Feeling Like a Local: From Trainstation Bento Boxes, to Sake, to Garlic Gyoza, to Geikos

 Sep 3, 2025

We kicked off the morning by taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. The distance between the two cities is about 280 miles, and we covered it in just about 2 hours. Japan is all about efficiency and we are here for it!

Before boarding, we did what all the locals do: grabbed bento boxes for the train. This took… a while. There were so many options. This was a problem for me because I only wanted one thing and this was a problem for Evan because he wanted one of everything. Eventually we made our selections and boarded the train.

Once we arrived in Kyoto, we took two local trains to get to our hotel, and one of them looked like it belonged in a completely different era- green velvet seats, wooden paneling- very not Tokyo.

From there, it was about a 10-minute walk to our hotel through narrow cobblestone streets that felt straight out of a movie. Kyoto is so much quieter and more traditional than Tokyo. There’s also a beautiful river running through the city, the Kamo River, which locals use as a gathering spot, especially in the evenings.

Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we dropped our bags and headed to a coworking spot down the street: Sights Kyoto.

10/10 recommend.

Marie, the bartender/barista, was incredible. SO knowledgeable, super friendly, and honestly just fun to talk to. 

The beer? Fine. 

The sake?

A newfound favorite.

I do not typically like sake, but here it was a completely different experience. Sights Kyoto had a huge selection, and Marie walked us through the differences between dry and sweet varieties. Evan found one he absolutely loved—a sake called “2 Rabbits”—and we spent the rest of the trip unsuccessfully trying to find it again. A true “the one that got away” situation. If you ever happen to find a bottle, please pick it up for Evan. He would be eternally grateful.

Also, side note: Marie was using the most genius sponge tool we’ve ever seen. It looked like tongs with sponges on both sides, so you could clean the inside and outside of a glass at the same time. Evan and I were fascinated. She laughed and said people comment on it all the time and that it’s super common in Japan. Again, efficiency for the win!

While we were there, we met a local developing a travel app who offered to buy us a round of drinks in exchange for taking his survey. Naturally, we said yes. His idea was actually really cool, so if it becomes a thing one day, we will absolutely be early adopters.

Marie also gave us a list of restaurant recommendations and let me just say she did not disappoint.

That night, we went to one of her picks—a small, local spot where we sat at the counter and watched the chefs cook right in front of us. We ordered garlic gyoza, pork chashu with egg, shumai, and black fried rice.

Everything was so good that we ordered a second round of garlic gyoza.

We were actively preventing vampire attacks (and friend making!) at that point.

After dinner, we joined a walking tour through Kyoto’s geisha district in Gion which ended up being one of the more fascinating experiences of the trip.

First, terminology: in Kyoto, geisha are called geiko—highly trained entertainers skilled in traditional arts like music, dance, and conversation. Apprentices are called maiko, and they typically start training in their mid-teens (around 15–20 years old).

And let me be very clear, because this was emphasized heavily on the tour: they are not sex workers. That’s a major misconception, largely influenced by things like Memoirs of a Geisha, which, according to our guide, is not an accurate portrayal and caused a lot of frustration within the community.

Geiko and maiko train for years, learning multiple art forms to entertain guests in exclusive tea houses. These tea houses are members-only, and that rule had to be explicitly enforced after tourists kept wandering in uninvited.

We learned how to tell the difference between maiko and geiko:

• Hairstyles
• Obi (belt) styles
• Makeup

Maiko tend to have more elaborate, youthful styling, while geiko have a more refined, understated look.

We also learned:

• They don’t use cell phones, instead their schedules are posted on chalkboards in the district
• Their names are displayed on wooden plaques outside their schools
• The lanterns outside tea houses subtly indicate which district you’re in
• Their kimonos are incredibly expensive—covered by the “mother” (or mama-san) during training, but paid for independently once they become full geiko

And here’s the wild part: there are currently only around 12 maiko and 77 geiko in Kyoto. It’s a shrinking tradition.

We were incredibly lucky!! We actually saw not just a geiko, but a mama-san, the woman who runs the tea house and oversees the geiko and maiko. It’s rare to see any of them at all, so this felt like a big moment.

Important etiquette note: it’s considered rude to photograph their faces. If you do take a photo, it should be from behind.

Also, random but memorable: many buildings place small Torii gate sculptures near the ground to discourage men from peeing there. Apparently it works?

We wrapped up the night full, slightly buzzed, and completely immersed in Kyoto’s culture.

From bullet trains to centuries-old traditions, Day 1 in Kyoto was already delivering.

Fuji Views and Fun Facts

 September 2, 2025

We were up at 5:45 to kick off our Mt. Fuji and Hakone tour. It didn't even feel early because we were so used to it at this point.

We trained to Ginza where our tour pickup was. Ginza is one of Tokyo’s most upscale neighborhoods—think luxury shopping and designer storefronts, much like Michigan Avenue in Chicago. 

Before boarding, we made a crucial stop at Starbucks and discovered what would become a trip staple: the London Fog latte.

We boarded our coach bus (our assigned seats were at the front 😁) and met our guide, Levin, who was, without exaggeration, one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. Funny, engaging, and full of stories that helped us get to know more about the country and culture.

And when I say stories, I mean stories.

He walked us through Japanese workplace culture—like how, during job interviews, you shouldn’t look directly into your boss’s eyes because it’s considered disrespectful. Instead, you aim for the forehead or chin. You also have to open and close the door slowly and with two hands. Levin told us he struggled to get a job at first because his family moved to Japan from Cambodia, and he didn’t know these unspoken rules.

He also broke down Tokyo apartment life for us. In your 20s, you might live in a 20-square-meter apartment with no counter space, just a sink and a fridge, and you eat sitting on your bed because there’s no room for a table. In your 30s, you upgrade to maybe 30 square meters, with space for a counter and a chair. Levin, now in his 30s, is aiming high: a bed and two chairs.

We also learned:

• Tipping is not standard in Japan and can actually make people uncomfortable unless it’s done very formally (like in an envelope)
• Work culture used to be so intense that employees were expected to stay until their boss left AND then go out for drinks or karaoke if invited (which you couldn’t decline), often leading to people sleeping at the office because they missed the last train
• KFC is the official Christmas meal in Japan thanks to a wildly successful marketing campaign—people preorder weeks in advance, and on Christmas Day it’s pickup-only

Levin also gave us a mini history lesson on how Japan went from constant warring to sustained peace.

Back in the feudal era (Edo period and earlier), Japan was divided into clans that were always fighting each other. Society was highly structured with the following hierarchy: merchants, peasants, farmers, samurai, and at the top, the shogun—the military ruler who controlled entire regions through their network of samurai.

At one point, to reduce all the constant warring, the shoguns implemented a system where samurai were required to live apart from their families. Their wives and children were relocated to specific areas under the shogun’s control. The idea was that if your family was being “looked after”, you’d be a lot less likely to rebel or go to war against another clan.

And for a long stretch of time, it helped stabilize the country.

He also told us something else that I can't stop thinking about: the bike registration system. Genius.

In Japan, when you buy a bike, it’s registered to you through your name and address. You get a sticker that has to stay on the bike at all times, and law enforcement can scan it whenever they want.

This means bike theft is extremely rare (#win) but also if you park your bike outside of a designated parking area you better believe you are going to get a ticket (#loss). 

Eventually, after all these stories, we made our way up to the 5th Station of Mount Fuji—not the base, but a very popular starting point for climbers because it has actual amenities (a major selling point when you’re scaling a mountain, apparently).

There are 10 stations total, and many climbers start in the evening, around 8 or 8:30pm, so they can reach the summit in time for sunrise. Levin told us he did this in his 20s, casually drinking beers on the way up (???), and made it to the top by 3:30am to wait for sunrise. He also explained that climbers carry wooden sticks that get stamped at each station as proof of the journey.

We, however, opted for a much less athletic experience:

• Bought a lucky bell
• Prayed at a Shinto shrine for safe travels
• Ate melon pan
• Took photos of the mountain

We got so lucky because the entire mountain was visible. Apparently, it’s often hidden by clouds, but we had a perfect view.

^^janky picture from the bus

Next stop: ninja village.

We learned that while samurai were official, honorable warriors, ninjas operated in secrecy—their entire identity was meant to be hidden. This place leaned into that with exhibits and interactive stations that were very kid friendly.

There was also a Japanese garden with a bridge that looked eerily similar to where we got engaged back home. Naturally, we took photos. Naturally, I made a joke about recreating the proposal.

Naturally, Evan got down on one knee and fake-proposed again.

At this point, this was proposal number three. I’m starting to think he just likes the attention.

I’m also fairly certain we confused a passerby who we asked to take our photo 😂

We had a buffet lunch here as well, but sadly there was nothing ninja-y about it.

Then things got a little more volcanic.

We took cable cars over Hakone, an area known for its geothermal activity. The smell hit us immediately—strong sulfur, very “rotten eggs.” You could see steam rising from the ground, and the wind was whippping, but the views were incredible.

Hakone sits within a volcanic zone, and the area is famous for hot springs (onsen), scenic views of Mount Fuji, and a pretty cool landscape that's been shaped by past eruptions.

From there, we boarded a boat cruise across Lake Ashi, where we met Amanda and Justin, a couple visiting from Kentucky.

After the tour, it was time for our first ride on the Shinkansen—Japan’s famous bullet train. The same journey would’ve taken us hours by bus, but on the Shinkansen it took about 45 minutes. 

Back in Ginza, we wandered a bit with Amanda and Justin before stopping into a basement bar packed with people grabbing post work drinks. It was standing room only, and interestingly, a lot of people were there solo, quietly enjoying a beer at the counter.

There were three beers on tap. We tried all three.

Could we tell the difference? No. Not even a little.

We shared some olives and roasted duck jerky, talked about astrology (a topic Evan and I are wildly unqualified to discuss), and then got on the train for Akihabara.

Akihabara is our home base in Tokyo and is known for its high-energy vibe because of the amount of anime, arcades, tech shops, and sensory overload (which we experienced first hand!).

We were starving, so instead of going to a planned spot, we popped into a random restaurant. 

It was fine.

Not bad. Just not our favorite.

We headed home after dinner, completely wiped from the day.

Mount Fuji, fake proposals, cultural deep dives, volcanic smoke, new friends, and the fastest train ride of our lives.

Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday.

Digital Art, Real Life Panic & The. Best. Noodles.

 Sep 1, 2025

We started the day with breakfast in our room (instead of running to Don Quijote or 7/11), which was really nice. It only took us 3 days to learn. 

Then we set off for teamLab Planets Tokyo… which, geographically speaking, might as well have been on another planet. It took A LOT of train transfers to get there. 

teamLab Planets is this fully immersive digital art museum where you don’t just look at exhibits—you walk through them, interact with them, and occasionally question your own balance and sense of reality. It’s designed to engage all your senses, which it definitely did.

There were four main sections: water, forest, garden, and outdoor installations.

The water exhibit required us to take off our shoes and wade through water as digital koi fish swam around our legs and transformed into flowers when we touched them. 

We wandered through mirrored rooms filled with endless lights, a space with massive floating balls that shifted colors, and one particularly aggressive room that made it feel like the entire world was spinning. I laid on the floor with my eyes closed for that one. 

There were also these hanging swing ropes we had to climb through to get from one side to the other—definitely the least graceful of all the exhibits.

At the coloring station Evan designed a bird that got scanned and projected onto the wall. As it flew around I noticed that he wrote the words, "marry me" on it. It was our little secret and I loved it so much.

After we finished we headed to an indoor food hall for lunch where we sat at a sushi counter. I tried sea urchin (uni) for the first time and really enjoyed it.

We followed that with a walk through an indoor fish market, which was mostly closed (rookie mistake: apparently you have to go early in the morning), but we did manage to find coffee and tea, so not a total loss. Plus: more AC.

Then it was time for our afternoon activity: go-karting through Shibuya Crossing—aka the busiest intersection in the world.

Yes, real go-karts. Yes, in actual Tokyo traffic. Yes, it was as chaotic as it sounds.

It was supposed to be a character-themed ride, but it was so hot that Evan and I opted out of wearing the costumes (after briefly putting them on for a photo and immediately regretting it. They were sweaty AND smelly).

There were a bunch of us in one long line of karts, led by a single guide who insisted he could manage the whole group. Foreshadowing-- he could not.

Before we started, he warned us:

• Do not run red lights (the police will pull you over)
• If you get separated, the group will pull over and wait

So naturally, five minutes in, I ran a red light.

Not because I wanted to but because I was terrified of getting separated.

Evan, who was behind me, did stop at the light like a law-abiding citizen.

I looked ahead. The group kept driving. And driving. And driving.

I started yelling. Full panic mode. I pulled up next to the guy in front of me and yelled that Evan was missing, and then he started yelling, and slowly—very slowly—the message made its way up to our guide.

He finally pulled the group over.

But Evan didn’t show up.

At this point, I was convinced I’d lost him in Tokyo traffic forever.

The guide turned around to go find him and right after he left, Evan pulled up.

I have never felt more relieved.

Then we just sat there. Waiting. For the guide. Who had gone looking for Evan. Who was now already back.

Eventually the guide returned, we got moving again, and Evan very calmly informed me that I was significantly more shaken than he was.

To add to my distress, Evan AND I got separated two more times.

Luckily, those reunions were quicker, but at that point I was white-knuckling the steering wheel like there was no tomorrow. When we finally stopped (for good!), I realized I had been pressing my leg so hard against the side of the kart that I had a bruise forming.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to be back on my own two feet.

We WALKED (necessary!) to Udon Shin for dinner, and this place absolutely delivered. It’s a tiny spot known for handmade udon noodles, and you can literally watch the chef pulling and preparing them right in front of you at the counter.

We waited in line outside, ordered ahead, and once we got inside the food came out quickly. We both got cold udon dishes (perfect for the heat), and they were hands-down some of the best noodles we had the entire trip!

After dinner, we headed to Bar B&F, where the bartenders create custom cocktails based on your preferred spirit and “vibe.” You basically describe what you’re in the mood for—light, citrusy, spicy, whatever—and they take it from there.

I ended up with a Japanese basil margarita, and Evan got a gin fizz made with grape gin from Bolivia. Both were very tasty!

Our bartender had just been in New Orleans for a spirits conference, so we chatted with him for a while about the differences between the states and Japan.

On the way home, we made a stop at 7/11 to grab breakfast for the next morning (because we’ve learned), and then called it a night.

All in all: a day of immersive art, controlled chaos coupled with near-separation anxiety, and truly elite noodles.