Katie thought, “This is going nothing,” so she decided to rely on gesture.

“I don’t understand Japanese. Could you draw me a map?” She mover her right index

finger over her left hand. Sadly, the man started to have a puzzled look and went into his

office. Sighing, Katie left the place to find somebody who can help her. However, someone

soon caught up with her, it was a different station staff.

“Sorry, he does not understand English. He told me you were looking for Hotel….” This

man had a strong Japanese accent, pronouncing the whole sentence in a flat tone. Katie

managed to understand what he said and replied,

“Thank you. I don’t understand Japanese. I just arrived in Tokyo, and I’m lost in this big

station.”

“It’s easy to get lost at Shinjuku station,” the staff chuckled merrily.

“I need to get to my hotel….”

“Yes, yes. Please exit from West Exit and turn left….”

With direction being made clear, Katie thanked him and headed for her hotel. She soon

found her hotel. The hotel was about 5 minute walk from the station. “Nice and convenient,”

she thought. She entered the gate, and a porter ran to her and helped her with the heavy

suitcase. She went to the check-in counter. A friendly lady helped her fill in necessary

documents and gave her a card key. Her fluency in English was actually surprising to Katie.

“Where did you learn to speak like that?” Katie couldn’t help asking.

“I lived in the states for a while” she winked at her.

“I see.”

“Breakfast will be served in the dining room from 6:30.”

“OK.”

“Your luggage will be delivered to your room.”

“Thanks.”

“If you need any help, your concierge will be glad to help you.”

“Thanks.”

“Or, you can just come down and find me,” she added with a kind smile.

“That would be great.”

“I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay at our hotel.”

Katie waved see-you-later to her, and took a lift to 12th floor. Her room, 1225 was a cozy

8

room with a single bed. She would be

staying at this hotel for 3 nights

before taking a flight to Hokkaido, the

northern part of Japan. The ported

soon came to her room and put her

suitcase onto the luggage holder.

“Thank you,” she handed him 2

dollars, as she hadn’t exchange

money yet.

“Arigato gozaimasu.” The porter

gave her a bow, and left.

As it was around 4:30, Katie decided to go for a walk. She also wanted to ask the kind

lady at the counter things to see in Tokyo. So, she unpacked her stuff a bit, and left her

room. Luckily, the lady was still at the front.

“Hi! May I ask a few questions?”

“Of course. How can I help you?”

“I need to exchange dollars for yen. Where should I go?”

“Oh, there is a bank nearby. Their rate is good, too.”

“Can I use my credit card in most places?”

“Will you travel outside of Tokyo, too?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Well, most stores and restaurants in Tokyo accept credit cards, but it is a good idea to

some have cash at hand, especially when you travel around.”

“Is Tokyo a safe place?”

“It is. There are some pick-pockets, but except for that, you don’t really have to worry.

Just stay away from dark places at night time. Also, there are certain areas that you should

be aware of.” And she indicated certain areas on the map she showed Katie.

“Thanks. I’m spending rest of the day and tomorrow in the Tokyo area. Any

recommendations?”

“Well, there’s a lot to see in Tokyo. Why don’t you walk around Shinjuku tonight? You

could take a tour around Tokyo tomorrow.”

“I see. I will definitely wander around this area tonight. But I don’t really like tour buses,

so….”

Harajuku, Tokyo

9

“Have you got any friends in

Tokyo?”

“No….”

Then, Katie remembered

about Takeo, who she met in

the plane.

“Well,” Katie said,

“There is one guy from the

plane. He said he could take

me around, but I don’t really

know him.”

“Hmm…. It will be easier to get around if you have a Japanese friend.”

“Do you think it’s safe?”

“That’s a difficult question. But I’d say it will be OK. Just make sure you come back

before it gets dark.”

“Thanks, I’ll think about that.”

“Well, here is a map of Shinjuku, and this one is a map of the central Tokyo. Enjoy your

evening!”

“Thank you.”

Katie left the hotel and started to explore Shinjuku area. She decided to visit the East

area first, as it was located on the opposite direction.

“Wow! This is what I’ve seen on TV!”

In front of the East Exit of the station were busy crossings. And on the wall of one of the

building was a large TV screen often shown as “Tokyo.” She found a bank nearby and

exchange some of her US dollars with Japanese yen. 1US dollar corresponds to about 100

yen.

“It’s a good idea to think about yen as cents,” the clerk at the bank told her.

When Katie came out of the bank, she met many business people walking toward the

station. “The office hours must have finished,” she thought.

As it was hard to resist the flow of people, Katie went back to the station. She found a

department store directly connected to the station. As she was getting hungry, so she

decided to go to the restaurant floor. The direction was in Japanese, but as there were

photos of dishes on the direction, she could easily tell where she should be heading.

Odaiba, Tokyoo

10

At the restaurant floor, she found cuisine of various countries. There was French food,

Italian food, American food, Hawaiian food, Chinese food, Korean food, and of course,

Japanese food. “It’s so international though there aren’t many non-Japanese,” Katie

thought. She went into and American-buffet, as she was interested in what Japanese

people regard as “American food.” As she expected, there were hamburgers and pizzas,

and so on. But she also found some unfamiliar food and amused by that. It was her first

time to try Japanese rice, or sticky rice as you’d call it. “It’s kinda chewy,” she thought.

Overall, she had a good dinner, and paid 1800 yen for the food. At the cashier, she paid

2000 yen—2 sheets of bluish currency—and left. But she was surprised when the waiter

caught up with her and gave her 200 yen change.

“No, no, that’s for you,” Katie told him.

The waiter looked a bit puzzled, and said,

“Otsuri desuga….”

Katie decided to be direct, and said,

“It’s tip.”

And realization came to the waiter’s face, and he started to try to speak in English.

“Thank you. But Japan, tipping, no. It your change….”

“Hah?”

“You no need tip in Japan….”

“Oh, you mean I don’t have to tip in Japan.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Oh, thanks for letting me know that. I never thought there are countries without the

custom. Anyway, this time, that 200 yen is yours,” and the waiter smiled and thanked her,

“Arigato gozaimasu. Mata no okoshi o omachishite orimasu.”

Katie explored the department stores for some time. There were shops she had seen a

lot back in her country.

“Irasshai mase.”

Whenever she walked past a store, the attendants said to her, so it didn’t take her long to

realize that “Irasshai mase” means “Welcome to our store.” Katie decided to have a look at

a stationary store and was very pleased to find some pretty postcards of Japan.

“This is Tokyo. This is Mt. Fuji. This is Osaka. This is Kyoto.”

The shop attendant explained to her. She bought some cards at the store, and left the

department store happily. She walked around the area for another hour, and decided to call

11

it a day. When she came back to her room, she was impressed by the beautiful views of

Shinjuku at night time. She was very sleepy, yet she made up her mind to call Takeo.

Shinjuku Station was large enough for her to get lost, so she would definitely get lost in

Tokyo area if there wasn’t anybody to help her. “I only have a day in Tokyo, and I wanna

make most of it. So this can’t be helped.” She hoped that Takeo’s mom won’t pick up the

phone.

“Hai, Mori desu.” It was Takeo’s voice.

“Hey, Takeo, it’s me, Katie.”

“Oh, it’s you! How’s it going?”

“Great. I walked around Shinjuku area.”

“Sounds good. Didn’t you get lost?”

“Yeah, at the station.”

“Do you need a tour guide then?”

“I was getting there. Would you mind showing me around Tokyo tomorrow?”

“That’s a great idea. Where do you wanna go?”

“No idea. Totally up to you.”

“OK, then I will come and pick you up tomorrow morning. Where are you staying?”

Katie told Takeo where she’s staying and they decided to meet at 8:30 next morning.

“Good night now.”

“See you tomorrow.” He hanged up.

Katie thought, “well, I’m gonna have a wonderful day tomorrow.” She didn’t want to admit

but she wasn’t sure which is priority—seeing Tokyo or seeing Takeo. She took a shower,

asked for a morning call, and turned off the lights.

“Good night, Tokyo.”

Tokyu plaza, Harajuku

12

Day3: Tokyo (Stay @Tokyo)

She was woken up by the morning call at 6:45. She prepared herself, and went down for

breakfast. “English breakfast, or Japanese breakfast?” She took English one as she wasn’t

yet sure about Japanese food.

Takeo was already there when she went downstairs. He was wearing a cool vest over

his T-shirt and looked very cool.

“Hey there! Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Wow, you look very pretty today.”

Takeo had a good point, as Katie was wearing a cute mini-skirt compared to the jeans she’d

been wearing the day before.

“Thanks. Where are we going?”

“Well, I’m gonna take you around Tokyo in one day!”

So they left the hotel. Their first

stop was Asakusa. There Katie saw

Sensouji, which is also famous on

TV.

“I didn’t know this place is in

Tokyo!” Katie commented.

“Yeah. It’s kinda interesting that

traditional stuff like this are located

between skyscrapers.”

She asked him to take a photo of

her in front of the famous red

lantern at the gate of the temple.

“Well, I don’t really come to

shrines or temples, but you’ll see a lot of them around Japan. You know, when you travel to

European countries, you get to see loads of churches. Same thing.”

Katie had never visited Europe, but decided to agree.

Their next stop was Tokyo Skytree. The 634m tower which opened to public in 2012. It

is a conspicuous structure in the middle of Tokyo. Tokyo now has two tall towers! Tokyo

Tower and Tokyo Skytree. They went up to the observatory and enjoyed the beautiful view

of Tokyo.

Asakusa

13

The next stop was at the Kokyo, or

the emperor’s palace.

“You can’t enter the actual area,

but this bridge at the front is quite

famous,” Takeo said. It was a

beautiful area with lots of green in the

very heart of Tokyo.

“I didn’t know you still have

emperor.”

“Well, he is symbolic according to

the constitution. He doesn’t have

political power.”

“I see.”

They took a train again and got off

at the Shibuya station. It was already

lunchtime, so they had lunch at an

Italian restaurant. After that, Takeo

took her a walk from Shibuya to

Aoyama and Omotesando, and then to Harajuku. These are basically shopping areas.

They are located very close to each other, but they have different faces. Shibuya is an office

area with major department stores. The famous “diamond cross” is in Shibuya. There are

about 5 crossings and the traffic signal turn green at the same time, so you can go to

whichever street you want to cross to. It is a bit tricky, but Japanese people surprisingly

walk across the street without bumping into others heading toward other directions.

Aoyama and Omotesando are elegant areas with international boutiques. Expensive brand

stores are lined up along the main street. Omotesando and Harajuku are actually next to

each other. If you cross a street, you are already in Harajuku area. Harajuku, however, is a

town for young people. Inexpensive fashion shops are clad together, and teenagers often

hang out in this area.

Katie walked around this area with Takeo, stopping now and then to take a look at shops.

She was particularly interested in the toy shop located close to the intersection of

Omotesando and Harajuku. She could see various Japanese cartoon characters including

the world-famous kitten. There were cool robots as well. She bought some character goods

Tokyo Skytree

14

there. She also enjoyed Takeshita-dori in Harajuku, and bought a cute dress there. It was

only 1500 yen. They spent most of the afternoon in the area, so it was already around 6

o’clock when they arrived at the Shinjuku station.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed Tokyo,” Takeo said.

“Yes, it was a wonderful day. Thank you for taking me around.”

“I enjoyed it a lot, too. Hey, it’s already 6. You wanna have dinner together?”

“Well…” she remembered what the front lady had told her the day before. She had told

her to come back before dark. But, as Katie judged Takeo as a good and cool guy, she

agreed.

“Then, I will take you to a good restaurant.”

He took her to the East area. Along the street were bright lights of different colors. He

took her into a Spanish restaurant. “This is one of my favorite restaurant in Tokyo.”

They had a nice dinner staring from gazpacho and ending with paella and good dessert.

They also had some drinks together. Takeo talked about his future plan, and Katie talked

about hers, too. They left the restaurant at around 8:30. Takeo kindly paid for Katie.

“Hey, you wanna go and have another drink?” Takeo offered.

Katie was already quite sleepy, but thought she should agree as he had paid for her. He

took her further among the neon signs and stopped in front of a fancy bar. He was about to

open the door, when a group of young Japanese girls talked to them. One of them started to

talk with, or argue with Takeo in rapid Japanese.

“Nani shiteruno…. dare…dame….”

“Datte koit… katte….”

Another Japanese girl signaled Katie to come close to her and started to whisper in English.

“Hi, are you just visiting Japan?”

“Yes, I am,” Katie whispered back sensing urgency in her voice.

“Are you a friend of Takeo?”

“I met him at the plane yesterday. He showed me around Tokyo today.”

“OK, but listen, you shouldn’t go into the bar. It’s not good for you.”

“Why?”

“I go to the same university with Takeo, and he doesn’t have good reputation, especially

with girls.”

“But….”

“Just go, OK? I’ll tell Takeo that you’re exhausted and need to go to bed. Where are you

15

staying?”

“At the Hotel Koku….”

The girl waved at a taxi and told the driver something in Japanese which included the name

of her hotel. She pushed Katie in.

“But what about Takeo?”

“Don’t worry about him. He’s busy arguing with his ex, just go.”

“OK…. Thanks.”

The taxi driver smiled at Katie, and in 5 minutes, she was in front of the hotel. She paid

him 740 yen and thanked him. She went upstairs, wondering about Takeo. He looked a very

good guy, showing her around Tokyo. She wasn’t sure whether the girl was telling her the

truth. Maybe, she just didn’t want her to be around him. But she looked really serious, so

Katie might have been saved from trouble. “Well,” she thought, “At least I could enjoy Tokyo

and get back here safely.” She checked her itinerary and went to bed.

Tokyo Bigsite

16

Day4 Karuizawa, Nagano (Stay@Tokyo)

She woke up at around 7 o’clock. She didn’t have breakfast at the hotel because she

had booked a Nagano-shinkansen leaving Tokyo around 8:30. She was planning to visit

Karuizawa, one of the major resorts in Nagano prefecture. She took Chuo Line to the Tokyo

station, and got on a shinkansen, or bullet train there. Shinansen is rapid express system

offered by JR, and their maximum speed is over 250 km per hour. Katie had breakfast on

shinkansen, and enjoyed the landscape. When the train left busy areas of Tokyo, the

landscapes gradually changed. She first saw some residential areas, and then rural areas

where rice fields spread. “It’s gorgeous,” she thought.

It only took about an hour to the Karuizawa station. She went to a tourist office, and then

went on a bus. She went to see a lava park near Mt. Asama. As the surrounding was was

very green, the black stones of the lava park struck her eyes as very different. She went to

see a volcano museum and was intrigued by the fact there are some active volcanoes

across Japan.

She then took a bus again, and went to see green areas of Karuizawa. She had

acquired an English map of the area, so it wasn’t very hard to find the beautiful cascade of

Shiraito. She then had lunch at a French bistro nearby a lake. She tried Japanese ayu, a

small fish, and surprised that she liked it. After lunch, she explored the central street of

Karuizawa. She was happy to see wooden and woven artifacts of Japanese culture. Not

many shop attendants there spoke English, but Katie managed to do some good shopping.

She also had a look at a huge outlet center, and then took another bullet train back to Tokyo.

She bought obento at the Karuizawa station and enjoyed it for dinner in the train. Obento is

neatly packed Japanese meal, and you get fish, meat, vegetables, and rice in one box. She

avoided octopus, but apart from it, she

ate everything.

It was around 8:00 when she got

back to the hotel. As she was leaving

for North Japan the next day, she

repacked her suitcase and then went

to bed.

The image of Karuizawa

(the actual place: Mitaka, Tokyo)

17

Day 5: Sapporo, Hokkaido (Stay@Sapporo)

Katie had to wake up early again. She quickly went downstairs and had breakfast. She

tried Japanese breakfast for the first time, and she found it pretty pleasant. It consisted of

white rice, miso soup, some boiled vegetables cooked with soy sauce, salmon, and tofu.

She had tried miso soup before, but authentic miso soups was much thicker and more tasty.

She checked-out before 8 o’clock and hurried to Haneda Airport, where most domestic

flights depart and arrive. She took two JR trains to Hamamatsu-cho, and then took a

monorail to the airport. She made it to her plane to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido.

Hokkaido is the prefecture very north of Japan, and in winter, it attracts many skiers. In

contrast to winter time, summer time is marked by its magnificent green environment, and

the season attracts many mountain climbers.

Katie’s plane landed at Chitose-airport at around 11o’clock. She took a taxi to central

Sapporo, and checked-in at a hotel located a few blocks away from the central street. The

room wasn’t ready yet, so she left her suitcase and decided to walk around. She had asked

the concierge what she could do in the half day she got in Sapporo. He strongly suggested

her to take a horse-drawn carriage so that she can look around the city. She liked the idea

as there aren’t many occasions you can ride carriages. So, she went to the carriage station,

and soon was on a big carriage of two stories. The carriage took her around important sites

of Sapporo, and she enjoyed the views from her ride. There were modern buildings in

Sapporo, but they were not as high as those in Tokyo. The streets were wider, and there

were certainly less people.

After the 40-minute-carriage ride, she went to a small restaurant and enjoyed local food.

As farming is a large industry in Hokkaido, beef and cheese there were really good. Her

favorite was deep-fried Camembert. She also had nice Sapporo beer there.

After lunch, she went to see the factory of Sapporo beer. They showed her the process

of making beer. She had never seen the raw materials of beer, so she found the factory

intriguing. She then went to see central park of Sapporo. She looked at some photos from

the winter festival held in the park. They were photos of snow statues, and she thought

she’d love to come back to Sapporo during winter. She also went to see a museum and

learned about the Ainu, the indigenous people of North Japan.

She had dinner at a local Izakaya, or casual bar restaurant. She talked with other

Japanese people there. They only spoke English a bit, but they managed to communicate

each other. One of them taught her easy Japanese, such as Konnichiwa or Arigato. Katie

18

also tried Japanese sake. It tasted

different as the ingredients are different

from what she usually enjoys at home. It

wasn’t her favorite alcoholic drink, but

conversation with other people enjoyed

the drinks.

She waved good-bye to them and

went back to the hotel. She received her

key, and went up to the room. Her

suitcase was already there. As she was

leaving for Osaka the morning next day,

she didn’t unpack and just took out

necessary things for a night.

Before she fell asleep, she was

thinking about her great-grandmother.

Katie had only seen her in photos.

“I wonder how it was like to leave all

her friends and start a new life in a totally

different country,” Katie thought.

“She must have missed things she had to leave behind….”

“Hadn’t she made a choice to cross the Pacific, I wouldn’t be here.”

She felt a surge of thankfulness toward her great-grandmother coming over. When Katie

finally fell asleep, she had both traces of tears and a smile on her face.

This cute deer is from Nara

19

Day 6: Osaka (Stay@Osaka)

Again, an early morning. The schedule

becomes a bit tight if you try to travel across

Japan in 10 days including your flight. Anyway,

Katie checked out the hotel after enjoying

Japanese breakfast again, and hurried to the

airport. Her plane carried her from the North

Japan to West Japan. As Tokyo is located in

East Japan, it took her longer to fly from

Sapporo to Osaka. She arrived at Itami Airport,

or Osaka Airport. She took a monorail and

changed to Hankyu line at the next station.

She wasn’t sure about her destination, but a

passer-by helped her. She got off the train at Umeda station, and found her hotel located

right next to JR Osaka station. She asked the concierge where she can visit in the

afternoon, and received an English map with helpful comments by the concierge. She had a

quick lunch at a café nearby, and headed for Dotonbori area. The concierge had said to her,

“Area around the Umeda and Osaka stations are called Kita area, and there are elegant

shops and tall buildings. Area around Dotonbori, Namba and Shinsekai are called Minami

area, and you can see older Osaka there.”

So Katie decided to go and see older districts of Osaka. She took a subway from

Nishi-umeda and got off at Namba station. As it was a subway station, she wasn’t sure at all

which direction she should be heading. She asked the station staff, but none of them could

communicate with her. She was at a loss, and then another passer-by stopped and helped

her. He told her to try some Osaka food such as Okonomiyaki. Katie thanked him, thinking

how many people so far have helped her get around. “I didn’t expect Japanese people

would help foreigners like me this lot!” but of course, Katie was glad they did so.

She soon found out the right exit, and turned around a corner. And, there she was at the

middle of Dotonbori area. There was a river, and along the river were many shops and

restaurants with big mascots of various creautes—blowfish, crab, octopus, and so on. It

was a totally different area from what she had seen in Japan so far. She found the mascots

a bit grotesque yet cute, and took some photos. Then she found a bridge and saw many

Japanese people taking photos there. She thought that it must be a very famous bridge but

Shinsekai, Osaka

20

wasn’t really sure why. She concluded that the river is a famous one and started to take a

photo. She then felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. It was a young Japanese man. Katie

became very cautious as she had rather awkward experience with Takeo. But he pointed at

her camera and then at a huge picture of an athlete facing the river.

“Oh!” Katie said, “Thanks, I didn’t realize that picture is the popular thing.”

The man smiled and went away.

She strolled Dotonbori area for some time. She tried a Takoyaki. There were two

Japanese men baking and selling unfamiliar dumplings at a shop, and Katie asked them

what they were. She used her newly acquired Japanese word, “Nani?” meaning “What is

it?” Then one of them said “Takoyaki.” He then said “Try!” and gave her one. Katie had no

idea what “takoyaki” is, but she accepted it. It turned out to be a dumpling with octopus in it.

The dumpling part tasted very nice, but octopus part was chewy and tasted very unfamiliar.

Katie thanked them, and walked away hurriedly. She thought, “Well, it wasn’t my favorite

Japanese food.”

Katie then went to an area called

American Village, where many vintage

clothes shops gather around. She then

walked to the Shinsaibashi station through

Shinsaibashi shopping arcade. She took a

subway back to the JR Osaka area, and

had dinner at a Japanese noodle

restaurant. She couldn’t make up her mind,

so she ordered both Udon and Soba. Udon

turned out to be thick white noodles made

from flour, and Soba turned out to be thin brown noodles made from soba seeds. They

were prepared in brown soup with some topping. Unlike its outlook, the noodles were

delicious. She finished both bowls and the waitress looked a bit surprised.

She went back to the hotel and asked how to get to Kyoto the next day. She didn’t want

to take a tour, but the concierge convinced her to be on an English-guided tour as there are

so many spots to see in Kyoto.

“It’s kinda tricky to see all the important sites in one day if you’re not on a tour,” he said to

her. So, she chose an English-guided tour leaving from Osaka.

Her room was a very large and comfortable one. It wasn’t a suite, but beautiful paints

Okonomiyaki is great too! Ah, I wasn’t

good at topping aonori…

21

were on the wall, and she could play out a very relaxing music. Sweet fragrance of rose

filled the room. The lady at the front desk had winked her when he handed her the key.

Katie enjoyed some Japanese TV programs before going to bed. She enjoyed some anime,

and also some game programs. Game programs were kind of silly, with comedians doing

stuff you could never imagine, but they were a lot of fun. She turned off the lights after an

hour or so, saying “Oyasumi” or good-night to herself.

Kyoto is coming up next!

22

Day 7:

Kyoto (Stay@Osaka)

Katie had a nice English

buffet breakfast at the hotel.

At 9 o’clock she went

downstairs and a tour bus

soon came and picked her

up. As it was Saturday,

there were quite a few

passengers in the tour. The

tour guide introduced

herself and told them that

she is a graduate student in

a local ladies’ university. It was only an hour drive to the first destination. Kyoto and Osaka

are next to each other, so it’s very easy to access Kyoto from Osaka.

Kyoto is a traditional town of Japan. Nara also preserves traditional architecture, yet

Kyoto is more widely known. Historical sites are mostly temples. They look similar at first

look, but each temple has different treasures and styles. The tour bus drove Katie and

fellow passengers around Kyoto. She saw so many historical sites that she couldn’t

remember all of them. The Golden Pavilion was particularly impressive. As it was a clear

day, the golden roof reflected on the pond, and the view was breath-taking.

Sanju-sangendo was also

memorable. They had

traditional lunch at a fancy

restaurant in the center of

Kyoto. Katie hesitated to east

raw fist, or sashimi, but

ventured to try some. She

enjoyed the taste of

Japanese food, but she also

enjoyed the way dishes are

decorated and prepared. The

tour guide said, “Traditionally,

The Golden Pavilion

The garden of Sanju-sangen dou

23

Japanese people enjoy food with

their eyes first.”

After lunch, they went to see

more temples. Katie also liked

Byodoin in Uji. It is located

outside of central Tokyo, yet its

magnificent main temple is worth

a visit. The tour guide took them

on a walking tour around

Arashiyama to conclude their

visit to Tokyo. She told them that

autumn in Arashiyama area is

particularly beautiful, but is very crowded at the same time. Katie asked her photo taken on

a Togetsu-kyo, a 155m bridge over Oi River. They saw some actors and actresses clad in

traditional costume. They also enjoyed some Japanese sweet there. Katie was amazed by

the delicate decoration on each piece of sweet. The sweets were mainly made of sticky rice

and sweetened red beans. Some people didn’t like it, but Katie loved it. She had seen rice

cakes before in the USA, but she had refused to try it. Now that she was in Japan, she was

surprised herself enjoying taste of Japan. They had some shopping time in Arashiyama,

and Katie bought a Japanese fan and a cute Japanese doll. She also bought some

Japanese sweets, which would

last about a week.

The tour bus dropped Katie

at the hotel at around 6 o’clock.

As she was tired, she had dinner

at the hotel and went to bed early.

She was planning to visit three

cities within a day on Day 8.

Arashiyama, Kyoto

24

Day 8: Kobe (Hyogo), Hiroshima, and Hakata (Fukuoka)

(Stay@ Hakata)

She left the hotel at

around 8 o’clock the next

morning. She took an

express train to Kobe,

which took about 30

minutes. Kobe area was

again different. Kobe is

known for its beautiful

harbor area, with a short

red port tower and a

ship-shaped museum and a

hotel. Katie walked down to

the harbor area from the

station. It took her about 25 minutes, but she could feel nice breeze from the sea. The

harbor area was picturesque. As it was Sunday morning, there were hardly any people and

she could take in the beauty of Kobe as much as she could. Katie thought, “Kobe is again

different from other cities I visited. I expected major cities to be more or less the same, but

they aren’t indeed.”

She enjoyed the harbor, but then she had trouble. She needed to reach a place called

“Shin-kobe” but she had no idea where it was. She had thought it should be near the port,

but it turned out she was reading the map wrongly. There was a taxi parked nearby, so she

approached the driver, whishing he could speak some English. Katie was lucky. The driver

not only taught her how she can get to the station but also some sites around the station.

According to him, there are Western-style buildings remaining from over 100 years ago.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to Western-style houses but as she had some more time,

she decided to follow this advice. She asked him to drive her there, as the buildings were

located on a hill. It was about a 10-minute drive from the harbor area to the hilly area. The

driver agreed to wait for her for 30 minutes and then to take her to the station. Katie enjoyed

the Western houses, as they were slightly different from American traditional houses. She

became fond of a Germanic style building with a weathercock on top. The guide at the

entrance told her that the building is the symbol of Kitano—that’s the name of the area.

Kobe port

25

Katie went back to the taxi, and he drove her to the station. She took out her wallet to pay

him, but surprisingly, he declined.

“It was my pleasure to take you around,” he said.

“But….”

“Don’t worry. It was a very boring morning, so.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You are welcome. Enjoy the rest of your trip!”

The driver then drove away, waving bye to Katie.

Katie’s heart was filled with the warmness of the driver. Her image of Japan was now

different from the one she had before. There is omotenashi spirit in Japan- to welcome

visitors. Anyway, she took shinkansen from Shi-Kobe. She had a quick lunch on the train.

She got off at the Hiroshima station, just to take a look at the a-bomb dome. It was

something. She then hurried back to the station, and took another shinkansen to the Hakata

station in Fukuoka prefecture. When she arrived at the station, it was already 4 o’clock. She

quickly checked-in at her hotel, and strolled around the city. It was another industrial city,

yet the atmosphere felt different. Japanese people walking by seemed to be speaking in

slightly different accent from people in Tokyo. Katie had noticed the difference in Osaka as

well, but as this was her 8th day in Japan, her ears were becoming more sensitive to the

sounds of Japanese. She managed to go into a museum or two, and also did some

shopping.

She decided to go into a bar restaurant like the one she enjoyed in Sapporo. She again

enjoyed the local food and local sake. The local sake was quite different from what she had

tried so far. Someone told her that they make sake from sweet potatoes. It was her first time,

but by now, Katie’s tongue had become used to Japanese taste.

26

Day 9: Naha, Okinawa (Stay@Naha)

Katie had to wake up early again to catch a plane to Okinawa, southern islands of Japan.

From the windows of the plane, she could see ocean of emerald green and sapphire blue

color. Her plane landed at Naha Airport. Naha is the capital city of Okinawa. As her hotel

was right next to the airport, she quickly checked-in, and left for culture centers of Okinawa.

She had heard that Okinawa is very different from other areas, and really wanted to

experience the difference. She first visited a local museum and learned about history of

Okinawa and its culture. She then went to what can be called Okinawa Village, where you

can experience Okinawan culture by yourself. She tried some Okinawan food there.

After lunch, she enjoyed watching Okinawan dance, accompanied by pleasant sound of

Sansen, a characteristic string instrument of Okinawa. She decided to spend more time in

the culture center, enjoying all the different artifacts of Okinawa. The houses within the

village were built as traditional Okinawa houses, and Katie thought Okinawa indeed is quite

different from other areas of Japan. She then took a bus again to a picturesque beach of

Okinawa. The sand was white, the sea was blue. The sound of the waves filled the air…. It

was poetic. Some local kids were swimming, splashing water to create rainbow. She

wished she could stay her longer. She watched the sunset from the beach. As there was

nothing to hinder her view, the sun set into the ocean quietly and beautifully. “It is the most

memorable sunset I’ve ever seen,” Katie said to herself.

She went back to the hotel by bus and enjoyed fusion cuisine of Japanese food and

Okinawan food. Tomorrow, she will be flying back to USA.

Day 10: Back to New York

Katie left the Naha Airport by 8 o’clock plane flying to Haneda Airport. She then took a

bus to Narita Airport, and boarded on the 12 o’clock flight back to New York. She flew over

the international date line, so she came back to NY on the same day. It had been a very

busy 10-day-trip across Japan, but Katie enjoyed it so much. She could see different places

in Japan. She could enjoy Japanese culture both traditional and modern. She could meet

many different people. She did have some trouble especially with language, but the overall

experience was wonderful. Katie went straight to bed when she arrived home. But she told

her mom one thing. “I love Japan.”

27

Final comments from the author

Did you enjoy the 10-day-trip across Japan? When I started to write this story, I was a bit

doubtful if 10-day-trip across Japan including international flights was actually possible. I

know the Tokyo part was longer than other parts, but as Tokyo is the center of Japan, there

was a lot I wanted to write about (and yeah, somehow the Takeo character said he wanted

to appear in the story, so). Just a reminder. As was written above, this is a fictional travel

story, not a model plan at all. Information included in the story can be wrong. When you

arrange a travel plan to Japan, please make sure you consult official guidebooks and your

travel agent (and I feel you’d like to spend at least a few more days). The Japan you get to

see on TV and magazines is only partial aspects of Japan. As you have seen, Japan has

both similarities and differences with countries such as USA. Japanese cities are different

from each other, with different local characteristics. I’d be glad if you become more

interested in Japan after reading this story. Japan is waiting for you visitors from abroad

with the spirit of omotenashi. Thank you so much for reading!

Arashiyama, Kyoto