I want to start by stating a few caveats:

1. I've seen 2 shows before. Both were in the 3D era (New Orleans in 2016 and Cleveland in 2022).
2. My favorite era of based purely on sound was Minimum Maximum. Something about the mixes from that era just hit my ear the right way. As such, I judge other eras by that standard.
3. My seats for this show sucked. I was near the end of the horseshoe and half the screen was blocked by a line array. This also affected how sound hit me.
4. I firmly believe that every Kraftwerk show is a great show, and this one was too.

But...
This show had its issues.
First, the good:

• Great crowd. People showed up for KW. Lots of people on the floor were feeling the groove and moving to the music. Lots of enthusiasm from the crowd.
• They no longer use 3D visuals. This is great for me because I wear prescription glasses, and it was always awkward trying to wear both. Seeing the visuals crisp and clear with just my normal glasses was a great upgrade for me.
• I mean, it was Kraftwerk. It's always a great show.

The bad:

• Sound quality was not a peak. Again, I may have been in a bad spot in the venue, but it felt like some half measure between the 3D shows and the Minimum Maximum era and it just didn't work for me. What I like best about the MM era was how crisp, clear, and forward the vocals are. At this show, I could barely hear any of them over the other sounds.
  • Note: I was wearing loop ear plugs. This may have impacted this, but otherwise it would have just been too damned loud.
• There were multiple mistakes on the visuals. Examples I recall include a lagging video on Radioactivity, miscued lyrics text in the Robots and Tour de France, and a few times where the screen was just black for short periods mid track. I don't know that we can blame Georg Bongartz for this or simply that the sped up and reworked setlist doesn't jive with the visuals as they were programed for 3D shows of yesteryear.
• While I do like the switch from 3D, I don't think the bridge visuals for Metal on Metal work as well without the 3D effect. I wish they had found an alternative to them for this show.
• The improvisations are just not as good. While these were always a minor part of any show (the thing about KW has always been their sameness and precision), these ones were simply not as good. I LOVE the improv segment of Musique Non Stop on Minimum Maximum era and in the 3D shows I saw. This one was just "meh," and there was a truly jarring segment on Airwaves that left me thinking "What the hell is Ralf doing?"
• Speaking of Airwaves, they seemed to place a pretty strong focus on Radio-Activity as an album. While all we got from Autobahn, TEE, Electric Cafe, and Tour De France were short versions of their main singles, we got a ton from this album, including Radioland, Nachrichten, the Voice of Energy, and Ohm Sweet Ohm. Why did we get these tracks instead of Computer Love, Neon Lights, Comet Melodies, Europe Endless, or Neon Lights, which we did not get? Maybe they were trying to get in a dress rehearsal for LA or something? EDIT: Based on the fact that the KY show seems to have done the full Autobahn Album and Columbus did the full Radioactivity album, this would seem to be the case. I would have preferred getting some of the other tracks.
• No robots. Maybe it's just me being a grump, but I really wanted to see the reaction on my 5YO's face when the robots danced on stage to Robotronik.
• And for my final nit to pick, both Henning's and Falk's LED shoes had one shoe malfunctioning and not showing the right colors half the time. Considering I had to pay >$500 for my seated tickets (on the morning they were made available because promotors/ticket sellers are scam artists), I would hope that little things like that would have been fixed.

OK... That pretty much sums it up. I don't mean to be a negative Nelly. Both I and my 5YO had a blast, and I will never regret empowering her to see them before the changes to do so all go away. If you ever get the chance to see them live, you totally should. It's amazing. Something about the way the base of Man Machine hits you in a live environment just, well, it hits different. But for those of you who may have seen them before and are worried about your last opportunity having passed you by, take some comfort. If you've seen them before, you probably got a great show that can't be beat. Cherish that memory like both my daughters now ill (took my now 8YO to the Cleveland show two years ago too).

Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.

I currently live in a depressing small city (my hometown) in WV. The only other place I've ever lived was a west side Cleveland suburb. I loved Cleveland and would love to go back, but I'm trying to come up with a list of other places that might also work for my partner and I. He priorities natural beauty and the ability to have some property/a yard, and is a GM in hospitality. I prioritize a progressive climate (I'm pagan and polyamorous), at least being urban enough to have stuff like vegan food, cafes, local restaurants, adult dance classes (very specific, I know 😅), and I'm in grad school for therapy and would need to be able to easily find a therapy internship. Vermont came up in our search and I just couldn't bring myself to seriously consider it, with everything so spread out, rural, and such small population density. Some places look interesting, like Asheville, but have such crazy high housing costs it seems undoable. I'd appreciate any ideas!

I currently live in a depressing small city (my hometown) in WV. The only other place I've ever lived was a west side Cleveland suburb. I loved Cleveland and would love to go back, but I'm trying to come up with a list of other places that might also work for my partner and I. He priorities natural beauty and the ability to have some property/a yard, and is a GM in hospitality. I prioritize a progressive climate (I'm pagan and polyamorous), at least being urban enough to have stuff like vegan food, cafes, local restaurants, adult dance classes (very specific, I know 😅), and I'm in grad school for therapy and would need to be able to easily find a therapy internship. Vermont came up in our search and I just couldn't bring myself to seriously consider it, with everything so spread out, rural, and such small population density. Some places look interesting, like Asheville, but have such crazy high housing costs it seems undoable. I'd appreciate any ideas!

Hi everyone! My husband and I will be traveling to Japan in October for 2 weeks. It's our first time so most of the things are super touristy stuff. I have tried to do a lot of research but it's been overwhelming to plan this. I want to know if things in my itinerary are realistic logistically. Is there something that I should skip or something that I should not miss. Other things I want to fit in but don’t know where or how (would really appreciate help with this) * Ghibli museum visit (if I’m lucky enough to get tix) * Sōsakumen Kōbō Nakiryū for ramen * Yamatoro Onigiri or Onigiri Bongo * Pancakes at Micasadeco * Shiro-Jige’s Cream Puff Factory * Kakigori
We are very open to hearing any suggestions on activities, shopping, and restaurants. Also the days I have planned can go in any order if there are other variations that might work better. But there are some other considerations to this: * Toyosu market and Tsujiki markets are closed on Sundays and Wednesdays * Ghibli museum is closed on Tuesdays * Ideally we want to avoid going to places at peak hours
Day 0 - Friday * Flight lands at Haneda 1:35pm. Expect to arrive at hotel in Shinjuku by 4pm * Grab suica card and SIM cards * Check in at the hotel in Shinjuku * Check out Kabukicho * Get dinner in Shinjuku (preferably an Udon restaurant) * Back to hotel by 8pm (need dinner recommendations)
Day 1 - Saturday * 8am: Tsukiji outer market * 10:30am: Head over to Ueno * Tokyo national museum * Ueno Park * Ameyoko * 1pm: Head over to Asakusa * Nakamise Dori Street * Sensoji Temple * Kappabashi * 4pm: Stroll around the Sumida river * 5:30pm: NinjaBar in the Asakusa Underground Shopping Street * 8pm: Dinner at Tempura restaurant (need recs!)
Day 2 - Sunday * 9am: Head over to Akihabara * Milk Stand in JR Sobu Line station in Akihabara * Yodobashi Camera store * Bic Camera * Super Potato * Gachapon Hall and Vending machines * Radio Kaikan Store * Tamashi Nations Anime Store * 12pm: Maid cafe for lunch (Maidreamin) * 1:30pm: Head over to Shinjuku * Shinjuku Goyen National Park * Tokyo Metropolitan government building * Godzilla Statue * Kabukicho * Omoide Yokocho * Golden Gai * 8pm: Dinner at Ramen restaurant (need recs!)
Day 3 - Monday * 3am: Toyosu market sushi breakfast - expect to finish by 9am * 9am: Meiji Shrine (also visit Yoyogi Park) * 10:30am: Head over to Harajuku * Takeshita Dori * Laforet * Cat Street * 1pm: Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko statue * Shibuya Parco (Nintendo and Mario shopping) * Lunch at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant * Shibuya Scramble Square * Miyashita Park * Mega Don Quixote * Starbucks Reserve Roastery * 5pm: Shibuya Sky - observation deck of Shibuya crossing and Tokyo skyline * 7:30pm: Dinner at Soba restaurant (need recs!)
Day 4 - Tuesday * 9am: Head over to Ginza * 10am: Ginza Aquarium * 11:30: Shopping * Itoya * Uniqlo * Koredo Muromachi * Lunch at Kaisen Don * 4pm: Head over to Tokyo Station * Ghibli Donguri Republic * Ramen Street * Character Street * Calbee Snack Shop * 7pm: Dinner at Sushi restaurant (any Michelin star recommendations?)
Day 5 - Wednesday - Tokyo to Hakone * Free time in the morning in Tokyo (open to suggestions) * Romance car ride to Hakone in the afternoon

I am in Cleveland, Ohio this weekend so I pulled up DoorDash to explore "Ohio food" if there is such a thing. Well I found Angie's Soul Cafe started by a lady from Union, SC. Well I stopped scrolling right there.

My fiance (M26) and I (F24) are planning our honeymoon (hopefully) during cherry blossom season. We already have flight tickets into Haneda Airport, and now we're filling in the gaps to ensure we book the must-see experiences. I'd love some opinions on our current itinerary and recommendations for things we may enjoy, especially cherry blossom activities.
We both like history, culture, food, anime, and off-beat things.
Here is our current itinerary, assume any gaps will be filled with eating/exploring:
Monday, March 24 - Land in Haneda Airport at 4:40AM

• Purchase Welcome Suica, Pocket Wifi, and send luggage along to hotel. Possibly exchange currency depending on rates.
• Connect to Shinagawa Station then take Nozomi to Kyoto (hoping that's a good path)
• Arrive in Kyoto
• Try to get online reservations to Kichi Kichi Omurice
• Explore around Imperial Palace and Ginkaku Ji
• Check into hotel at 3:00PM (looking between Henn na Hotel Kyoto and Tabist kiki HOTEL KYOTO Gojo Karasuma)

Tuesday, March 25 - Kyoto

• 9:00AM - Hidden Kyoto E-Biking Tour (about 4 hours, goes to Kinkakuji and surrounding areas)
• Night - Hike through Tori gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

Wednesday, March 26 - Kyoto

• Purchase Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (5-day pass)
• Rent kimonos from Yumeyakata
• Kiyomizu-Dera
• Walk through streets nearby up to Gion for shopping and food
• 7:30PM - Kyoto Localized Free Night Tour

Thursday, March 27th - Kyoto and Osaka

• Check out of hotel and forward luggage
• 9:00AM Hozugawa River Boat Ride
• Arashiyama
• Lunch, then leave for Osaka
• 3:00PM check into Hotel the Flag Shinsaibashi
• Explore and dinner (maybe Den Den Town today)

Friday, March 28 - Osaka

• Osaka Aquarium or Cup Noodle Museum
• 3:00PM Osaka Localized Free Walking Tour (goes to some main tourist locations)

Saturday, March 29 - Day trip to Hiroshima

• 8:00AM Atomic Bomb Dome
• Memorial Museum
• Peace Memorial Park
• Find some Okonomiyaki and oysters
• Miyajima if we have time and don't get distracted

Sunday, March 30 - Osaka

• Buy Osaka Wonder Pass (may do this day earlier depending on when attractions are open)
• Osaka Castle
• Umeda Sky Building
• Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
• River Cruise

Monday, March 31 - Hakone

• Check out of hotel(considering taking our luggage this time since we will be arriving when we can check into hotel)
• Travel to Hakone and check into ryokan. We are trying to decide between Yama no Chaya, Yoshimatsu, or Hakone Ginyu

Tuesday, April 1 - Hakone

• Buy Hakone Free Pass (if weather is good)
• Open Air Museum
• Use all the fun transportation and get black eggs

Wednesday, April 2 - Tokyo

• 10:00AM Check out of ryokan and forward luggage if possible
• 3:00PM Check into Hotel Metropolitan Edmont
• Explore Asakusa and get dinner
• 8:00PM Asakusa Free Night Tour

Thursday, April 3 - Tokyo

• Meiji Shrine
• Cafe Reissue
• Explore Shibuya (I’m a big JJK fan, so if anyone knows of an attraction there that would be awesome)

Friday, April 4 - Tokyo

• Tsukiji Fish Market. Mainly planning to look here, since I heard it can be overpriced. May try to do the tuna auction nearby.
• Explore Akihabara
• 7:00PM Shinjuku Bar Hopping Tour

Saturday, April 5 - Monday April 7 - Tokyo

• Will try to secure date to tour the National Diet
• Will try to get tickets to Ghibli Museum in Mitaka
• Otherwise explore
• Maybe a day trip somewhere?

Fly out April 8th
Tokyo is my most flexible/least planned section since it seems like the best to wander. Sad that the gundam is gone, that would have been on the list. I've been recommended teamLab Planets, but it kind of looks just like an Instagram museum. Am I wrong here?
Otherwise, does this itinerary seem distributed ok? Any places you would avoid or go at specific times?
I've got a very scary spreadsheet to estimate costs and keep up with things I've researched, and so far with plane tickets, accommodations, food, activities, etc. we’re looking at about $8,000 spent for 2 people. Does this seem like an accurate amount for a couple spending 14 days honeymooning in Japan?

East Cleveland is a community with so many problems, and few people willing to put the hard work to find solutions. Glad to see a seed like Loiter Cafe (great name by the way) sprouting in the community. The owner is a seasoned businessperson who also owns Wake Robin foods which makes my favorite Kimchi. First step down a long road. I'll definitely be a patron. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/05/loiter-cafe-and-marketplace-to-open-in-east-cleveland-first-business-in-circle-east-redevelopment-photos.html

My family ( all adults) and I are going to Cleveland next month for a wedding (in westlake ) and want to go hiking (east side) and want to stay downtown . Ideally rent a house in a neighborhood that has lots to do within walking distance. Bars restaurants cafes shops etc . Any suggestions to the neighborhood or part of town would be appreciated .

Seven
...
In 1945, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac were students at Columbia University and were lodging in Joan Vollmer’s apartment on West 115th Street. Kerouac, a Catholic who had gotten in on a football scholarship described Ginsberg as “this spindly Jewish kid with horn-rimmed glasses and tremendous ears sticking out…burning black eyes”; the two men had a brief, awkward affair. Their friend William Burroughs was living nearby, on Riverside Drive, and after Kerouac and Ginsberg set him up with their landlady, he moved in, too. The gaunt and lanky Burroughs was more than a decade older than Ginsberg and Kerouac, and already seemed, Ginsberg recalled, to have the “ashen gray of an old-age cheek.” The younger pair admired him, Ginsberg wrote, like “ambassadors to a Chinese emperor.” Kerouac hailed him as “the last of the Faustian men.” Burroughs returned the compliment by introducing the other members of the “libertine circle,” as they dubbed themselves, to drugs, sailors, porn, bathhouses, and Wilhelm Reich.

After leaving Harvard in 1936, Burroughs had enrolled at the University of Vienna’s medical schools, Reich’s alma mater, with vague plans of becoming a psychoanalyst, but his stay was dominated by the administration of arsenic shots for the syphilis he had contracted in America, which left him feeling nauseated and depressed. He left after a semester. Back in New York, Burroughs was analyzed by Paul Federn, who had been Reich’s first therapist but whom Reich came to consider his nemesis. Burroughs was institutionalized in 1940 after he chopped off the tip of his finger in a Van Gogh - like gesture of unrequited love (Bellevue psychiatrists diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic). Burroughs’s parents gave him an allowance of two hundred dollars a month on the condition that he seek further help, and in 1946 Burroughs was undergoing narco-analysis with Dr. Lewis Wolberg, who used nitrous oxide and hypnosis to stimulated the unconscious.
Burroughs would return from his sessions with Wolberg to practice “wild analysis” on his friends, interpreting their dreams from the comfort of a wing chair. He also played a game that parodied the Reichian character analysis that he’d become interested in. The group would play an adaption of charades to facilitate the exploration of the onion layers of their personality armor. Burroughs referred to these exercises in amateur dramatics as “routines.” For example, underneath Burroughs’s public persona as the distinguished heir of an important St. Louis family lurked a prissy, lesbian English governess (“My dear, you’re just in time for tea. Don’t say those dirty words in front of everybody!”). Scratch the governess surface and you reached Old Luke, a gun-toting, tobacco-chewing sharecropper from the Deep South (“Ever gut a catfish?”). The last stratum, at his very core, held a silent Chinaman, a contemplative, impassive character who sat meditating on the banks of the Yangtse. Ginsberg’s hidden self was “the well-groomed Hungarian,” and Kerouac liked to play the naïve American lost in the sophistications of Paris.
Alfred Kinsey met Burroughs, Ginsberg, and Kerouac on one of their nocturnal trips to Time Square through their friend Herbert Huncke, the male prostitute who coined the term “beat” and introduced Burroughs to recreational drugs. Kinsey paid Huncke
Taking advantage of the proximity of Cott’s office to his father’s home, and still buzzing in the mouth, Ginsberg chose to come out during a posttherapeutic visit. “You mean you like to take men’s penises in your mouth?” his father said unsympathetically. But Cott thought homosexuality a perversion, as Reich did, and was working toward establishing heterosexual primacy rather than trying to persuade Ginsberg to come to terms with his queerness. “Frankly I won’t trust that kind of straight genital Reichian,” Burroughs wrote in disgust at this dogmatism. “Feller say, when a man gets too straight he’s just a god damned prick.”
Cott terminated Ginsberg’s therapy after three months because he continued to smoke pot against the doctor’s advice. Ginsberg though cannabis an integral part of his aesthetic education; Cott feared that it would lead to a psychotic episode. The summer he quit therapy, Ginsberg began experiencing auditory hallucinations. “It was like God had a human voice,” Ginsberg wrote of his transcendental experience, in which he discovered his calling as a poet, “with all the infinite tenderness and mortal gravity of a living Creator speaking to his son.” Consumed by a desire to share his amazing experience, Ginsberg crawled out onto his fire escape and tapped on the next-door neighbor’s windows, declaring to the two frightened girls inside, “I’ve seen God!”
His father, still reeling from the discovery of his son’s sexuality, feared that he was suffering from the paranoid schizophrenia that had caused his mother to be institutionalized in Pilgrim State, a mental hospital on Long Island. She also heard voices, feared her husband was trying to poison her, hallucinated Hitler’s mustache in the sink, and thought spies were following her. When Ginsberg entered Reichian analysis, she was reportedly banging her head against the wall so ferociously that the doctors recommended a lobotomy.
Ginsberg phoned up Dr. Cott, his former therapist, and told him, “It happened, I had some kind of breakthrough or psychotic experience.” Cott, who followed Reich in rejecting the talking cure, and who was obviously still angry at Ginsberg for choosing pot over therapy, said, “I’m afraid any discussion would have no value” and hung up on him. Soon afterward, when Ginsberg was involved in a car chase in a stolen vehicle that ended in a dramatic crash, he was encouraged by a law professor at Columbia, where he was still a student, to plead insanity. Dr. Cott appeared in court to testify to his mental instability, and two months later Ginsberg was admitted to the Columbia Presbyterian Psychiatric institute, where he stayed for eight months.
During Ginsberg’s hospitalization, Burroughs wrote to Jack Kerouac to ask him to find out from Ginsberg what the “gadget made by Reichians” looked like. “I want especially to know its shape and if there is a window, and how one gets into it.” Kerouac doesn’t seem to have been much help in providing a blueprint. Burroughs built his first accumulator in the spring of 1949 when he was living on a rented farm in Pharr, Texas, with Kells Elvins, a friend from his Harvard days. They were both enthusiastically reading Reich’s The Cancer Biopathy and decided to build an accumulator in the orange grove Kells owned in the Rio Grande Valley. Built without recourse to any plans, the resulting device included some curious innovations. “Inside was an old icebox,” Burroughs explained, “which you could get inside and pull on a contrivance so that another box of sheet steel descended over you, so that the effect was presumably heightened.” It took them a few days to construct the box. The result was eight feet high, much taller than the ones Reich manufactured: “It was a regular townhouse,” Burroughs recalled.
The pair took turns sitting in the accumulator and obtained, Burroughs wrote, “unmistakable results.” Burroughs wondered what the Mexican farm laborers thought of this strange box that they entered “wrapped in old towels,” and came out of feeling “much sexier and healthier,” “with hard-ons.” Burroughs and Kells also made one of Reich’s smaller shooter boxes, with a funnel, which they used as a supplement to the big box. Their DIY was, Burroughs admitted, “a very sloppy job,” but it still have a powerful “sexual kick.”
"I have just been reading Wilhelm Reich’s latest book The Cancer Biopathy,” Burroughs wrote excitedly to Kerouac. “I tell you Jack, he is the only man in the analysis line who is on that beam. After reading the book I built an orgone accumulator and the gimmick really works. The man is not crazy, he’s a fucking genius.” Kerouac described Burroughs enthusiastically promoting the box in On the Road (1955). According to Kerouac, Burroughs said, “Say, why don’t you fellows try my orgone accumulator? Put some juice in your bones. I always rush up and take off ninety miles an hour for the nearest whorehouse, hor-hor-hor!”
Burroughs used an orgone box on and off for the rest of his life. (There is a picture of the rock star Kurt Cobain waving through the port-hole of Burrough’s last box, a scruffy, patched-up shed that he kept in the garden behind his house in Lawrence, Kansas.) In the 1970s he wrote an article for Oui magazine entitled “All the accumulators I have owned” in which he boasted, “Your intrepid reporter, at age thirty-seven, achieved spontaneous orgasm, no hands, in an orgone accumulator built in an orange grove in Pharr, Texas. It was the small, direct-application accumulator that did the trick.”
….
Perls concluded that any positive claims for the orgone box were attributable to the placebo effect. “I invariably found a fallacy,” he said of the orgone box users he met, “a suggestibility that could be directed in any way that I wanted.” Reich, Perls thought, had made a major contribution in giving Freud’s notion of resistance a body, but he erred in trying to make a verifiable reality out of the libido. “Now resistances do exist, there is no doubt about it,” Perls explained, “but libido was and is a hypothesized energy, invented by Freud himself to explain his model of man.” He thought Reich had hypnotized himself and his patients into the belief of the existence of the orgone as the physical and visible equivalent of libido.
Perls found that users of orgone boxes usually exhibited some paranoid symptoms. “Then I had another look at the armor theory,” Perls went on, “and I realized that the idea of the armor itself was a paranoid form. It supposes an attack from, and defense against, the environment.” Perls criticized vegetotherapy for encouraging the formation of paranoid features by encouraging the patient to “externalize, disown, and project material that could be assimilated and become part of the self.” Orgone energy, Perls concluded from his investigations into the orgone box, was “an invention of Reich’s fantasy which by then had gone astray.” The realization that the Reich he had met in New York was different from the one he had known in Europe, and that orgone mysticism was at the crackpot end of science, was tinged with melancholy. “The enfant terrible of the Vienna Institute turned out to be a genius,” Perls wrote in his autobiography, “only to eclipse himself as a ‘mad scientist.’”
In his own elaboration of character analysis, which he called Gestalt therapy, Perls turned the idea of armor around: where Reich had come to see character armor as a defense against a hostile external world, Perls saw that same layer of self as a shield for one’s own true drives - a straitjacket designed to safeguard against explosions of excitement from within. Thus, it wasn’t a shell to be crushed but something integral, to be owned. (Laura Perls said they tried to convince Rosenfeld to give up his box, that he could increase his physical vitality and mental agility “entirely on his own, without external devices.”) He wanted his patients to be aware of their bodies, to feel the present vividly in the “here and now,” to be “authentic,” to act on their desires.
Perls got his patients to act out their feelings so that they could assimilate and take responsibility for them. He had originally wanted to be a theater director - he’d been a student of Max Reinhardt’s when he was growing up in Berlin, and he’d become closely associated with the avant-garde Living Theatre troupe in New York. Julian Beck, a founder of the Living Theatre, explained to Perls’s biographer, Martin Shepard, of Gestalt therapy, “[Perls] had something in mind that was halfway between the kind of performance we were doing [direct spectacle, aimed at challenging the moral complacency of the audience] and therapeutic sessions.”
“You are my client,” Perls told one female patient. “I care for you like an artist, I bring something out that is hidden in you.” He described therapy as if it were a magic trick; the rabbit he claimed to pull out of the hat was a person shorn of the “neurosis of normalcy” and all the bourgeois niceties associated with it. This person, he hypothesized, was confident enough to be selfish, to act on rather than repress all her desires, whatever the social consequences. All the energy that others wasted on repression and concealment, Perls thought, should be available for creative self-expression. Another of Perls’s patients recalled, “Fritz loved some types - open bastard-bitch - open defenses, that type. He didn’t like anyone who would placate him or be too good to him or used good-girl or good-boy defenses - that drove him up the wall.”

Perls’s views ,and some of his methods, were much indebted to those pioneered by Reich in the thirties: Perls would habitually accuse his patients of being “phony” and was deliberately aggressive, much as Reich had been with him. Yet, his observations about the paranoid deviations in Reich’s terminology and thinking were painfully perceptive, precisely because he had built on those very ideas.
In 1951, Perls, Paul Goodman, and a Columbia professor of psychology named Ralph Hefferline published Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality. Rewritten by Goodman, and bearing all the hallmarks of Goodman’s exasperating style, the book blends Reich’s ideas about energy blocks and flows with Sartre’s cafe philosophy to create an American brand of existentialism turned therapy. The authors intended their self-help book to provide the reader with the tools for revolution: “In recommending [these experiments] to you,” they warned of their mass-market therapy, “we commit an aggressive act aimed at your present status quo and whatever complacency it affords.” They promised immediate liberation, without the hard grind of political struggle; all you had to do was unleash your “authentic” self.
The “excitement” to which the subtitle of the book refers is a generalized libido, an elan vital that is seeking various outlets, not all of them sexual. Life, for Perls, was a series of “unfinished” or “undigested” situation, frustrations that were all waiting their turn for satisfactory closure. “After the available excitement has been fully transformed and experienced, then we have good closure, satisfaction, temporary peace and nirvana,” Perls summarized his position. “A [mere] discharge will barely bring about the feeling of exhaustion and being spent.”
It sounded very like the Reichian orgasm. But for Perls, excitement was no longer exclusively genital, as it was for Reich, and this shift only served to open up numerous other slipways to pleasure. In Reich’s view, the libido theory was an inviolable article of faith. In broadening its range to celebrate oral and anal pleasures, Perls heralded a polymorphously perverse and heretical vision - one that, ironically, would prove particularly amenable to exploitation under capitalism.
In 1952, Perls, his wife, Goodman, Isidore From, Elliott Shapiro, and two others founded the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy, headquartered in the Perleses’ apartment and with treatment rooms at 315 Central Park West. The seven founding members met on a weekly basis for group therapy. There was no bureaucratic hierarchy and everyone, including Perls, was subject to the honest criticism that was seen as the key to self-discovery. It was a very public form of character analysis: members of the group would draw one another’s attention to every repression or hang-up, none of which was to be tolerated.
Elliot Shapiro, an ex-boxer and the head of a psychiatric school attached to Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, brought a friend to one session; Shapiro’s friend said he “had never witnessed the aggressive and profound battling that went on in those groups. Nobody, virtually nobody, was safe at any time.” Shapiro recalled, “We hammered at each other, and hammered, and hammered - every week. And it was the most vigorous hammering you can image….If you could live through these groups and take the corrections, the insults, the remarks…” Not all the participants had sufficiently thick skins to take such brutal candor. The psychotherapist Jim Simkin left the group because he felt that everyone was “loading elephant shit on him,” as did Ralph Hefferline, a coauthor of Gestalt Therapy.
To promote this new school, Perls traveled from city to city, introducing an audience of psychiatrists, social workers, and other interested parties to his “here and now” philosophy. He taught groups in Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, and Miami how to be sensitive to their bodily needs and to follow their impulses, to be honest and unalienated. He’d be sharp and confrontational as he pushed his awareness techniques on the participants: What are you doing now? What are you experiencing? What are you feeling? Isadore From, who was part of the original New York group, remembers that these occasions were often very dramatic, with “a lot of shaking, trembling, anxiety” - effects that he thought were the result of the audiences’ hyperventilating under the strain of Perls’s relentless goading and questioning.
The New York Institute of Gestalt Therapy also ran public seminars, including one by Goodman, “The Psychology of Sex” (“What you can’t do, teach,” he said with a laugh). Following Reich, it was thought that neurosis could be treated by exposure to sexual pleasure. Goodman made this his area of expertise and people with sexual problems were often referred to him. One was a man who was worried about the quality of his orgasms after prostate surgery. Another thought he might be homosexual; the bisexual Goodman got his penis out and demanded that the patient touch it to help him make a diagnosis. In so doing he was no doubt influenced by Hitschmann, the Viennese analyst who once asked Perls, then tormented by sexual inadequacy, to show him his penis .
In one of Goodman’s group sessions, when someone complained of the lack of sexual companionship, Goodman went around the circle and set up a week’s worth of dates. “See, that wasn’t so difficult,” he reassured her. He was not beyond offering his own neurosis-busting services to patients of either sex, and once agreed to accompany a patient who invited him on an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe. He joked about setting up a College of Sex so as to put his vast experience to educational use. “I’m a sociopath,” he wanted a potential client. In a diary entry written in 1957, Goodman looked back on the previous decade and concluded that he’s made a “false cultus-religion (an obsession)” of sex: “The sexual act itself had just about the meaning of a ritual communion sacrifice.”

Have painstakingly planned a trip to Tokyo, and was able to fit all of my top things into the first 3 full days i am there. Now i'm not sure what to do the 4th day. Would like this day to be more relaxed compared to the other three, but still would like a suggestion on a cool area to end up in or some suggestions on what to do. Here is what i have so far
Saturday, (Tokyo Day #1)

• Arrive in Tokyo in mid afternoon - try to stay up until 10 pm at least to deal with jet lag
• we are staying in Shinjuku area and don't plan to leave the area first day
  • Tokyu Kabukicho Tower: arcades, nightlife,
  • Omoide Yokocho (West side of Shinjuku Station): traditional alley (food/drink)
  • Golden Gai: narrow alley of bars/food

Sunday(Tokyo Day #2)

• 9:30 - Senso Ji Temple
• 10:30 - Walk around Nakemesi Dori street
• Asakusa (~3 hours) just vibe here with no concrete plans. Options include:
  • Ride Rickshaw
  • Hoppy Street (bar district)
  • Tokyo Sky tree
  • Asahai beer tower (cool view bar)
• 2:40 - Board Tokyo Cruise Himiko boat to Odiaba
• 4:00 - Arrive in Odiaba, just vibe and walk around for a hour or so
  • Would have been interested in The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation or Joyopolis but don't think we'll have time
• 5:30 - Teamlabs Planet’s
• 7:00- Dinner in Roppongi Area
  • Tokyo Tower Red (closes at 10): VR Games

Monday (Tokyo Day #3)

• 10:30 - Tokyo Metropolitan building observation deck
• 11:30 - Walk around Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (cherry blossoms)
  • There are three gardens here, only interested in japanese one
• 1:00 - Lunch
• 2:00 - Meji Shrine
• 3:00 - Walk down Takeshita street
• 4:00-6:00 - Stay in Shibuya area
  • Walk Miyashita Park
  • Nintendo world
  • Shibuya scramble (Starbucks for elevated view)
  • Hachiko dog statue
  • Pepper Parlor robot cafe
• 6:00 - Reservation for shibuya sky sunset
• 7:00 - Dinnenight out in Shibuya

Tuesday (Tokyo Day #4)

• Morning activity??? (open to suggestions here as well), or just sleep in
• 12:00-4:30 - Lunch and Ueno park
  • Walk around Ameyoko shopping district
  • Walk around giant park (2.8 miles total)
  • Go to Zoo (just to see Panda’s rest of zoo has bad reviews)
  • Museums- Japan national museum or others
  • Ueno Toshogu Shrine
• 4:30 - Walk around Akihabara
• 6:00 - Tokyo Giants game (probably only stay a few innings)
• 8:00 - Dinnenightlife

Wednesday, (Tokyo Day #5)

• This is where i need help. Some ideas i have are Art aquarium museum Ginza, watch sumo practice at sumo stable, Harajuku, and teamlabs Borderless.

Thanks for your help!

As always, if you know of an event that's not listed here, feel free to share it (with a link) in the comments. Feedback on events you've attended or plan to attend is welcome.
*Free (or no admission/cover)
--Recurring Event
Noteworthy: May 13-19 is American Craft Beer Week. May 16 is National Barbecue Day.
Weekend & Multi-Day Events
May 13-19 Dallas is Lit (Literary Festival) at multiple Oak Cliff venues
May 16-19 DSO: Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the Meyerson
May 17-18 Dallas Black Dance Theatre Spring Celebration at Wyly Theatre
May 17-19 Wildflower! Music and Arts Festival at Galatyn Park Urban Center, Richardson
May 17-19 Main Street Fest - A Craft Brew Experience at Historic Downtown Grapevine
May 17-25 Now THAT’s What I Call TV Improv 90s Sitcom at Stomping Ground Comedy
May 18-19 Black Heritage Celebration at the Dallas Arboretum
Through May 27 Scarborough Renaissance Festival, Waxahachie
Through May 18 Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer at Bishop Arts Theater Ctr
Through May 25 Echo Theatre: Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper at the Bath House Cultural Center
Through Jun 9 Hamilton at Winspear Opera House
May 17-June 1 Teatro Dallas: Cloud Tectonics at the Latino Cultural Center
*May 11- May 24 Women in Art – A Joyful Journey Exhibition at Art on Main
*Through May 19 The Art of Embroidery from India to the World at NorthPark Center
*Through June 28 Central Library Staff Art Exhibit at Dallas Public Library Central Branch
Monday, May 13
Dallas Mavericks vs. OKC Thunder: Playoffs Round 2 Game 4 at AAC
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Watch Party at Shark Club Sports Bar and Grill
Texas Rangers vs. vs. Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field, Arlington
British Film Institute Book Club Presents: Mean Streets at Texas Theatre
“Spider Mondays” The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on 35MM at Texas Theatre
Augustana: Something Beautiful Tour with Valley Boy at Club Dada
*Ryan Glenn at Truck Yard Dallas
*Music Bingo at Guitars and Growlers, Richardson
*Songwriter's Open Mic Hosted by Justin Collins at Dan's Silverleaf, Denton
*Poor David’s Pub Virtual Open Mic on Facebook Live
Tuesday, May 14
Texas Rangers vs. vs. Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field, Arlington
*10-Year Destination Master Plan Community Town Hall - West/South Dallas at West Dallas Multipurpose Center
Dallas Winds Concert: In This Circle at the Meyerson Symphony Center
*--Free Rooftop Movie: Easy A at Sundown at Granada
The Variety Show with The Lost Boy Presents at Arts Mission Oak Cliff
Jimmy Gnecco of Ours at Opening Bell Coffee
Qveen Herby at House of Blues
*Book Presentation: An Evening with Andrés Neuman at The Wild Detectives
*Book Signing and Discussion - Jannese Torres: Financially Lit at Interabang Books
*--W.O.W. (Words Over Wine) Poetry Open Mic at Chocolate Secrets
*Just Dance Series - Salsa Lessons at Harwood Park
*Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation Dance performance at Pleasant Grove Branch Library
Wednesday, May 15
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche: Round 2 Game 5 At American Airlines Center
Texas Rangers vs. vs. Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field, Arlington
Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky at College Park Center, Arlington
10-Year Destination Master Plan Community Town Hall - North Dallas at Prism Center
Dallas Architecture Forum Presents: Brian MacKay-Lyons at Dallas Museum of Art
*--Salsa Night/Beginner’s Lessons at Vidorra Dallas
Transformers: 40th Anniversary Event at Texas Theatre
*Nerd Night: Old School Video Games at Celestial Beerworks
*Pat Peterson at The Kitchen Cafe
Swingin' at the Sons at Sons of Hermann Hall
Piano Men: An Elton John & Billy Joel Tribute at Sky Blu Rooftop
Daniel Sloss: Can't at The Majestic
*--Improv Jam at Dallas Comedy Club
Part One Tribe - A $7.77 Show at Deep Ellum Art Co.
3-course Beer Pairing Dinner at Windmills, The Colony
Thursday, May 16
10-Year Destination Master Plan Community Town Hall - East Dallas at Harry Stone Rec Center
Dallas Zoo After Dark Wild Canvas at the Dallas Zoo
*Bombshell Dance Project Performance at Dallas Museum of Art
*Kaleta Doolin in Conversation on Feminist Art History at Dallas Museum of Art
Maifest at the Brewery at Community Beer Co.
Analog Art Show at Flea the Scene
Sip & Paint at Aloft Dallas Downtown
Murder Mystery 3-Course Dinner at Bourbon and Banter
*PNC Patio Sessions - Pretty Boy Aaron at Sammons Park
*Books Signing and Discussion - Noah Gittel, Baseball: The Movie at Interabang Books
The Rhinestone Teardrops Tour at Three Links
Michelle Wolf: It's Great to Be Here at House of Blues
David Slater and Veronica Williams at Sammons Center for the Arts
*Adult Coloring at Mountain Creek Branch Library
HipHop & Healing at Highland Hills Branch Library
Master Gardeners: Taking the Mystery Out of Plant Propagation at Lakewood Branch Library
59th Academy of Country Music Awards at Ford Center at The Star, Frisco
Friday, May 17
Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field
*‘til Midnight at the Nasher Sculpture Center
*--DJ Binosaur at Vector Brewing
Backyard Concert: Meridian Brothers and Elkin Pautt at The Wild Detectives
*Booker T. Washington HSPVA Singer-Songwriters at Opening Bell Coffee
Cinéwilde Presents: The Matrix at Texas Theatre
Larry g(ee) EP Release with Dezi 5 and Cozy Campos at The Kessler
Girls' Night Out Stand-up Comedy Showcase at Dallas Comedy Club
Nimesh Patel: Fast and Loose Tour at the Majestic Theatre
The Reverent Few / Joe Blow / The Brandon Callies Band at The Double Wide
Chap Stick (Cheap Trick Tribute) at Sundown at Granada
*Trey Gonzalez at The Rustic
Dallas Poetry Slam 30th Anniversary Showcase at Oak Cliff Assembly
Aaron Aryanpur Live at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center
Saturday, May 18
Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field
Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky at College Park Center, Arlington
Ultimate Frisbee Dallas Legion vs. Houston HAVOC at Jesuit Dallas
*Cycling: Group Ride at Community Beer Co.
Morning Bird Walk at Trinity River Audubon Center
*AAPI Heritage & Dragon Boat Festival at the Bath House Cultural Center
Art Talk: Laure de Margerie at the Nasher Sculpture Center
Discover Downtown Dallas Movie Series: Sweet Home Alabama at Harwood Park
9th Anniversary Brewery Fest at Texas Ale Project
*Pawty on the Patio with Golden Retriever Rescue at On Rotation
*Asian Am., Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration at AT&T Discovery District
*AAPI Family Weekend at Sammons Park (Dallas Arts District)
Hope Starts Here 5K at Klyde Warren Park
Deep Ellum Wine Walk: Rosé Olé at Discover Deep Ellum
*Conversation and Party: Colombe Schneck and Merrit Tierce at The Wild Detectives
*Art Exhibitions Opening Event at Ro2 Art
*Analog Art Show at Flea the Scene
6th Annual Adult Science Fair at Celestial Beerworks
Andrea Gonzalez Caballero Spanish Guitar Concert at Kalita Humphreys Theater
Pepe Aguilar at American Airlines Center
Sunday, May 19
Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field
Dallas Jackals vs. Seattle Seawolves at Choctaw Stadium, Arlington
State Fair Records: Songwriters Round on The Green at The Kessler
*En Plein Air Painting Demonstration at the Dallas Museum of Art
Dilbeck Architecture Conservancy Homes Tour at University Park
K Pop Music Bingo Brunch at the Sweet Tooth Hotel
Abducted By The 80's at House of Blues
Paint and Sip at Peticolas Brewing
Turtle Creek Chorale: Pages at Northaven United Methodist Church
*Cars for CASA Car Show at Rockwall Courthouse, Rockwall

Hello everyone, we are a American couple going to Japan for the first time and are beyond excited! To give some context, we are late 20 year olds with a high level of energy and are not afraid to walk a lot and live a day to the fullest even if we are exhausted by night time. We are interested in nature, architecture, technology, and history. Not interested at all in things like shopping or anime. Let me know what you think of the itinerary. First bullet points are things we're def doing, secondary bullet points are possible ideas but not ideas we are married to doing. Times are also super approximate, and are more just used in planning to let me know what was possible, I don't plan on living by a strict schedule or anything. I pretty extensively planned and looked in commute times and average times spent at things for everything so I am fairly confident the schedule is possible, but would still love insight!.
Saturday, (Tokyo Day #1)

• Arrive in Tokyo in mid afternoon - try to stay up until 10 pm at least to deal with jet lag
• we are staying in Shinjuku area and don't plan to leave the area first day
  • Tokyu Kabukicho Tower: arcades, nightlife,
  • Omoide Yokocho (West side of Shinjuku Station): traditional alley (food/drink)
  • Golden Gai: narrow alley of bars/food

Sunday(Tokyo Day #2)

• 9:30 - Senso Ji Temple
• 10:30 - Walk around Nakemesi Dori street
• Asakusa (~3 hours) just vibe here with no concrete plans options:
  • Ride Rickshaw
  • Hoppy Street (bar district)
  • Tokyo Sky tree
  • Asahai beer tower (cool view bar)
• 2:40 - Board Tokyo Cruise Himiko boat to Odiaba
• 4:00 - Arrive in Odiaba, just vibe and walk around for a hour or so
  • The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
• 5:30 - Teamlabs Planet’s
• 7:00- Dinner in Roppongi Area
  • Mohri Garden if enough daylight
  • Tokyo Tower Red (closes at 10): VR Games

Monday (Tokyo Day #3)

• 10:30 - Tokyo Metropolitan building observation deck
• 11:30 - Walk around Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (cherry blossoms)
  • There are three gardens here, only interested in japanese one
• 1:00 - Lunch
• 2:00 - Meji Shrine
  • Can add Yogogi park, just start day an hour earlier
• 3:00 - Walk down Takeshita street (possibly do Otter cafe)
• 4:00-6:00 - Stay in Shibuya area
  • Walk Miyashita Park
  • Nintendo world
  • Shibuya scramble (Starbucks for elevated view)
  • Hachiko dog statue
  • Pepper Parlor robot cafe
• 6:00 - Reservation for shibuya sky sunset
• 7:00 - Dinnenight out in Shibuya

Tuesday (Tokyo Day #4)

• Morning activity???, or just sleep in
• 12:00-4:30 - Lunch and Ueno park
  • Walk around Ameyoko shopping district
  • Walk around giant park (2.8 miles total), cherry blossoms
  • Go to Zoo (just to see Panda’s rest of zoo has bad reviews)
  • Museums- Japan national museum or others
  • Ueno Toshogu Shrine
• 4:30 - Walk around Akihabara
• 6:00 - Tokyo Giants game (probably only stay a few innings)
• 8:00 - Dinnenightlife

Wednesday, (Tokyo Day #5)

• I am honesty stumped on what to do this day. as i feel like i knocked out all the main things i wanted to do the first three days and not sure what to plan here. Might just be a walk around and recover day. Some ideas i have are Art aquarium museum Ginza, watch sumo practice at sumo stable, Harajuku, and teamlabs Borderless.

Thursday, (Mt Fuji)

• Take bus up in the morning and stay the night. Small hike, Onsen, just generally take in the beauty.

Friday, (Osaka Day #1)

• 1:06 Arrive in Osaka
• 1:30 Kuormon Market for lunch, head over to Namba Yakasha Shrine after
• 3:00 Walk Osaka Castle (don’t go inside as most reviews say it's not worth it)
• 5:00 Check out America-Mura area
• 6:30 Nightlife and dinner in Dotonbori area (Hozenji Yokocho for dinner?)

Saturday, (Osaka Day #2/Nara)

• Day trip to Nara, i still need to plan this
• 4:00 Arrive back from Nara.
• 4:30-7:00 Abeno Harukas observation deck, Shin Seaki area. Leave by 7
• 7:30-8:30 Teamlab botanicals. One hour time limit, has to be this time

Sunday, (Osaka Day #3/Himeji)

• Day trip to Himeji, only plan on doing Himeji castle grounds and Koko en garde so should be a quick trip
• 1:52 train arriving back in Osaka at 2:21
• 3:00 Osaka Aquarium
  • Can alternatively do Super Ninteno world, but imagine it will be very busy on a sunday
• 5:00 Tempozan Ferris wheel

Monday, (Kyoto Day #1)

• 9:30-12 Higashiyama Temple Area Private Walking Tour
• 12:00-2:00 Wrap up Kiyomizu-dera if we want to see more of it (included in tour but worried it might be rushed), walk Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka street grab lunch in area
  • Worlds first Tatami starbucks is here
• 2:30 Arrive at Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • Consider Fushimi Sake District after if interested, but not a must see
• 4:30 Hanamikoji Street and Gion, consider grabbing dinner in Pontcho food alley
• Gion Corner traditional japanese shows at 6pm and 7pm

Tuesday, (Kyoto Day #2)

• 9:00 Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• 10:30 Tenryuji Temple
• 11:15 Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
• 12:30 pm Lunch in the Arashiyama area
• 1:13 or 2:13 Sagano Scenic Railway
• Consider Toei Kyoto Studio Park, or Hozugawa river boat tour

Wednesday, (Kyoto Day #3)

• 9:00 Kinkakuji Golden pavilion (feel like we'll only need like a half hour here)
• 10:00 Nijo Castle
• 12:00 Nishiki Market for lunch
• 1:00 SAMURAI NINJA MUSEUM KYOTO With Experience
• 2:30 Northern Higashiyama just walk around and vibe visiting many temples in area

Thursday, (Miyajima/Hiroshima)

• Arrive in Hiroshima, drop off bags and take 10:10 Ferry to Miyajima
• Miyajima Omotesando Shotengai street for lunch or shrine first depending on tide
• 12:00 Itsukushima Shrine
• 12:30-3:30 Mt Misen
  • Go to Momijidani Station, then take ropeway up mt, then 30 minute walk to peak
  • Consider going to Daisho-in Temple after Mt if time permits
• Go back to Hiroshima on 3:55 or 4:25 ferry
• 4:45 arrive back, either go back to hotel or check out hiroshima castle (closes at 6:00)
• Check out Hondori shopping street and just vibe

Friday, (Hiroshima/Yokohama)

• 8:30-10:30 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
• 10:30-11:30 Hiroshima Peace park
• 11:30-12:30 lunch
• 12:30-2:00 Shukkeien Garden
• 2:00-2:30 depart for airport to make 5:10 flight to HND
• Travel to Yokohoma where we will stay last night
• Grab dinner in China town and check out Yokohoma as much as we can at night

Saturday (fly home)

• Likely can do Cup Noodle Museum in morning at flight isn't until 4:00 out of HND

Any advice is much appreciated!

Hello everyone. My partner and I are travelling to Japan for the first time this summer. I've been reading a lot of itineraries and trip reviews on this sub and also did some own research and came up with a rough plan for our 3 week trip. I like not having to rush and rather have a few extra hours to spare at the end of the day for free exploring.
I still have a few questions that i need help with:

1. Do i have too many days in Tokyo planned? I feel like there are so many different ares and things to see.
   
2. Is 1 Day enough to see Kanazawa and Takayama or should i keep it on 2 seperate days?
   
3. Should i plan more days in Kyoto and less in Osaka? I am mainly deterred by everyone mentioning the huge crowds Kyoto.
   

I would appreciate any feedback and suggestions, especially for day 16 and day 17, where i am still very unsure.
Day 1 - Tokyo

• Arrive in the afternoon in Tokyo
• Hotel check-in (Shinjuku)
• Explore Shinjuku

Day 2 - Tokyo

• Shibuya
• Nakano Broadway
• Tokyo Metropolitan Tower

Day 3 - Tokyo

• Shinjuku
• 12:00 Ghibli Museum
• Harajuku

Day 4 - Tokyo/Kamakura

• Kotoku-in Temple
• Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
• Hokokuji Temple

Day 5 - Tokyo/Yokohama

• Cup Noodle Museum
• China Town
• Sea Aquarium

Day 6 - Tokyo

• Explore Tokyo

Day 7

• Kanazawa Castle
• Kenrokuen Garden
• Omicho Market

Day 8

• Takayama Old Town
• Hiking/Explore

Day 9 - Kyoto

• Fushimi Inari
• Explore Kyoto

Day 10 - Kyoto

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
• Tenryuji Temple
• Iwatayama Monkey Park

Day 11 - Osaka

• Explore Osaka
• Den den town

Day 12- Osaka

• Nara

Day 13 - Osaka

• Himeji Castle
• Kobe

Day 14 - Osaka

• Osaka Castle? (Is it worth so see a 3rd Castle after Kanazawa and HImeji?)
• Explore Osaka
• Cat Rescue Cafe

Day 15

• Suzuka Racing Circuit

Day 16

• Nagoya? (Dont want to go to Ghibli Park and not sure if its worth to visit just for Toyota Museum)

Day 17

• Hakone? (Not sure if it is good to visit during the summer)

Day 18 - Tokyo

• Akihabara
• Asakusa

Day 19 - Tokyo

• Tokyo Station
• Ginza
• Odaiba

Day 20 - Tokyo

• Explore Tokyo
• Shopping
• Revisit favourite areas/shops

Day 21 - Tokyo

• Relax and Last Minute Shopping
• Fly back in the afternoon

My girlfriend and I are coming to Cleveland next weekend for a short getaway.
What are some must try restaurants? We’ve been to Lucky’s Cafe and Fat Cats in Tremont and loved both. We’re willing to travel 20-30 minutes outside of the city too.
Thanks in advance!

Metropolitan areas over 500,000 with the main reasons they aren't the safest place to live in the US
If all the ice melts on the earth it would raise the sea level about 230 feet. So any metropolitan areas below 250 feet in elevation aren't safe IMO.
Any city can flood but only cities that have a history of flooding or high risk of flooding are listed as unsafe.
Tornadoes can happen anywhere so places with the highest risk are listed as unsafe.
A high possibility of water shortages within the next 20 years can be a reason to be listed as unsafe in my list.
Any metropolitan areas with large tall dams that if broke would cause serious flooding can be a reason to be listed as unsafe
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA MSA 19,768,458 20,140,470 −1.85% New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Low elevation Tsunami
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA 12,997,353 13,200,998 −1.54% Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA CSA
Earthquake Low elevation Tsunami
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI MSA 9,509,934 9,618,502 −1.13% Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI CSA
River Flooding problem
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA 7,759,615 7,637,387 +1.60% Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK CSA
Water shortages
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX MSA 7,206,841 7,122,240 +1.19% Houston-The Woodlands, TX CSA
Hurricanes Tsunami Low elevation Flooding
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA 6,356,434 6,385,162 −0.45% Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA
Other than crime rates it is a Safe metropolitan area
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA 6,228,601 6,245,051 −0.26% Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
Low elevation
8 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA MSA 6,144,050 6,089,815 +0.89% Atlanta–Athens-Clarke County–Sandy Springs, GA-AL CSA
Large Tall Dam Water shortages
9 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA 6,091,747 6,138,333 −0.76% Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL CSA
Hurricanes Tsunami Low elevation
10 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA 4,946,145 4,845,832 +2.07% Phoenix-Mesa, AZ CSA
Water shortages
11 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA 4,899,932 4,941,632 −0.84% Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT CSA
Low elevation Tsunami
12 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA 4,653,105 4,599,839 +1.16% Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA CSA
Earthquake Water shortages
13 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA MSA 4,623,264 4,749,008 −2.65% San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
Earthquake Water shortages Tsunami
14 Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI MSA 4,365,205 4,392,041 −0.61% Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI CSA
Flooding from poor water infrastructure
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA 4,011,553 4,018,762 −0.18% Seattle-Tacoma, WA CSA
Earthquake Water shortages
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA 3,690,512 3,690,261 +0.01% Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI CSA
Flooding from Rivers
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA 3,286,069 3,298,634 −0.38%
Tsunami Low elevation
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA 3,219,514 3,175,275 +1.39%
Tsunami Low elevation Hurricanes
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA 2,972,566 2,963,821 +0.30% Denver-Aurora, CO CSA
Hail storms Water shortages
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA 2,838,327 2,844,510 −0.22% Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA
Low Elevation
St. Louis, MO-IL MSA 2,809,299 2,820,253 −0.39% St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL CSA
Earthquake Flooding from Rivers
22 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA 2,701,046 2,660,329 +1.53% Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC CSA
large tall Dam
23 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA 2,691,925 2,673,376 +0.69% Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona, FL CSA
Hurricanes Water shortages Elevation
24 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA 2,601,788 2,558,143 +1.71% San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX CSA
Water shortages
25 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA 2,511,612 2,512,859 −0.05% Portland-Vancouver–Salem, OR-WA CSA
Earthquake
26 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA MSA 2,411,428 2,397,382 +0.59% Sacramento-Roseville, CA CSA
Water shortages Flooding from Rivers
27 Pittsburgh, PA MSA 2,353,538 2,370,930 −0.73% Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV CSA
Flooding from Rivers
28 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX MSA 2,352,426 2,283,371 +3.02%
Large Tall dams Water shortages
29 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA 2,292,476 2,265,461 +1.19% Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ CSA
Water shortages Large Tall dam
30 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA 2,259,935 2,256,884 +0.14% Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN CSA
Flooding from Rivers
31 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 2,199,490 2,192,035 +0.34% Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS CSA
Tornadoes Water shortages
32 Columbus, OH MSA 2,151,017 2,138,926 +0.57% Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH CSA
Water shortages Tornadoes
33 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN MSA 2,126,804 2,111,040 +0.75% Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN CSA
Water shortages Tornadoes
34 Cleveland-Elyria, OH MSA 2,075,662 2,088,251 −0.60% Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH CSA
Tsunami off of lake Erie
35 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA 2,012,476 1,989,519 +1.15% Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro, TN CSA
Large Tall dam New Madrid Earthquake risk
36 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA 1,952,185 2,000,468 −2.41% San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
Water shortages Earthquake
37 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 1,803,328 1,799,674 +0.20% Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC CSA
Tsunami Elevation
38 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA 1,675,774 1,676,579 −0.05% Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT CSA
Elevation Tsunami
39 Jacksonville, FL MSA 1,637,666 1,605,848 +1.98% Jacksonville-St. Marys-Palatka, FL-GA CSA
Elevation Tsunami Hurricanes
40 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA 1,566,487 1,574,731 −0.52% Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI CSA
Tsunami from lake Michigan
Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA 1,448,411 1,413,982 +2.43% Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA
Hurricanes Water Shortages
42 Oklahoma City, OK MSA 1,441,647 1,425,695 +1.12% Oklahoma City-Shawnee, OK CSA
Tornadoes
43 Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA 1,336,103 1,337,779 −0.13% Memphis-Forrest City, TN-MS-AR CSA
Flooding from Rivers Earthquakes
44 Richmond, VA MSA 1,324,062 1,314,434 +0.73%
Elevation
45 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA 1,284,566 1,285,439 −0.07% Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown–Bardstown, KY-IN CSA
Flooding from Rivers
46 Salt Lake City, UT MSA 1,263,061 1,257,936 +0.41% Salt Lake City-Provo-Ogden, UT CSA
Earthquake Water shortages
47 New Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA 1,261,726 1,271,845 −0.80% New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond, LA-MS CSA
Elevation Tsunami Hurricanes Salt water ruining water supply
48 Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT MSA 1,211,906 1,213,531 −0.13% Hartford-East Hartford, CT CSA
Elevation
49 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY MSA 1,162,336 1,166,902 −0.39% Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Cattaraugus, NY CSA
Tsunami from lake Erie
50 Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA 1,114,262 1,115,289 −0.09% Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL CSA
Water shortages Tornadoes
51 Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI MSA 1,091,620 1,087,592 +0.37% Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon, MI CSA
Safe metropolitan area
52 Rochester, NY MSA 1,084,973 1,090,135 −0.47% Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA
Tsunami from lake Ontario
53 Tucson, AZ MSA 1,052,030 1,043,433 +0.82% Tucson-Nogales, AZ CSA
Water shortages
54 Tulsa, OK MSA 1,023,988 1,015,331 +0.85% Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville, OK CSA
Tornadoes Large Tall dam
55 Fresno, CA MSA 1,013,581 1,008,654 +0.49% Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA CSA
Water shortages
56 Urban Honolulu, HI MSA 1,000,890 1,016,508 −1.54%
Tsunami Elevation
57 Worcester, MA-CT MSA 978,447 978,529 −0.01% Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT CSA
Water shortages
58 Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA MSA 971,637 967,604 +0.42% Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA CSA
Water shortages River Flooding Tornadoes
59 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA 959,768 957,419 +0.25% New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Tsunami Elevation
60 Greenville-Anderson, SC MSA 940,774 928,195 +1.36% Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC CSA
Large Tall dam in one area
Albuquerque, NM MSA 918,259 916,528 +0.19% Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM CSA
Water shortages
62 Bakersfield, CA MSA 917,673 909,235 +0.93%
Water shortages
63 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA 899,286 899,262 0.00% Albany-Schenectady, NY CSA
Elevation
64 Knoxville, TN MSA 893,412 879,773 +1.55% Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN CSA
Large Tall dam Earthquake
65 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA 880,356 870,781 +1.10% McAllen-Edinburg, TX CSA
Flooding from Rivers Water shortages Tsunami Elevation
66 Baton Rouge, LA MSA 871,905 870,569 +0.15%
Flooding from Rivers Elevation
67 El Paso, TX MSA 871,234 868,859 +0.27% El Paso-Las Cruces, TX-NM CSA
Flooding from Rivers
68 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA 865,310 861,889 +0.40%
A Safe metropolitan area
69 New Haven-Milford, CT MSA 863,700 864,835 −0.13% New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Elevation Tsunami
70 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL MSA 859,760 833,716 +3.12% North Port-Sarasota, FL CSA
Elevation Tsunami Hurricanes
71 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA 839,784 843,843 −0.48% Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA CSA
Earthquake Water shortages
72 Columbia, SC MSA 838,250 829,470 +1.06% Columbia-Orangeburg-Newberry, SC CSA
Large Tall dam Water shortages
73 Dayton, OH MSA 813,516 814,049 −0.07% Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH CSA
Water shortages Tornadoes
74 Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA 813,052 799,636 +1.68%
Tsunami Elevation Hurricanes
75 Boise, ID MSA 795,268 764,718 +3.99% Boise City-Mountain Home-Ontario, ID-OR CSA
Large Tall dam Water shortages
76 Stockton, CA MSA 789,410 779,233 +1.31% San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
Water shortages Flooding
77 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA 787,976 760,822 +3.57% Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL CSA
Tsunami Elevation Hurricanes
78 Greensboro-High Point, NC MSA 778,848 776,566 +0.29% Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC CSA
Water shortages
79 Colorado Springs, CO MSA 762,793 755,105 +1.02%
Water shortages
80 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA 753,520 725,046 +3.93% Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona, FL CSA
Elevation Flooding Hurricanes
81 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA 750,936 748,031 +0.39% Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR CSA
Water shortages Tornadoes
82 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA MSA 719,146 709,466 +1.36% Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA CSA
Flooding from Rivers Tornadoes
83 Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA 706,696 694,863 +1.70% Salt Lake City-Provo-Ogden, UT CSA
Earthquake
84 Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY MSA 701,637 697,221 +0.63% New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Elevation
85 Akron, OH MSA 700,015 702,219 −0.31% , OH CSA
A safe metropolitan area
86 Provo-Orem, UT MSA 697,141 671,185 +3.87%, UT CSA
Earthquake
87 Springfield, MA MSA 695,305 699,162 −0.55%
Flooding from Rivers
88 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL MSA 685,344 668,921 +2.46% Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona, FL CSA
Tsunami Elevation Hurricanes
89 Madison, WI MSA 683,183 680,796 +0.35% Madison-Janesville-Beloit, WI CSA
A safe metropolitan area
90 Winston-Salem, NC MSA 681,438 675,966 +0.81% Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC CSA
Water shortages
91 Syracuse, NY MSA 658,281 662,057 −0.57% Syracuse-Auburn, NY CSA
A safe metropolitan area

Hi fwends,
Its a lot of writing and not fully complete but would be grateful to get your feedback on this 30 day itinerary.
Thank you !!

Tokyo - 19 - 3pm -

Day 1 - 19 - Ikebukuro

Events -

Ikebukuro Station -
-Evangelion Store Ikebukuro
-SunShine Aquarium
-Muscle Girls (Night)
Komagome Station -
-Rikugien Garden

Fast-Foods -

-Mcdo
-GenkiSushi

Dessert -

Mister Donut
Soapland

Day 2 - 20 - Shibuya:

Events -

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3QUb6VpiyZ/?igsh=Ynd0cmE4NnFwYjFk
Shibuya Station -
-Shibuya Crossing
-Hachiko Statue
-Nintendo Tokyo
-Meiji Shrine
-Samurai Armor Photo
MEGA Don Quijote

Fast-Foods -

-Yoshinoya
-MOS Burger
-RingerHut

Dessert -

Chateraise

Day 3- 21 - Shinjuku:

Events -

Shinjuku Station:
-Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (MORNING)
-Shinjuku Izakaya (LUNCH)
-Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building North Observatory (EVENING)
-Kabukicho District (NIGHT)
-Shinjuku Golden Gai (NIGHT)

Fast-Foods -

Sukiya
KFC
Kura Sushi
Ikekara

Dessert -

Kura Sushi
Fujiya Peko

Day 4- 22 - Akihabara and Asakusa:

Events -

Akihabara Station:

Oshiage Station Station (Evening):
-Tokyo SkyTree
Asakusa Station (Evening):
Sensoji temple

Fast-Foods -

Marugame
Gindaco
Coco Curry
Halal kobe beef nagomi

Dessert -

Fujiya Peko

Day 5- 23 - Tokyo Central:

Events -

Shimbashi Station:
-Tsukiji Fish Market (MORNING)
-Imperial Palace
-HANAZONO SHRINE - GODZILLA HEAD
-Mori Art Museum

• teamLab planets

-Tokyo Tower, Roppingi (night)

Fast-Foods -

Ohsho
Burger King
Hama Sushi

Dessert -

Baskin Robbins

Day 6- 24 - Jigokudani Monkey Park:

Events -

Nakano Station:

-Shibu Hot Spring
After noon Garyu Park
Back to hotel

Fast-Foods -

Nakau
Subway
Matsuya Food

Dessert -

Cozy Corner

Day 7 - 25 - :

Events -

mipig cafe

GINZA
SHINKANSEN TO KYOTO

Fast-Foods -

Yoshinoya
Lotteria

Dessert -

Baskin Robbins
More food spots:

Kyoto -

Day 1 - 25 - :

Shinkansen to kyoto

Events -

Kyoto tower
Downtown Kyoto : Nishiki Market
SAMURAI NINJA MUSEUM KYOTO With Experience

Fast-Foods -

Bikkuri Donkey
Men-ya Inoichi Hanare (Kyoto) - 9/10, $11 for wagyu ramen, $6 for wagyu rice (the rice is a must) (michelen ramen spot )
Hikiniku to Come Kyoto

Dessert -

Morozof
Maccha House (Kyoto) - 8/10, $7.50 for a tiramisu and macha tea set

Day 2 - 26 - :

Events

-Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

Tōfuku-ji Temple

Fast-Foods -

Yayoi Ken
Sushiro

Dessert -

Baskin Robbins

Day 3 - 27 - :

Events

-Arashiyama

Philosopher’s Path

Gion/Hanamikoji Street

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Baskin Robbins

Osaka - ( we still stay in kyoto)

Day 1 - 28 - :

Events -

-Nara Park

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Baskin Robbins

Day 2 - 29 - :

Events -

Dotonbori District
Osaka castle
Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street

Fast-Foods -

Mizutaki Iroha Soemoncho (Osaka)
Onigiri Gorichan (Osaka) -

しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜 道頓堀店 (hotpot shabu shabu)

Dessert -

Day 3 - 30 - UNIVERSAL STUDIO:

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Okinawa -

Day 1 - 31 - Naha - 3PM Check-In :

Events -

AEON Naha

Shurijo Castle
Tamaudun Mausoleum
Kokusai Dori

Fast-Foods -

A&W
Amigo Tacos

Dessert -

Day 2 - 01 - Motobu:

Events

-Emerald Beach
-Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
-Bise Fukugi Tree Road
-Local Izakayas

Fast-Foods -

Jef Sunrise Naha

Dessert -

Day 3 - 02 - Naha:

Events -

-Kokusai Dori
-Fukushu En Garden
-Manga Souko

Yamakawa:
Shuri Castle

Beach:

-Naminoue Beach

Fast-Foods -

-sumiyakitori × okinawasakaba Jimmy

Dessert -

Day 4 - 03 -

NAGO PINEAPPLE PARK
MOON BEACH

Fast-Foods - Yakiniku Ryukyunoushi

Dessert -

Day 5 - 04 - Okinawa blue cave

Events

Parasailing

Dessert -

Day 6 - 05 - Okinawa world

Events - teamlab

Fast-Foods - maruchi nagasuku

Dessert -

Day 7 - 06 - fill events not done or chill

food:

Dessert -

Day 8- 07 : fill events not done or chill

Events

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Osaka -

Day 1 - 08 - : Awaji

ISLAND NARUTO

Awaji Farm Park England Hill

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 2 - 09 - : Dotonbori

Events -

Parco shinsaibashi
Osaka aquarium
Pokémon center osaka

Fast-Foods -

Craft burger
Dekasan

Dessert -

Day 3 - 10 -

Events -

Dotonbori again

Osaka castle
Namba yasaka jiniya shrine
Tempozan ferris wheel

Fast-Foods -

Kuromon Market

Dessert -

Day 4 - 11 - :Tsutenkaku/shinsekai area and umeda

Events -

Osaka aquarium kaiyukan

umeda sky building

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 5 - 12 - : Mihoh park (water falls)

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 6 - 13 - : Day at Himeiji

Events -

Himeiji castle

Himeiji park

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 7 - 14 - : Korea town

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Surrounding of Tokyo -

If were staying in tokyo: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6lfQHtIjxt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Day 1 - 14 - Tachikawa :

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 2 - 15 - Yokohama:

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 3 - 16 -: MOUNT FUJIhakone (mt fuji)

Arakurayama sengen park

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 4 - 17 - Saitama:

Events -

Fast-Foods -

Dessert -

Day 5 - 18 - Airport: