-
Back to Tokyo’s Marunouchi Bright Holiday
After a final breakfast at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we flew on ANA back to Tokyo and checked in to the メルキュール東京羽田エアポート Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport. After a very late sukiyaki lunch, we visited 東京ミッドタウン日比谷 Tokyo Midtown Hibiya to check out the winter illuminations there. We then walked north to the 丸の内 Marunouchi district for the annual Marunouchi Bright Holiday winter illumination event where we managed to actually visit all the venues!
(more…) -
Shimabara Castle and Town
Our last full day in Kyushu! After breakfast at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we took the train over to 島原 Shimabara and visited 島原城 Shimabara Castle. After lunch, we visited the town’s historic 武家屋敷 samurai residences and its streets lined with natural spring water canals, which is a bit of an odd description! After a snack at the over 100 year old 銀水 Ginsui, we returned to Nagasaki for dinner.
(more…) -
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Historical Sites
After breakfast at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we headed north to visit the 平和公園 Peace Park and 浦上天主堂 Urakami Cathedral before lunch. After, we visited the atomic bomb hypocenter and the adjacent 原爆資料館 Atomic Bomb Museum and the 国立長崎原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館 Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. In the early evening, we returned to Nagasaki Station for dinner.
(more…) -
Western Influences on Nagasaki
After breakfast at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we first visited 出島 Dejima, an artificial island that served as a Portuguese and then Dutch trading post and was the only port open in Japan for Westerners. We next visited グラバー園 Glover Garden, which contains former Western residences. Finally, we walked through the オランダ坂 Dutch Slope and 長崎水辺の森公園 Nagasaki Seaside Park before having Yakiniku for dinner at the edge of Chinatown.
(more…) -
Nagasaki and Super Mario
After waking up at the ザ ブラッサム熊本 The Blossom Kumamoto, we checked out and headed over to 長崎 Nagasaki by a combination of Shinkansen and conventional rail. We left our bags at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott and visited the 山王神社 Sanno-jinja and its one legged torii, having lost the other leg during the atomic bombing. After, we took the 長崎ロープウェイ Nagasaki Ropeway up to the top of 稲佐山 Inasa-yama for a fantastic view of the city. Next, we took a quick look at the 眼鏡橋 Spectacles Bridge before having a sushi dinner and checking in at the Marriott. Our room ended up being fantastic! In the evening, we took the Shinkansen over to 武雄温泉 Takeo Onsen to ride on the Super Mario train which was operating as the Midori.
(more…) -
Kumamoto, Home of Kumamon
We checked out of the フェアフィールド･バイ･マリオット･熊本阿蘇 Fairfield by Marriott Kumamoto Aso this morning and took the train over to 熊本 Kumamoto and left our bags at ザブラッサム熊本 The Blossom Kumamoto, the hotel we’ll be staying at tonight. We had lunch at Ajisen‘s honten before checking out the Monkey D. Luffy statue and 水前寺成趣園 Suizenji Jojuen, both nearby. After, we visited 熊本城 Kumamoto Castle before having a sushi dinner in Kumamoto Station.
(more…) -
Mount Aso Volcano
After waking up at the フェアフィールド･バイ･マリオット･熊本阿蘇 Fairfield by Marriott Kumamoto Aso, we had a Lawson breakfast before visiting the first crater viewpoint for 阿蘇中岳 Aso Nakadake, one of five volcanic peaks within 阿蘇山 Aso Volcano. We were lucky to have seen the water-filled crater as the weather changed to rain and low clouds. After, we visited the 内牧 Uchinomaki district of 阿蘇 Aso where we had a late lunch before briefly visiting the Aso Milk Factory‘s nearby store.
(more…) -
Beppu to Aso
After enjoying the in-room onsen and breakfast at the アマネリゾート ガハマ Amane Resort Gahama, we took the train to 阿蘇 Aso in 熊本県 Kumamoto Prefecture. We checked into the フェアフィールド･バイ･マリオット･熊本阿蘇 Fairfield by Marriott Kumamoto Aso and took the あそぼーい Aso Boy one stop over to 宮地 Miyaji where we visited the 阿蘇神社 Aso-jinja. We returned to Aso for dinner and watched an illuminated fountain show near the station in the evening.
(more…) -
A Slow Day in Oita
We enjoyed breakfast and our in-room onsen at the アマネリゾート ガハマ Amane Resort Gahama before visiting nearby Oita in the afternoon. We didn’t do much, mainly visited AMU Plaza and its rooftop garden as well as the pop-up Super Mario x JR Kyushu shop, before returning to Beppu for an early dinner. And more onsen time, of course!
(more…) -
Beppu
We enjoyed the onsen and had breakfast before leaving the ゆのひら上柳屋 Yunohira Kamiyanagiya and taking the train over to 別府 Beppu. We visited this onsen city’s famous 地獄 jigoku and checked in to the アマネリゾート ガハマ Amane Resort Gahama. In the evening, we relaxed in our room and enjoyed the in-room private onsen.
(more…)
Here and there but not quite everywhere!