The North: Day 9 - Toshogu Tourism

Today's adventures were fueled by another large and complicated and delicious, many-course, Japanese breakfast here at FUFU Nikko. First we enjoyed a morning soak and wrote yesterday's blog post. It's great having the onsen right in your room!

Breakfast was delightful and we enjoyed many things but our favorites were the hi-mitsu pork (a play on the kanji for Nikko, which the characters can also be spelled out to mean "secret"), fresh Nikko rice that has been enjoyed by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, a green curry which is #1 according to both Jeff and I, some mentaiko (that only I enjoyed), rolled yuba in dashi (that again, only I enjoyed) and some grilled flatfish. 

Powered by a good breakfast and a good soak, we were ready to take on today's adventure: Toshogu shrine. While in Nikko, there are MANY shrines. Think of it as Kyoto 2.0. Toshogu is the #1 most visited though because of it's eye-popping amount of colorful decorations on the shrine's gates and grounds. Everything is carved and brightly colored. 

Patron: I need you to draw an elephant. You've seen one before, right? Artist: yeah, sure!

It's all because of our favorite MF: Tokugawa Ieyasu. Even his HORSE has a special house that they SAY is plain, but the "sacred stable" is one of the most popular icons there because it holds the famous "see, hear speak no evil" monkeys. These monkeys, and more, decorate the stable with illustrations for lessons to teach the children. So children, don't you go using your senses on evil! You can smell evil, and taste it, though. That's okay.

Oh, backtracking a bit, getting to the temple is very easy from our ryokan as it's right by the Tobu bus line and only 3 stops away! On the advice of our favorite concierge, Sakura-san, I bought tickets ahead of time on KKDay. The ticket line honestly wasn't that crowded, but I'd hate to be here on a day when it IS really crowded! There are many many tour groups (most of them Italians in packs of 15 or more just standing in the middle of the walkways, blocking everything) and many many people. It is very much like the popular shrines in Kyoto, which I'm sure is even worse now with the tourism boom Japan has been experiencing since reopening after COVID in 2022.

Snake friend! So many people were walking right past him and it wasn't until I stopped to take this photo that people started to notice and a crowd started to form! LOL, sorry Mr. Snake!

Famous sleeping cat

On the other side of the same gate: two sparrows

"The juxtaposition of the cat and the sparrows represents a safe, harmonious world—because the cat (the predator/feudal warrior) is sleeping, the sparrows (the weak/ordinary people) can live in safety and freedom."

Also, before getting to Toshogu, there is Rinnoji shrine, which we didn't get to experience, but I got a goshuin from there. It looked pretty from the back part, and apparently there is a fire ritual that goes on there. (Future note: we do visit Rinnoji the next day)

Rinnoji

Slightly Different Shot of Rinnoji

We decided we had seen most of what we wanted to see in Toshogu as it was around 1:00 and the crowds were getting crowdier. We grabbed a gashapon souvenir, watched an Italian man just NOT GET IT that he needed 1 ticket per person to get into the shrine and tell the officer at the entrance, "You remember me? I am not happy! No."

Super fans of Gundam gunpla take note of this exclusive Toshogu (I'm assuming Ieyasu) Gundam being sold this week only at the shrine! Talk about a juxtaposition of the modern and historical!

To the left of the shrine is a pathway up to another shrine: Futarasan-jinja. Futarasan-jinja was a fun shrine with many spots around with gimmick-y blessings. Frogs to ward away evil or grant a wish, Daikokuten, the main god of luck, rabbits to promote easy childbirth, a money-washing spot to promote wealth, and even a spring for people who make sake to get blessed water from to use in their sake-making! That and many more that I didn't even understand because a lot of these spots didn't have english translations on their signage.

Me and my ankle definitely didn't want to hike up the "most prominent peak in Nikko", but I did want to visit the shrine which houses the floats for the springtime Yayoi Festival, which is going on this week! The actual festival will be starting on the 17th, but they have been getting out the floats used in the festival, and we were lucky to see them moving one out! It was quite the big production and not many people seemed to know it was happening so there wasn't a terrible blockade of people.

After this and watching the procession, we took the back way, away from the crowd, to get back down to the main street where we wandered downhill, ducking into shops to buy some souvenirs, and eventually ran into the other popular site: Shinkyou Bridge. We took many pictures, Jeff got frustrated by tourists with no manners (Folks, it is *not* *hard* to walk single file and to not stand in the middle of the picturesque bridge durdling around on your phone. Move with purpose! Be aware of your surroundings!), and we continued on our way down the main street. 

I kept seeing signs for a thing called "haafu-purin-sofuto" or soft serve ice cream served on top of a jar of pudding, but all the signs kept saying they were sold out at each shop. But that shrine must have been lucky because we found a really adorable cafe called Nikko Pudding Tei and I got the literal last one! As soon as I ordered mine they put up the "sold out" sign! Ha ha! Thanks Daikokuten! We relaxed in a nice room and watched the street below while we shared the haafu purin.

A festival all for Yayoi! Good for her!

A miniature of the floats

An actual float

Then we walked a little bit more downhill to find a bus stop and sat and relaxed and people-watched for about 10 minutes while waiting for the bus. (Jeff Edit: I got on the bus with an open can of Melon Soda, sipping it as I passed the bus driver. He didn't say anything. About two stops later, another group of foreigners got on. Within moments, one of them cracked open a can of something and the bus driver lost his mind about "no drink!". A very odd experience. Maybe because I am pure of heart and spirit? Am I better than them? Yes.)

Upon our return to the hotel, it was time for another thorough soak in the in-room onsen before heading to dinner. Tonight's fare is Kaiseki-style (lots of little plates and dishes of small portions), which means Style Is Paramount. 

(I will insert photos if we remembered to take them. Some courses we just dug right in.)

Appetizer:

- Spring Vegetable Salad
- Duck loin with Yuba Jelly
- Smoked Firefly Squid 

Soup:
- Mozuku Dumpling in pea puree with rice cracker bits and Kinome. 

Sashimi:
- Bluefin Tuna, Spring Bonito, and Giant Squid.

Irodori: 
- Foie Gras Terrine with Raspberry Sauce
- Sping Cabbage Soup
- Trout Sushi
- Sauteed Guinea Fowl
- Spring Rolls with Secret Nikko Pork

Special surprise course: some sorta fresh montain vegetable plant that looked like a hairy fern sprout the size of a celery stalk and tasted like carrot. Miso or ume dip. Pretty tasty!

Meat: 
- Nasunogahara Beef Loin
- A5 Wagyu Fillet

Rice: 
- Clay pot cooked rice with Sakura Shrimp and Butterbur Buds

With a special Happy Birthday message!

Dessert: 
- Matcha Tart
- Tochiaika Strawberry Sorbet with Blueberry Sauce
- Sakura Mochi

When I tell you that this was somehow even more food than the Tepanyaki yesterday, I am not kidding. It was a frankly ostentatious amount of stuff going on, which is kinda the point of Kaiseki at a hotel of this caliber and all, but still. Damn. 

During one of our between-course interactions with the waiter, Angie mentioned that this trip was for her birthday. The waiter became more than a little excited about this and rushed off. I was worried, in my heart of hearts, that this would somehow end in the most dreaded of American Restaurant Behaviors: The Birthday Song Sung By All The Staff, Embarrassing Everyone At The Table Being Sung To And The Closest 10 Tables To Them By Proxy. Thankfully, it did not! The chef wrote a very nice Happy Birthday in chocolate sauce on her plate and brought out a rose. Very thoughtful! 

I even got a small rose and some baby's breath! How sweet!

There were a few things that didn't get high marks for flavor (because I have an unrefined American palate, and am best described as "a big baby with money"), but overall it was a very enjoyable experience. The wagyu fillet from the Tepanyaki menu was the allstar of the entire stay, though the A5 Wagyu from the Kaiseki course was a close second. 

After dinner, we were tuckered out, so it was back to the room and off to bed to get ready for the day ahead of us. 

Next up, traveling to Tokyo!

The North: Day 8 - Living like royalty

 The beds we woke up in compared to the beds we fell asleep in today are vastly different! From APA to Fufu Nikko, we are about to enjoy a stay at an expensive, luxury ryokan in Nikko.

But first, we had to check out of our hotel in Sendai. Alas, Sendai, I feel we barely knew ye. We will definitely have to spend more time here next time to get a better feel of the place. But the concert and shopping was fun! I also enjoyed that Zunda shake. I didn't get around to trying gyu-tan, another specialty, so maybe next time! Oh, don't worry morning-Angie, you will be ending the day with a culinary adventure!

While I was waking up and slowly getting ready, I assigned the already awake Jeff the task of forwarding the bulk of our luggage to our hotel in Tokyo. We've used takkyubin before in Kumamoto at the Mitsui Garden Hotel (where we had the Kumamon room, tee hee!), so we aren't entirely new to the service. According to Jeff, though, the front desk at APA was treating it like they had no clue what was going on. I'll let Jeff describe the experience more:

Picture it, Sendai 2026. A strapping middle-aged man walks confidently up to the counter at the hotel he's staying at. He asks if they offer luggage forwarding, as is described on their website. The staff member, a bald man in his early 20s, pulls one of the all time classic maneuvers: The Mendokusai Brush Off. (Translator's Note: Mendokusai means "it is difficult", a phrase used in Japan to convey that the task can be done, but it will take time and be inconvenient for all involved.) I, being well aware this could take time, hit him with the Daijoubu Counter. He pulled in two other people to assist him with getting the information he needed (despite me providing it to him in writing and confirming the details) before finally telling me that we needed to contact the receiving hotel. I verified with Angie that this was a large hotel and they did not require pre-authorization. Another several minute discussion during which I believe I heard the words "gaikokujin" at least five times. Yes, I am an inconvenient foreigner. 

Finally, after all of 35 minutes, they finally filled out the paperwork and took the money. I thanked them and Google Translated a specific thank you (since my command of the Japanese language places me squarely in the 18 to 24 month age range) mentioning that I was thankful they were able to accommodate my lack of Japanese proficiency. As I was walking away, a tourist from else where in Asia came up to the counter and the older worker (who had previously not volunteered to help at all) said in perfect English "Hello and welcome! Are you checking in?". 

Dude. Rude. APA Hotels were already on my shit list, but they've just been promoted to the top of the list now. Move over, Chik-fil-A. There's new competition for the Worst Business On Earth. 

Luckily it all got done and paid for and we won't have to lug around a large suitcase and our backpacks. So armed with two changes of clothes and our toiletries and Every Day Bag, we had breakfast at...you'll never guess.... Cafe Gusto!! LOL! I think they need to just sponsor our trip. They have breakfast items for cheap and near the station, so we both had a pancake and hard boiled egg.

We made it to our shinkansen in plenty of time and the trip from Sendai to Utsunomiya was only an hour and 15 minutes. No fancy bento as we just had breakfast, but we did finish off some delicious anko and butter cookies I bought the other day.

From Utsunomiya we took a 40 minute train to Nikko station. As soon as we got off the Shinkansen we were no longer the only western gaijin, and upon entering Nikko, the percentage of gaijin to local spiked up to about 10%! But we were the only ones on our bus from the station to get off at the bus stop right in front of FUFU Nikko! Ha! And honestly, I have only seen about 3 other westerners here.

We were a little early for check in, about 20 minutes, but reception was SO nice and our concierge, Sakura, was really nice! She asked us about our trip and where we've been and what we've enjoyed and was so sweet and excited about our answers. She served us tea while we waited and we relaxed (okay, we couldn't relax because this place is FANCY and EXPENSIVE and we are very much out of our element) in the lounge that faced out towards a small garden and then an expanse of forest. It's very isolated but only a 20 minute walk (or quick bus ride) to Toshogu Shrine.

Sakura then showed us around the lounge, where the shop is, where we'd be eating dinner. Speaking of, she made us reservations for what time we wanted to eat dinner and breakfast and even got us an exclusive spot for the special teppanyaki dinner! There are only four places and the head chef and his apprentice make everything is a multi-course gourmet meal. Also, this ryokan has received two Michelin Keys (like the star for restaurants, but for hotels) for the past two years!

Taken after our checkin waiting in the lounge for dinner in our loungewear. 

Jeff: Our room is bananas. The bathroom alone is larger than the last hotel room we stayed at in Sendai. Let's go through the features: 

- In-room onsen bath with rainfall shower? Check. 

- The comfiest beds so far on this trip? Check. 

- 24/7 Butler/Concierge line? Check. 

- Hotel-wear so that you can wear something comfortable to dinner after the long onsen soak? Check. 

- Local hikers wandering through the woods behind the hotel, looking at you like you're a Victorian ghost when you wave at them? Check. [Edit: This literally happened while I was writing today's blog.]

We spent a few hours decompressing in the hotel room, luxuriating in the onsen, and allowing ourselves the opportunity to just not... do... anything. It was lovely. 

Dinner was a lesson on the class divide in society, because I have never experienced such service and food quality in my entire life. 

Eight. Courses. All except the dessert prepared directly in front of us. 

Smoked abalone and red sea bream with caviar. 

Caramelized foie gras and white asparagus with egg yolk sauce.

 

Clam and nanohana royale with mekabu.

Grilled marlin, wrapped in kadaif pastry and bamboo shoot ratatouille with burgundy butter. 

Tokorotenn. 

Wagyu steaks. (Jeff got the fillet and Angie got the sirloin. Both delicious but Jeff's wins)

Garlic rice with ume and whitebait. (We were already full to bursting but I will never be satisfied by regular fried rice again)

Strawberry pana cotta with sakura ice cream. (Okay, maybe we had a little bit more room left. I had never had sakura-flavored anything before and was worried it would be too floral-y. Luckily it was delicous!! Also, they really do mean business with their fruit. So sweet and yummy!)

I'm gonna level with y'all. I had no idea what half of those were, and still don't really know what several of them are. Some of it was a bit of a struggle, and some I wasn't able to eat at all. But that's gonna happen sometimes. 

After dinner, it was nearly 10pm, so we were off to bed. Gotta get prepared for another day of luxury and temples and lakes? Definitely lakes. 

I don't think I can top any of this when it comes to birthday splurges! Best 2-days-before-my-birthday meal ever!! And we are so very "westsiders sticking out like sore thumbs at a fancy eastside establishment" here. Time to go enjoy some of Nikko, a place not far from Tokyo that has been recommended to me and I have wanted to go to for a long time now. See you later!

Oh! While I'm typing this at the little table by the window, we have had the windows open and I love hearing the sounds of the little frogs at night and then the black kites and other birds during the day! We can also hear the splashes and conversations of the people in the public onsen nearby and there seems to be a rather loud and splashy teen in there right now LOL.

The North: Day 7 - I AM A 485 YEAR OLD VAMPIRE AND

 Greetings from the beef tongue and soybean-based-milkshakes capitol of Japan! As we wake up and pack our bags for the next leg of the journey, it's time to reflect on the City Of Zunda. 

I replaced Jeff with a tote bag. It's fine.

The short version is, we didn't actually get to see a lot of it. The evening we arrived was spent shopping, our first full day here was spent mostly in Morioka, we spent the second full day recuperating before a concert (and attending the concert), and now we're on our way out. 

Sendai seemed nice. We only ran into two Japanese Nationalist protests. They were both small (one consisting of one old lady, the other about 10 people with a megaphone) and we didn't wander too close for worry of being berated in Japanese for not being Japanese. Which is... ya know, kind of a silly thing to do. If you're going to scream at people for not being from where you're from, at least scream at them in a language they understand. 

We went to a few stores, found a few CDs (Angie: Jeff found me music CD soundtracks of DDR music!), and then stumbled into what may be the tippy-top tier of Japanese Family Style Restaurants: Bikkuri Donkey (so named because the founder wanted to make people laugh, and nobody thinks donkeys are cool). They, much like Cafe Gusto, were running a Cheese Festa event - so we grabbed some cheese-covered items. It was very tasty. Best hambagu I've had on this trip so far. (Angie: It was really good! I liked my cheesey dish as well!)

Jeff's order: hamburg with white cheese sauce. Angie's order: yellow cheese with bacon on hamburg. They love cheeeeeeese!

After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we took the train north. Way out to the northern business district, where the concert was to be held. Now, I am not a fan of the man we went to see. I've only really listened to a few of his songs. But lemme tell ya, he has some charisma. Even though I only really understood like 20% of the jokes and banter he was having with his costar, he was just so charming. I'll let Angie fill you in more on the details of the concert:

(Angie: Yeah, I wasn't expecting so much talking! So the concert was Last Songs featuring K. K is a pianist and singer born in Korea (Kang Yoon-sung) and under contract here in Japan. In this concert tour Gackt wanted a more slow, sad, moving tone and sang only his ballads accompanied by K on the piano, two violin players and two cellists. The concert opened with what I thought was going to be a big production clever way to tell people to turn off their phone (it started with the sound of a cell phone ringing) but ended up being part 1 to a 2 part short film that bookends this concert. A man answers his cell phone and it's his mom. He tells his mom everything is fine with him but he doesn't have time to talk, he's a busy man, and hangs up. Then he just sits there, not a busy man, and suddenly Gackt is just standing there???? Then the concert begins. They had a sheer black screen that they could pull down in front or behind the stage and used some beautiful projections to add to the atmosphere and ephemeral tone of the ballads while Gackt sang in his beautiful voice, he spotlit by a purple light and K lit up with a red spotlight (Gackt's favorite colors BTW), so you could see them if they were behind the projection screen. After the first song Gackt starts talking with K, they banter back and forth and the stage is set up with some candelabras and wood and amber tones, kinda like a cafe or jazz club. They talk about (from what I could glean and what my Google translate was able to pick up) being late to the show, having to eat quickly, how people here in Sendai and Tohoku do things differently, how K does so well being a gaijin, how hard they work on their music, and then general banter with the reactions of the fan club (if you are part of an idol's official fan club or a Diamond or Platinum ticket holder, you get first dibs on ticket sales and seats up front. Needless to say we were 3 rows from the back lol). The fan club had various shoutouts for both K and Gackt, usually cute official nicknames (Gacchan or Maou-sama for Gackt. It sounded like they were calling K "Pe"?) It was cute to hear Gackt laughing so much, and I know he really is a funny guy that is pretty humorous. Sometimes his humor can be very dry and straight-faced during interviews, but tonight he seemed to generally be having a good time and talking with K like friends sitting in a bar having a chat. He sang about 2 more songs and then had the crowd stand up where we were divided in half for two different clapping patterns. That was a fun upbeat song! And then we continued standing and the songs became more sad. One was a tribute to the drummer of Luna Sea, Shinya Yamada, who just passed away this February of 2026. And we continued standing for two more songs. And then Gackt ended the concert with Sakura Chiru and used the projection screen really wonderfully with sakura petals floating around (also, very seasonally appropriate) and actual petals falling on the stage. Then we watched part 2 of the short film as the man tries to call his mother back, feeling bad for hanging up on her, and doesn't get an answer. So he goes to her apartment and finds her unresponsive and dead at the kitchen table with a craft he had made as a little boy. It was all very sad and moving.... until suddenly there was Gackt again. Just looming in the corner of the apartment with the ghost of the dead mom. And THE END. Uh...what? Was Gackt a shinigami? Then we got Manheim Steamrollered as it went right into a preview for an upcoming movie with Gackt in it. A crummy commercial! Then the concert was over at 7:00 on the dot and there were no demands for an encore and everyone filed out efficiently and even the train wasn't that crowded. I bought some merch, a tote bag, a hand towel, and a little acrylic keychain of chibi Gackt. All in all it was a great experience! Again, a big thanks to Amanda, a friend of Sarah when she was here for school in 2011, who helped us by letting us use her Japanese phone # to obtain tickets! We will be meeting up with her in a few days for a baseball game in Tokyo!) 

Afterwards, we headed to Yoshinoya for a quick beef bowl, or (as I taught you before) 三つビシ. Say it with me now "三つビシ". Now you're on the trolley. Angie had a limited time variant with Taiwanese Braised Pork in Sauce on top. Smelled delicious. (Angie: It was REALLY good!)

We retired to our hotel room to relax. This next part is as much for my memory as it is for you, dear reader: APA Hotels are incredibly cheap, but there's a reason for that. The beds are hard, the pillows are basically napkins, and the staff (while kind) desperately seems to not want to interact with non-Asian guests. Ah well, such is life in the zone.  

On to Nikko, where Angie's Aunt Chris (G-d rest her soul) has graciously splurged on a very nice hotel for us to enjoy in Japan's Most Lavish Shrines and Scenery. 

Angie, anything more to add? 

Nope, you got my long play-by-play of the concert! That's all I got! Thanks to Jeff for setting up the Takkyubin for our luggage to be sent ahead to Tokyo so we will be carrying light for two nights in Nikko at our fancy ryokan and in-room open-air onsen tub! I can't wait!

We love saying the name of this store in our Jollibee voice: EEE-BEANS!

Too bad we're not in Fukushima for this promo! It's not that far from Sendai...

Cute girls promoting subway safety!