Japan Knows How to do Hospitality!

When I found TWO charging cables for the first time in a hotel room ever, I felt the need to put out ALL the things that my last hotel of the trip provides us for my memories. They think of everything. Other highlights… fresh pressed pajamas, used drip bag tray with the kettle, water cup with a LID, make up mirror, shoe horn, two pairs of slippers, face cleanser, oil, milk and lotion, plus the two sided pillow (bean on one side, firm on the other.) Japan is awesome! #stuffimgoingtomiss

Visiting Fushimi Inari Tasha Shrine in Kyoto

Anyone remember Christo’s Gates in Central Park? Clearly this was the inspiration. It brought back nice memories.

Dedicated to Inari, the deity of a good harvest and success in business, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head of all of Japan's Inari shrines. The seemingly endless path of vibrant orange torii gates that line the approach to Mt. Inari makes for an impressive setting and is one of the most famous images of Japan.

The Shinto shrine was founded in 711 before Kyoto became Japan's capital. The path leading up 233-meter-tall Mt. Inari is dotted with many stone altars (otsuka) and marked by approximately 10,000 torii gates. This long tunnel of vibrant orange torii gates is an iconic sight in Kyoto.

Companies and individuals from all over Japan dedicate torii gates to shrines because of their divine properties for business prosperity.

Miyajima Island, Japan

One of my favorite days was spent on Miyajima Island. It’s less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant tori gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views.

The island has a mix of nice experiences. It has a sweet little town, a few pretty temples and Shinto Shrines and walking paths up its hillsides. I think maybe I liked it so much because after a few days of rain, the sun came out and everything looked so bright

My group also chose Miyajima to do the almost required Japanese dress up in a kimono and participate in a tea ceremony activity.

One of the island’s charms are the wild deer that wander the streets and mix with people. The first site of them feels so cute and exciting, but very quickly you notice they are everywhere!

Itsukushima Shrine, Japan

If the G7 leaders do it, than so do I.

Visiting Itsukashima Shrine on Miyajima Island. Peace

(At high tide the red gate is way out in the water.)

Hiroshima

Today I am in Hiroshima, the site of the first atomic bomb explosion during WWII, visiting the memorial created to recount and remind us about that terrible day in history. This stop has extra meaning because. my mom Jane Milliken dedicated most of her adult life to fighting to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons. As I child I would fold endless origami cranes for her protests and gatherings, so my first day in Japan I bought some extra special handmade origami paper to make cranes to place in her memory. I also summoned her up to experience the museum with me. May many carry on and keep fighting against the use of weapons like these! It these uncertain times we need to fight even harder for peace.

A Meerkat Cafe... Now thats awesome!

Pet cafes in Tokyo are my new favorite thing! Today’s new friends are meerkats. Lion King’s Timon in real life is sooo cute!

I was a little late for the Olympics

My original plan was to go to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. Obviously Covid ruined that, so it took me till now and all I could do was go to the Japan Olympic Museum and learn about the handful of times they have hosted or attempted to host the Summer and Winter Olympics. Interestingly they also had planned to host in 1940, but that also was cancelled due to the World War 2. But they have hosted a couple of other times too.

Watching A World Cup Qualifier Match in Tokyo

Things you already know about me. I love to travel to dig deeper and learn more about different countries and their people. I love watching World Cup soccer. And I have been to North Korea! Plus this trip to Japan was originally planned for the 2020 Olympics. So imagine how perfect it felt when I was checking out the Olympic Stadium and grounds and saw a poster announcing a FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Japan and North Korea! 

I forgot to add that the friend I’m visiting here ALSO went to North Korea with me! Naturally it was our destiny to go!!! Highlights include hearing a stadium sing the national anthem and watching the incredible enthusiasm of the North Korean fan squad. Japan won 1-0. Bring on World Cup 2026 in North America!!!

The Japanese love baseball so I thought I'd join them.

Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd (of Japanese.) Apparently the Japanese love baseball like Americans do, so seeing a game seemed like a great way to see locals being locals. They have cheerleaders, lots of songs that everyone sings together, a sushi race between innings to entertain the crowd and more. Go Tokyo Giants!

Visiting Gotokuji Temple

Yesterday I visited a cutest cat temple. I’ve seen these little statues so many times in my life. It’s fun to know where they originated.

Gotokuji Temple, located inTokyo, is a Buddhist temple that is said to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko, or “luck-inviting cat figurine.”

Temple legend states that during the early 17th century, Ii Naotaka (then the second lord of the Omi-Hikone Domain) escaped from being caught in a sudden thunderstorm after being invited inside the temple by a cat that lived there.

To show his gratitude to the cat, Naotaka decided to dedicate the temple to the Ii clan.

Who needs cat cafes if you can cuddle mini pigs instead?

I’m off on another adventure and I’m finally visiting Japan for my first time. The Japanese came up with the concept of cat cafes and have been expanding the idea ever since. In Tokyo, there are ones for all kinds of animals, reptiles and even birds. Today I went to mipig cafe, a micro pig cafe. I had a cup of coffee and lots of cuddles from a room full of miniature pigs. It was delightful. And any girl’s dream after reading Charlotte’s Web or seeing Babe.