Japan – Family trip

Visited: July 2023

Duration of visit: 8 days

Capital city: Tokyo

Population: 125 million (2023)

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

• Spectacular festival with a race of naked buttocks pushing heavy floats in Fukuoka.
• Once more, I was amazed by Tokyo – the most magnificent and spectacular city in the world.
• Observing groups of young girls adorned in vibrant kimonos at Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto.
• Japanese tradition and technology – kimonos, Shinkansen, karaoke, geishas.
• Reflecting the atomic bombs impact in Nagasaki.
• Sushi feast in the largest conveyor belt sushi chain.

Japan was simply too expensive for my budget while exploring the Asian continent at the beginning of the century and was not part of the Asian Big Tour from Australia, through Southeast Asia and China to India.

The ideal opportunity to visit the country of Samurais occurred during a three-week break in 2007, while I was living and working in London. Despite high expectations and a long wait, Japan exceeded all my expectations, and immediately ranked at the top of my list of the most popular destinations in the world.

In the summer of 2023, I organized a surprise journey to Japan for my kids, who guided us toward more modern and contemporary attractions.

In this article I describe my second trip to Japan, which I undertook with my family in 2023: Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in Fukuoka, the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, sushi feast, fusion with water and orchids in teamLab Planets, the epicenter of otaku culture in Akihabara.

More articles about my Japanese adventures are available here:

To reward my children, I organized a surprise trip to Japan, which perfectly complemented our summer travels to Australia and South Korea in 2023. The kids didn’t know that we were visiting Japan at all, until during the boarding at Seoul airport the airline representative asked:

“How much time are you going to stay in Japan?”

The kids were completely surprised and filled with excitement at the prospect of visiting their dream destination.

Since me and my partner had already visited Japan before, the planning of activities, attractions, food and destinations were almost completely in kids’ hands. Instead of classical sights, we were focused more on modern contemporary attractions.

Fukuoka was our entry point to Japan for being easily accessible from South Korea, and serving as a base to reach Nagasaki and later continue north towards Tokyo.

The sixth-largest and the fastest growing city in Japan is built along the shores of Hakata Bay. A center of international commerce since ancient times features a diverse array of restaurants, food stalls interesting walking opportunities around the canal and in July also one of the most interesting festivals in Japan.

Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival features a spectacular time trial race in the early morning hours every 15^th of July, when seven floats from different neighborhoods race around the streets.

Hundreds of male competitors push beautifully decorated festival floats along a five-kilometer-long course through the city, drawing thousands of spectators. The interesting traditional white dresses include special thongs, which reveal complete buttocks.

Pouring water on the ground in front of the procession helps to move the heavy kazariyama floats through the streets, reducing friction between the float and the road surface. While thousands of spectators cheer the teams, five meters tall and one-ton heavy floats are dragged through the streets. Men of all generations follow precisely defined instructions, screamed by a leader seated on the float, to achieve strength, precision and coordination between them.

Pushing and dragging a heavy load is extremely tiring task, clearly reflected in the fatigue visible on their faces. Team members take turns, cheer and compete for real. Everyone has their own position and tasks for which they prepare throughout the year. It takes approximately 30 minutes of intense effort to complete the five-kilometer-long course, which includes several tight turns and long stretches along narrow lanes and broad streets.

It was an amazing experience that appeared in my schedule without any plans. I realized about the event only a day before, when exploring Fukuoka and finding some of the larger kazariyama floats spread out across the city. These stand over ten meters tall, weigh over two tons and  were used for racing in the past.

Since I had already visited Hiroshima in 2007, I decided to learn more about the second and the last use of a nuclear weapon in a combat, that occurred in Nagasaki. On 9^th August 1945, 53 seconds after its release, the bomb exploded at 11:02 am, at an approximate altitude of 550 meters above the city.

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum offers some information about the event and consequences of bombing that hit 40 percent greater than the Hiroshima bomb, even though the damage at Nagasaki was not as great as it had been at Hiroshima.

Out of the 52,000 homes in Nagasaki, 14,000 were destroyed and 5,400 more seriously damaged. It is estimated that 40,000 people died initially, with 60,000 more injured.

The situation could have been significantly more severe had the attack been executed with greater precision or if the weather conditions had been more favorable. The hills, geographic layout and the bomb’s detonation over an industrial area, helped shield portions of the city from the weapon’s blast, heat, and radiation effects.

The day after the attack on Nagasaki, the emperor of Japan overruled the military leaders of Japan and forced them to offer to surrender and terminate the World War II.

The most important task is to ensure that the memories of the disaster remain vivid, preventing its recurrence.

Strolling through the museum, Nagasaki Peace Park and some parts of the city that quickly recovered evokes feelings of trauma and concern. In addition to remembering the horrible event one cannot help but reflect on the astonishing destructive capability of human-engineered weapons.

After thoroughly exploring Kyoto during my previous trip, we only stopped briefly in Kyoto in 2023. Luckily, our visit coincided with one of the biggest annual festivals in the whole country, Gion Matsuri.

We arrived too early for the processions of traditional parade floats, but on time to participate in the memorable processions known as Yoiyama street festivals. Kyotoites dress in yukata, mingle on the streets and gather to promenade in colorful yukata robes. Yukata is a summer kimono, originally worn as bathrobes, but later extended to a casual use in the summer.

Observing groups of young girls adorned in vibrant kimonos as they sought the ideal angles for a perfect selfie was truly remarkable. Additionally, witnessing young couples strolling confidently along bustling streets, where artists, musicians, and street vendors captivated the interest of onlookers, added to the lively atmosphere.

Returning to Tokyo 16 years later was not less exciting than the first-time visit. This time, we arrived at Tokyo Station, instead of landing at the airport. The mayor railway station in Chiyoda is actually a small town always full of people, who walk around in a rush to catch a train, metro, a snack, coffee or go home.

Our prior experience enabled us to easily locate the metro connection that would lead us to a pleasant apartment in the Edogawa area. An interesting mix of grocery stores, shops, restaurants, office buildings and residential edifices offered a comfortable place to stay not far from the center of Tokyo.

There are many options to taste one of the most famous Japanese dishes – sushi. After savoring some of the most exclusive pieces with fresh seafood and fish on the old Tsukiji fish market during the first visit to Japan, this time I opted for a more affordable, fun and popular choice that would surely please the whole family.

Over 500 Sushiro restaurants constitute the largest conveyor belt sushi chain in Japan.

Locating the subsidiary at Shibuya Station Square proved to be a challenge; however, our early arrival allowed us to secure a table in what is typically a bustling restaurant. We were quickly captivated by the ambiance, particularly the conveyor belt that continuously delivered sushi and various other dishes presented on plates of different colors.

Sushiro’s primary advantage lies in its ability to offer premium sushi at affordable prices. The menu features a diverse selection that includes not only sushi but also complete meals, desserts, and beverages. Upon reviewing the menu, I decided to grant the children the autonomy to choose their own orders freely.

After nearly two hours of sampling, ordering, laughing and savoring delightful dishes, we departed from the dining area feeling content and satisfied.

The total bill, which was under 50.00US$, served as an additional motivation to cherish this memorable experience.

Karaoke 15 years later in the company of the kids was a special experience. The system of karaoke in Japan remains more or less the same, the upgrade is mainly in the digitization of the equipment or accessories and higher prices. If in the previous occasion the price was reasonable and determined by the size of the room, this time I paid much more, based on the amount of people.

Our passion was quickly unleashed, vocal cords strained, the light show added to the great atmosphere and the party began. The repertoire of English-Spanish songs was wide, the sound was excellent.

A most memorable museum in Tokyo is teamLab Planets, combining captivating art installations and the beauty of nature. The museum features four expansive art spaces and two gardens, allowing visitors to walk barefoot through water and immerse themselves in the floral surroundings, creating a fusion that diminishes the distinction between the observer and the art itself, creating a fusion that diminishes the distinction between the observer and the art itself.

Many installments are interactive.

The Floating Flower Garden, which showcases 13,000 live orchids connected to sensors, created an impression of entering an alternate world, where beautiful flowers gracefully rise and fall.

Unlimited Crystal Universe is a space adorned with LED bulbs and reflective surfaces, offering visitors the opportunity to stroll through and immerse themselves in the illusion of boundless expanse. The idea behind this creation was to craft a three-dimensional rendition of pointillism.

The Moss Garden of Echoing Microscopic Worlds is enveloped in spheres that mirror the sunlight and their surroundings throughout the day, and transform into glowing orbs after dusk. Whenever these spheres are moved by an individual or carried away by the breeze, they shift hues and produce enchanting noises.

Akihabara is renowned for its multitude of shops and specialized retail establishments offering a wide range of manga, anime merchandise, electronics, video games and all kinds of geekery. The district is also home to themed cafes, maid cafes, and arcades that cater to the interests of manga and anime enthusiasts.

The stores range from tiny stalls to vast department stores.

One of the most recognized venues, specialized in manga, anime, and video games, is Radio Kaikan. As soon as we reached the 10-floor building, I knew that I had to allow my kids at least an hour to navigate among toys, trading cards, collectibles, manga and enjoy the unique opportunity to get close to Japanese heroes and culture.

Some of the most popular venues in Akihabara are the so-called maid cafes. These themed restaurants, where waitresses dress as maids and refer to their customers as master or mistress, were originally designed to cater to the fantasies of male otaku – fans of anime, manga and video games. Originating in Akihabara, some of these cafes have branched out to other locations, not only in Tokyo but also in the rest of Japan.

It is easy to spot the waitresses promoting their cafes on the streets, distributing flyers or standing with a cardboard sign advertising their businesses. They don’t want to be photographed. They turn away upon noticing passers-by with a camera or phone. The cameramen are almost exclusively tourists, as the Japanese are aware that taking photos on the street is not desirable, and even prohibited inside cafes.

Fifteen years after the last encounter with my old Japanese friend Tomohito, when I announced him, that I was returning to Japan accompanied by my family, he messaged me:

“You are welcome to come to my house. I am inviting you for lunch!”

Tomohito and his young family resides in a suburban area located in the western section of Tokyo, approximately 45 minutes by subway from the city center. As the adults engaged in conversation and shared fond memories, the children easily gathered to play Nintendo. We savored sushi and various delights from Japanese cuisine.

As part of educational trip, we visited the Nagoya team that had participated in First Lego League world robotics competition in Australia that year, where my kids competed as well.

It was a special experience to meet a group of Japanese counterparts, even more considering that the Nagoya team won the second place worldwide. The language barrier was an obstacle, since Japanese kids speak very little English. Luckily, their mentor Daisuke was helping with the translation.

Following the formal segment of their training program, we were graciously invited to dine at a traditional restaurant. We were arranged into two groups, seated at low tables on the tatami flooring. The kids were mastering cooking, barbequing and communicating through Google translator, while having fun and eating delicious food that they prepared by themselves on the barbecue.

A memorable end of our Japanese adventure – part 2, which lived up to the high expectations and standards befitting my most popular destination in the world.